homemade slow cooker chicken stock

Why not! I'm not sure about you but, we love roasted and grilled chicken.  I used to toss the carcass and never give it a second thought - until lately!!  It so easy to make Homemade Stocks and in your slow-cooker too!!  The flavors are richer and most times the color is even deeper then any store bought stocks/broths.  Who wouldn't want to know what went into their stock and control it so there aren't any added unwanted items like 'msg'  try this - you'll like it! Enjoy - Diane  


Homemade Slow Cooker Chicken Stock 

2 lbs Chicken Bones (carcass) 
1 1/2 tsp salt *you can hold off adding until the end if you prefer and adjust to your taste
2 medium onions, rough chop
2 carrots, rough chop
bulb of garlic, cut in half horizontally
3 celery ribs, rough chop
boiling water to cover chicken carcass
1 Tbs Apple Cider Vinegar
1 Bay leaf
8-10 black peppercorns
3 spring fresh thyme 

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
Combine chicken bones, onions, celery, and carrots in a large roasting pan; toss with oil and season lightly with salt and pepper. Roast until the bones and vegetables are a rich golden brown, about 30 to 40 minutes.
Transfer the bones and vegetables to a large stockpot...or slow cooker (mine is a 6 Qt) cover with enough boiling water to just cover the chicken carcass, add in remaining ingredients, cook on LOW for 12-18 hours (your preference, taste after 12 hours) I pour my liquid that has been strained (strain through cheesecloth) into a fat separator and then place the resulting fat free liquid into a fridge safe container to use within 5 days (or pressure can or freeze stock for future use.) 

**rough chop meaning you don't peel the onion and you don't cut or take off any peelings from carrots and leave celery whole - with leafy greens too...
** the apple cider vinegar will not flavor your dish but, helps to leech out the minerals from the carcass while cooking - adding more nutrients to the final product. You can use white vinegar as well. 

Yields 2.5 to 3 Quarts of Stock. 

*note: with an hour left of cook time (when bones were just falling apart) I added 
a pinch of Rosemary added for flavor. 

If Canning - NCHFP Inst. on Pressure Can Meat Stocks/Broth:  10 lbs weighted canner/11 pounds dial gauge canner (or according to your altitude/local regs.) 
for: 2o minutes/pints    25 minutes/quarts. . 

Recipe & Photo by: Diane Baker for Canning and Cooking at Home

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