Making chicken stock or soup

[rbruno]

I recently posted a question regarding cooking my recently processed chickens. This is my first try at having chickens and after producing eggs for three years, I decided to process the ones I had and get a new flock for eggs. I am now trying to cook the chickens I have. After my first experience, it was recommended that because of the age of my chickens, I should slow cook them to tenderize the meat. This past weekend I started to make soup and let one of the chickens cook on low in a crock pot for about 9 hours. The stock/soup was pretty thick and had a lot of fat. I sampled the meet and it was tender and tasted a little like turkey. I then tried the broth and it had way to much fat in it. It almost looked like and would drain off the spoon like cooking oil. I decided to put the entire pot in the fridge to let the fat rise to the top and solidify. Yesterday, I skimmed off a very heavy layer of fat, but the stock is still thick and almost feels like it sticks to your mouth when you taste it. I have made stock from store bought chickens and did not have this experience. So, I have a couple questions.
Is this the type of experience others have with making stock or soup from fresh chickens?

So, do I just need to dilute it with water to improve the stock?

I didn't strain it, but I don't think the strainer would make that much difference.

It didn't taste bad, in fact it had a pretty strong flavor, but it just feels like and looks like you are drinking oil.
Thanks for your advice.
Rob

 

[Parront]

Hi Rob,
The fat does need to be skimmed like you have learned. I use the fat to fry my potatoes, just like any cooking fat. Some call it "shmaltz". Your broth was cooked down in the crock pot. Old layers make a broth that can't be compared to store chicken! After you pick the bones clean, you can add water and boil the bones for more broth, lighter due to more water. Lots more flavor, and you might want to dilute it depending what you are making. I like to use it in chicken noodle along with a can of mushroom soup.

 

[RUNuts]

Yes, decant the oil and save. If you don't have enough pig grease, the chicken grease works REAL well for gravies or roux. Tastes like nothing else!

I'll cook the chicken, pick the bones and make roux. Add the meat back after the veggies are cooked down for the gumbo. Bon appetit!

 

[Morrigan]

When you slow cook bones for hours, a lot of gelatin is released which will make the broth thicker and more viscous, especially when cold. It will become more liquid-like when it's re-heated and can be thinned out then. I like the taste and extra body of the broth.

Another vote for saving the chicken fat to cook with. Brussel sprouts or potatoes tossed in chicken fat and then oven roasted are really tasty.

 

[Smuvers Farm]

to all 3!!!

 

[Hawgfan]

Your chickens lived a healthy, normal life. This required them to develop strong joints and tendons. I suspect that the sticky texture you noticed is from these connective tissues breaking down. Many people claim to notice a benefit in their own joints after consuming broths like the one you made. Commercial chickens aren't nearly as active or long lived, and won't have these tissues present in the manner yours do. The collagen, proline, glycine, and glutamine in your broth have a host of health benefits.

 

[song of joy]

I've never observed thickening with chicken broth, but I usually simmer the chicken for 4-6 hours, which is long enough for the meat to become tender.

I agree with @Morrigan that the thickness is probably due to the gelatin being released from the bones due to the extended cooking time. The broth will thin when re-heated, but you could also add some water to dilute it.

You didn't mention whether you plucked the chickens or skinned them. We usually skin our older layers rather than plucking them. This saves lots of time, and you get much less fat in the broth, which may be good or bad depending on whether or not you want to skim off the fat and use it for cooking.

 

[rbruno]

Thanks all that responded. Sounds like my broth is the way it should be when using an older fresh chicken. I did not skin the chickens. They were just plucked. But, that might be something I try the next time meaning taking some of the skin off before going in the pot.
I had planned to make soup with this, but now I think I have broth that I will save. I still plan to make soup with it, but just dilute it a good bit. This morning I checked it and some more fat came to the top. Not nearly as much as yesterday, but still some. I think I will strain it, store it, and use it later. I also plan to try to cook vegetables with it as well. That sounds like it would taste very good.
Again, thanks for all the advice.
Rob

 

[sfgwife]

Thanks all that responded. Sounds like my broth is the way it should be when using an older fresh chicken. I did not skin the chickens. They were just plucked. But, that might be something I try the next time meaning taking some of the skin off before going in the pot.
I had planned to make soup with this, but now I think I have broth that I will save. I still plan to make soup with it, but just dilute it a good bit. This morning I checked it and some more fat came to the top. Not nearly as much as yesterday, but still some. I think I will strain it, store it, and use it later. I also plan to try to cook vegetables with it as well. That sounds like it would taste very good.
Again, thanks for all the advice.
Rob

If you cook the bones once more you will have a lighter broth like you are more accustomed to. . The taste wont be as rich as what you already have but you can add so e of that back into the new and it wont be as strong or thick a flavor bbut still have all the good gelatin in it. Or just water down what you have and it will be a great broth too. You made more of a stock the first go round now it would be broth. Also save veggie scraps in the freezer to add to that when you cook em amd it gives it a ton more flavor as well.