I have done both. When I make mine, it usually ends up being the base for the soup I do that day. Most often it is chicken and I add the chicken pieces, onions, garlic, celery, carrots, salt, pepper, basil and bay leaf and let that simmer most of the day. Debone the chicken then and add the rest of what I want for the soup.

* * * *


We are all under the same stars... therefore we are never far apart.

That I do not know about. I keep the oils created in my soups cuz I do not let the broth cool and separate.

* * * *


We are all under the same stars... therefore we are never far apart.

This is about the 2nd time I've ever posted in this forum, cuz I try to stay as far away from cooking as I can get.....
BUT....
We used to have a wood stove as our only source of heat, so I had a stock pot or soup pot going all the time. I still do it when we have a cold spell that lasts long enough to warrant keeping the wood stove stoked up to keep the heating bill down. (Replacing the humidity, which is depleted by wood heat, also helps to keep plants happy & makes breathing easier.)

Regardless of whether I'm working with poultry or beef (bones) in the pot, I simmer the dickens out of it, adding water as needed so it doesn't go below bone level. I keep the pot loosely covered... propping the lid so I don't end up with a mess on the top of the stove.

If there is meat on the bones, I take them out of the water when the meat is done, remove the meat from the bones, then put the bones back in the simmering water ...sometimes breaking the bones, to process more of the "good stuff".

I can't say how long I keep cooking the bones... that sort of depends on what mood I'm in! (Or I should say that it's whenever I decide that there's nothing left to extract from the bones.) Anyway, when I do take it off the stove I put it outside (covered) to let it cool. (Remember, I said it's cold outside.) DON'T stir it while it cools!

After it cools down, there are layers: the stock ...which ideally will be in gel form, at the bottom, The fat ... which will be hardened & can easily be lifted light off & thrown away (along with the foamy "good stuff", which looks awful & probably doesn't taste good either!)

The gelled stock can be frozen if you don't want to use it right away, & will liquefy readily when heated ...but it can scorch easily too, so I don't put it back on the wood stove or use a high heat setting on the kitchen stove.

That's how I've always done it. Homemade stock is a lot cheaper, & I believe that it has a lot more food value than the watered-down/flavored-up stuff you can buy in those cans!

Happy cooking!


* * * *

i make my own, too.

when i bake a chicken i plan on eating it for one meal and then making soup.

after it's cooked, i'll remove all the meat from the carcass, crack the leg bones and put the bones in a big stock pot with a carrot, 1/2 an onion, garlic clove, stalk of celery and some salt/pepper and a bay leaf.

i let it simmer ALL day...at least a good 8 hours or so. bring it to a boil and then turn down to Warm and prop the lid up a bit so it doesn't reach a full boil again. i add in more water about 1/2 through - how much depends on how much it's cooked down. i like to have a rich broth (not watered down).

once it's done, i take out the bones, vegy's and bay leaf and i let it cool overnight (ha! never thought to put it outside!!) once it's cooled i skim off the fat and put the broth back into the pot and add in chopped carrots, celery and onion and let them cook until just about done...add in the cooked chicken pieces and continue cooking until the chicken is heated through and the vegy's are done.

i use thin egg noodles...and i cook them seperately and then put in the bowl just before serving...i don't like them to get too overdone.

to make a nice clear broth, use VERY cold water when you fill the pot.

Ummmm.... I never heard of "veggie broth" in a can. (But then again, I don't pay much attention to groceries!) I don't think you'd get much of a nice thick gel stock from simmering veggies, but I would think that the water they're cooked in would be loaded with good vitamins!

(If I'm sounding like I know something about kitchen stuff, it's only an illusion... probably some sort of reflection off the smoked up mirror finish on my microwave door!)

* * * *

college inn makes chicken, turkey, beef and vegetable broths...both regular versions and low fat/low salt types. they also have a few different added flavorings...chicken w/garlic, chicken w/lemon & herb, chicken w/vegy's & herb and beef french onion style.

no, the vegy broth isn't thick..it IS chockful of nutrients tho!

any kind of broth can be used instead of water when cooking rice...adds a bit of flavor and you can match the broth used to the main dish