Meyer Moment: Chicken Stock

Hey everyone! Welcome back to The Coop with Meyer Hatchery - where we talk all things poultry in hopes of inspiring crazy chicken keepers and educating future flock owners. We’re glad to have you tuning in for this brief midweek as we provide a Meyer Moment to cover relevant happenings. 

Let’s take a Meyer Moment to talk about chicken stock. Chicken stock has been used for centuries and is still commonly used today in all sorts of recipes. Chicken stock, also known as bone broth, is revered for its health benefits. When you had a cold or flu growing up, many of us have memories of our mom or grandma making a big pot of chicken soup. This feel-good meal is rooted in the amazing benefits of bone broth.  

Boiling and making a broth out of animal bones, hooves, feet, etc goes back to prehistoric times. When a hunter accomplished the ultimate goal of a kill, it was necessary that every bit of an animal be used with no waste. Making a broth made use of otherwise inedible parts. Today, the process of making chicken stock remains much the same: take parts of chicken such as bones, skin, feet and slowly boil along with veggies, herbs, and spices. 

Is there a difference between bone broth and chicken stock? The small difference is that stock is usually made with bones, while broth is usually made with meat and vegetables.

The health benefits of bone broth have recently gained attention and for good reason. Modern research is still being done but in general, it boils down to the wonderful nutrients, vitamins, and minerals found in animal bones and tissue. When made into broth these nutrients are easily absorbed creating a benefit from otherwise inedible parts. 

So how do you make the perfect bone broth? Start with the most naturally-raised bones you can find. Pasture-raised chicken is ideal. After a delicious chicken dinner, take all bones, skin, fat, tissue, literally anything that wasn’t eaten, and put it into a pot with water. 

Aim for a 1:2 bone to water ratio; the more bones the better!  Add some veggies such as onions, carrots, celery, and garlic. Depending on how much flavor is preferred, herbs and spices can also be used. 

A small bit of acid, such as vinegar or wine, can optimize your bone broth. The acid works to pull all the nutrients from the bones and into the water. Bring the broth to a slow boil and simmer for at least 12 hours. Your home will smell delicious! If you don’t want to wait 12 hours and have a pressure cooker, such as an Instant Pot, you can have delicious bone broth in a matter of a few hours! 

Skim and strain the broth for any bone fragments. The ultimate goal of perfect bone broth is the finished product forming a gel-like top layer when it begins to cool. Bone broth can be stored in your fridge for about a week, or frozen in serving sizes for easy use over time. 

We hope you enjoyed this Meyer Moment about delicious chicken stock and bone broth including its many uses and benefits. 

Enjoy the rest of your week and as always, thank you for listening to The Coop!