It’s that time of year again, the cold weather has hit and soup is on everyone’s mind.  At Simply Good Kitchen we feel that we make a good pot of soup.  And one of our secrets is Homemade Chicken Stock.  The stuff in the metal can or cardboard box doesn’t have enough flavor to do the job.  The following is our recipe for Homemade Chicken Stock using your crock pot; and with using your crock pot you can have the confidence to simmer the stock for 12 – 16 hours.  This recipe will give you four quarts of super rich stock that will be great for your next recipe that calls for Homemade Chicken Stock in soups, braises or risottos.

Homemade Chicken Stock in a Crock Pot:
  

1 to 2 chicken carcasses, left over from a roasted chicken dinner or
   a chicken carcass from the butcher.
1 carrot, peel and rough chopped           
1 onion, skin on and rough chopped
2 sticks celery, rough chopped
1 bay leaf
1 sprig, fresh thyme or ½ teaspoon dried thyme
3 Black peppercorns, cracked
1 Gallon cold water or what will fit in your crock pot.

1. Place all of the ingredients in the crock pot and place on low heat with a lid and slowly cook for 12-16 hours.

2. After 12-16 hours strain contents of crock pot through a colander into a large bowl.  Discard the bones and vegetables left in the colander.

3. Strain the stock that is in the bowl using a fine strainer.  You now have your own homemade chicken stock.  Use it immediately to make soup or portion it into 1-quart containers, label and place in freezer for future use. Enjoy!