Traditional Stock Raises the Dead. Almost. A Recipe

This recipe has been stewing (I couldn't help myself. I'm my father's daughter) in my head for ages. So here we go, Nourishing Traditions style.

We've all been told to eat chicken noodle soup when we're sick, but what most of us haven't been told is that Campbell's, etc. is useless when it comes to the medicinal properties of chicken broth, or stock. I've learned that reading a label only tells you a fraction of nutrition content in the food it contains. The process by which the food is offered is just as, if not more important to the ability my body will have in absorbing it's nutrients.

Ladies and gents, this is how chicken stock has been made for centuries, and if you want an effective, comforting way to treat many ailments, this is what you'll want to have on hand. (I usually have a couple quarts of this standing ready in the freezer.):

Traditional Chicken Stock

You will need:

1 whole chicken (organic/free range will give you the best results and nutrition), gizzards are optional, cut up in pieces. You're welcome for not taking a picture of that. Oh wait. What's this?

Just keeping it real, friends. I couldn't help myself.

And you will need:

4 quarts filtered water

2 Tablespoons vinegar

1 large onion, chopped

2 carrots, chopped

3 celery sticks, chopped

1 bunch parsley

Don't worry about finely chopping everything.

Combine all ingredients accept the parsley.

Bring to a boil, skim off any foam.

Simmer, covered, for 6 to 24 hours. The longer you let it simmer, the higher nutrients and flavor it will yield. Add the parsley 10 minutes before finishing the stock, imparting more mineral ions to it.

Strain the stock into a big bowl.

After the chicken is cool enough to handle, remove and store the meat. It's great in enchiladas, salads, soups, etc. The skin and smaller bones are soft enough to give to your cat or dog, and they'll probably gladly eat the veggies, too (mine do).

Store the stock in the refrigerator overnight or until the fat rises to the top. Skim the fat off and reserve the stock in containers (I use wide-mouthed canning jars, my all-time favorite storage container).

And there you have it, folks. Be well, be healthy, stock up on some... stock before the heat sets in!

~Browse more riddlelove recipes here.~

~ Take a gander at more Katie's Quick Home Keeping Tips Here. ~