Homemade Chicken Stock from Freezer Scraps

Step 1

Save onion, celery, carrot, and parsley scraps in a gallon sized plastic bag in your freezer, along with any chicken bones or a rotisserie chicken carcass, until you are ready to cook.

Step 2

Add the contents of the bag to a large stockpot, or the biggest pot with a lid you have.

Step 3

Cover the contents in the pot with water, leaving about 2-3 inches of room at the top of the pot.

Step 4

Add the whole peppercorns (1 teaspoon), the bay leaf, and a teaspoon of kosher salt (optional).

Step 5

Bring to a boil, then cover and turn down the heat to low.

Step 6

Simmer, covered, for a minimum of 3 hours and up to 6 hours.

Step 7

Turn off the heat, uncover, and allow to cool for 20 minutes so it's easier to strain.

Step 8

Add the contents of the bag to your slow cooker- make sure it's at least 6 quarts.

Step 9

Cover the contents in the pot with water, leaving about 1-2 inches of room at the top of the crockpot.

Step 10

Add the whole peppercorns (1 teaspoon), the bay leaf, and a teaspoon of kosher salt (optional).

Step 11

Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours or high for 4-6 hours.

Step 12

Turn slow cooker off, uncover, and allow to cool for 20 minutes so it's easier to strain.

Step 13

Add the contents of the bag to your pressure cooker - make sure it's at least 6 quarts. This won't work with a mini instant pot, unless you use only half of the contents of the bag.

Step 14

Cover the contents in the pot with water, making sure to NOT go past the "max fill" line.

Step 15

Add the whole peppercorns (1 teaspoon), the bay leaf, and a teaspoon of kosher salt (optional).

Step 16

Place the cover on and make sure the valve is in "sealed" position.

Step 17

Set pressure to manual on high for 45 minutes. It will take about 20-30 minutes to come to pressure.

Step 18

Allow to naturally release pressure for 30 minutes, then move the sealing valve to "venting" and wait for the float valve to sink down before opening.

Step 19

Open the pressure cooker, turn it off, and allow to cool for 20 minutes so it's easier to strain.

Step 20

Place your pot in your sink and place an opened plastic grocery bag next to it. Use a slotted spoon to scoop the large scraps into the grocery bag- get as much as you can. Then, tie up the bag and toss it in the trash.

Step 21

Next, place the container you want to store the chicken stock in next to the pot in the sink. I like reusing those containers you get soup in from restaurants- kind of like these.

Step 22

Place a mesh sieve directly over the container - use a small one if you're using small containers, and a larger one for a larger container.

Step 23

Use a ladle to scoop the chicken stock into the container through the sieve, which will catch any remaining solid pieces lingering in the liquid.