Slow Cooker Chicken Stock I Made It Ii

Slow Cooker Chicken Stock

chuckieb 6 years ago
So for this month's IMI Slow cooker challenge, I made

Slow Cooker Chicken Stock

by Faith. I make home made chicken stock allllll the time but I always do it on the stovetop in a huge stock pot. This recipe is very similar to what I normally do although I generally only use peppercorns and this one also called for a bay leaf, sage, thyme and basil.

I threw all the ingredients in to the slow cooker although I do admit to putting in two chicken carcasses as one didn't seem to me to be enough. Upon reflection that may not necessarily be the case.

The recipe said that any sized crock pot would do, although preferably at least a 4 qt. I have two. One is a 3 1/2 qt. (which I got as a wedding or shower present 38 years ago and it still works like a dream) and I'm not positive what size the other one is but I think it's a 4 qt. and that's the one I used.

I didn't read the part of the recipe that said to only fill the crock pot 3/4 full of water. I filled it to the top and then turned it on low. I started it after dinner thinking it could perc away all night long but after 3 hours it was just sitting there, not looking like a whole lot was going on. So it was at that point that I reread the recipe and then ladled out a goodly amount of the water. I went to bed and by the next morning it was bubbling slightly. I let it go 'til after breakfast, turned it off and let it cool. Then I strained it and let the broth sit in the fridge for a day. It didn't have a lot of fat that rose to the surface like usual. Don't know if that was due to the cooking method or perhaps I had less fatty carcasses. :)

The next day I poured it in to mason jars as I always freeze my stock. As you'll notice, one jar is a nice golden colour and the other fairly brown. The golden jar was poured off the top and I think because of little bits and the dried herbs I'd used, the second jar just looked murkier.

The very biggest benefit of course to making broth in the crockpot is that you don't have to monitor it. What I didn't care for was the fact that I only got two jars of broth, compared to the 4+ jars I get when I do it in the crockpot. I suppose I could just make it more often.

I'm on the fence about it.
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Cosmicmother 6 years ago said:

You need a bigger crock pot! Lol...;)
I make chicken and beef stock all the time in mine and I love it. Mine was a 6qt now I have a 7qt. I wonder if your stock would be more concentrated in flavour because you used less water? Maybe you can add more water to it to make up for what you would have used in a stock pot?
It is nice to just walk away and not worry about leaving a burner on! I hope it tastes good! :)

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chuckieb 6 years ago said:

I don't think the broth from the crock pot is any more concentrated than the broth I make on the stove top Shona. It tastes fine, like normal chicken broth. I think maybe I'm suspicious that the broth didn't get a really good boil/simmer on. Does yours?

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Cosmicmother 6 years ago said:

Yes, mine boils away on low. It takes about 3 hours before it starts bubbling on low, and about 1 hr if I do it on high. Sometimes I start it on high then when it bubbles I turn it to low and it stays bubbling after that. I have an oval crock pot, so I don't know if it makes a difference compared to the round ones?

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chuckieb 6 years ago said:

And how many jars of broth do you get when you make it in your 6 or 7 qt. slow cooker? Turning it on high initially is a good idea. My 4 qt. one is oval as well.

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Cosmicmother 6 years ago said:

I usually fill 4 large mason jars (I think they're the 1 liter size) I don't fill the crock pot up all the way, maybe 3/4 full at most. I haven't made chicken stock in my 7 qt yet, just beef but I'm sure I could get 5 jars of chicken stock in it. I get 6 jars with beef in the 7qt but the bones from a few rib roasts take up less volume than a chicken carcass. :)

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chuckieb 6 years ago said:

Thanks Shona....Yep....I need a bigger crockpot! :)

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mommyluvs2cook 6 years ago said:

I have never made chicken stock in the slow cooker, so this recipe intrigues me :) When I do mine on the stove I usually get about 3 quart size containers out of it. Are your jars the regular size mason jars or bigger Janet?

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LindaLMT 6 years ago said:

I too have never made stock using just the carcus and my crockpot but I will have to venture it someday even to have it for sipping broth. My crockpot has a line on it that notes not to fill it past that point. I’m going to start saving my bones after roasting chicken and try this.

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chuckieb 6 years ago said:

My jars would be considered quart sized Michelle.

Will be looking forward to when you try this Linda, to hear your opinion. :)

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