Chicken Stock

[Greg44]

Sunday I cooked a whole chicken. It turned out great (so my dw said - I am vegetrarin). So I decided to make some chicken stock out of the carcus. I tossed it all into a stock pot, added some celery stocks, carrots, onion and let it simmer for a couple hours.

Picked out the chunks, strained it through some cheese cloth and let it cool. It was still pretty warm when I was ready to call it a night so I put it in the frig to cool.

Today I was going to put it in a couple mason jars to freeze. I skimmed off the fat -
and filled one jar. It looked gross - maybe this is the vegetarian coming out in me.
It was cloudy, greyish looking. I guess I was expecting more of a clear yellow color
like comes out of the can. I dumped it.

What did I do wrong? :help:

[bae]

When I've had that problem, it has been because I didn't skim off the scum during the simmering process.

I've had better results making stock when I roast the solid materials first, to get some good brown "flavor crufties". I think that's the scientific term.

[Greg44]

I never really had any "scum" - (such a nice term when cooking!) - it actually looked like good "soup" while it was cooking!

[Brian]

Do you mean it looked like cloudy semi set aspic or jello? Then that is good. There is nothing that could be wrong with it assuming it went into the fridge not long after cooled to warm. If you need it to be relatively clear you could skim fat as you did... and save.... schmaltz mmmm no no old days... well as hand cream?? :)

After skimming fat then heat again and pass through cheesecloth or turn off heat and let settle. Cloudy bits should be on lower 1/4, pour off off top 3/4.

There are bits of chicken innards attached to most whole chickens along backbone inside, we shall not discuss with a vegetarian, that will cloud stock.
I think bae's idea is a good one, as browned bits give rich colour and flavour to the stock. If you throw in some veg bits with the chicken while roasting all the more flavour.

Home made chicken stock is light years better tasting and for you than canned IMO. I guess you will have to take my opinion on that Greg :)

[Gregg]

Homemade stocks will always be at least a little cloudy unless you add the extra step to clarify them. The particles that make it cloudy don't hurt anything and unless I'm going to do something with consommé or aspic, which is a pretty rare event around here, I don't take the time to do it. In any kind of hearty soup or casserole or similar dish you will never see or taste the difference. If you want to clarify it the classic method is to cool it and skim the fat (like you did) then whip several egg whites until they just start to get good and foamy but really setting up. Put the COLD stock in a pan on the stove, add the egg whites and turn on the heat. You want it to just barely simmer, never boil it. Stir or whisk the stock and egg whites for several minutes until it gets hot then let it simmer. After 30 minutes or so line your strainer with cheese cloth again, scoop out the now puffy and cooked egg whites and put them in the strainer. Pour the stock through the whites and the cheese cloth and you should have much clearer stock. Remember to let the stock drip through the strainer, if you try to squeeze it through you will push through the impurities that you just filtered out.

Bae is totally right about roasting the veggies first, even for veggie stock. It adds SO much more flavor to the finished stock. I usually roast the bones going into meat stocks as well for the same reason.

[Gina]

There was nothing wrong with your stock. Homemade stock can come in a full array of cloudiness. Skimming has never made much of a difference for me. Usually, the more you stir it while cooking, the more cloudy it becomes as you break apart proteinacious bits. So let is slowly simmer without disturbing, and strain carefully.

As others have mentioned, to get a richer flavor, roast or brown everything that goes into your stock. :)

[winterberry]

I always add about a tablespoon of white vinegar. Somewhere I read that it draws the calcium out of the bones. And it should be gelatinous when it's cold. My stock is always cloudy and greyish. If it were too yellow it might mean that the chicken factory had put yellow food coloring into it, which I think they probably do. Purdue, in particular. I avoid buying chickens that look too yellow.

[Gina]

I always add about a tablespoon of white vinegar.
I always add some wine for the same reason, as well as better flavor. Either white or red will do. Red gives more color however. Usually what's left in a bottle that never will be consumed.


If it were too yellow it might mean that the chicken factory had put yellow food coloring into it, which I think they probably do.
'They' used to feed chickens marigold petals to help color up the skins. I don't know if that is still what they use. I suspect they have to say if artificial coloring is added in the same way they label farmed salmon 'with added color', but that is just a guess. In the past chickens with the more yellow skin were preferred. I remember my farmgirl mom saying that, but I no longer remember the reason.

[Tiam]

You didn't do anything wrong. Homemade chicken stock doesn't usually come out golden like the canned. I'm sure it was good stock.

[Greg44]

I have learned much from all of your experience and suggestions! Thank you as always. GT