Grasshopper or Ant?

Did you ever read the fable of The Grasshopper and the Ants?

There is a grasshopper who fiddles away his time through the summer and fall while the ants industriously harvest food and store it away for winter.  When winter comes, guess who is hungry and comes knocking at the ants’ door?  While there are many interpretations to the story (hard work pays off; would we want a world without the arts?; mooching; sharing with those with less; etc. etc.) but frankly, in this political year I am on overload with that stuff.

BUT, what brings it to mind is: as summer turns to fall, I am harvesting to last crops from the garden and squirrelling it away for winter. (Anting it away?  Squirrels in the fall are a whole nuther blog…)

So yesterday, I made a small batch of Basic Spaghetti Sauce and a large batch of Chicken Broth.  Both were canned for the future.  We routinely make and can our own chicken broth.  We go through it at a furious pace.  It is much cheaper, healthier and tastier making it at home.  It takes almost no time, especially if you are freezing it.  (I prefer canning it since freezer space is at a premium around here.  Also, it is available at a moments notice instead of waiting for defrosting.)

Homemade Chicken Broth

Print Recipe

I make chicken broth so often that I basically eyeball the ingredients. I also use an Instant Pot to pressure cook my broth easily and quickly so cook time is for the Instant Pot. You can cook the broth in a slow cooker for hours and hours instead or simmer it on a stove.

Servings	Prep Time
4 quarts	5 minutes

Cook Time	Passive Time
2 hours	2 1/2 hours

Servings Prep Time 4 quarts 5 minutes

Cook Time Passive Time 2 hours 2 1/2 hours

Homemade Chicken Broth Print Recipe I make chicken broth so often that I basically eyeball the ingredients. I also use an Instant Pot to pressure cook my broth easily and quickly so cook time is for the Instant Pot. You can cook the broth in a slow cooker for hours and hours instead or simmer it on a stove. Servings Prep Time 4 quarts 5 minutes Cook Time Passive Time 2 hours 2 1/2 hours Servings Prep Time 4 quarts 5 minutes Cook Time Passive Time 2 hours 2 1/2 hours

Ingredients

• 3 chicken thighs or all the bones from a cooked chicken or a few chicken legs or a couple of chicken backs, etc.
• 2-3 stalks celery just break or bend them to fit in the pot
• 1 onion don't peel it, just drop the sucker in
• 2-3 Carrots again, just stick them in whole or cut them if they won't fit
• 1 tsp dried thyme or a couple of sprigs of fresh
• 1 Tbsp dried parsley or a handful of fresh parsley sprigs
• 8-10 whole peppercorns just drop them in
• 1/2 tsp marjoram optional

Servings: quarts

Instructions

1. Put all ingredients in the Instant Pot. Cover with water to the max line. (If making in a slow cooker or on the stove. Cover the ingredients with at least an inch over the top of the ingredients.
2. In the Instant Pot, set the timer to 120 minutes at High. Push the button and go enjoy life. When it beeps, let the pressure release naturally. (you could probably rush it and quickly release the pressure but I think that extra time gives it a bit more flavor.) If you are making it in a slow cooker, cook on low for 8+ hours. If cooking on the stove, simmer for at least 2 hours but I have been known to simmer it overnight at times.
3. Strain the ingredients from the stock. Clean the meat off the bones for other uses. Can or freeze the broth.

   

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Tags: chicken brothchicken stockinstant potstock