Taking Stock

Finished stock just before I strained it

Chicken Foot

I buy pastured chickens, which are quite expensive. So, I like to get every bit of nutrition, flavor and value out of my birds. One of the things that I like to do is to make my own stock. I typically roast my chickens in the oven or cook them on the rotisserie on my grill. When I serve the meal, I get the crock pot out so that everyone can throw their bones in themselves when they clear their plates. When the meal is over, I take any extra meat off the bones for left overs, then throw the whole carcass into the crock pot. Add maybe ¼ c apple cider vinegar to the pot, then fill the pot with water. The apple cider vinegar helps to leach calcium and minerals out of the bones. Also, add some chicken feet to the stock if you can get them. They add wonderful gelatin to your stock, which helps your body absorb the calcium. Turn your crockpot on high until it gets hot, then turn it down to low. I cook my stock overnight- sometimes leaving it on for 18 hours or more. Great stock cannot be rushed. It’s not hard, and you don’t have to babysit it, but it does take time. Such a healing, nourishing food.