Homemade Chicken Stock

Homemade stock is well worth the time to make. 
You know what's going in and it's not full of preservatives.
Whenever you bake a whole chicken, save the leftover carcass and put it in the freezer. 
Giblets and necks that you find inside the cavity before you bake a whole chicken are added to the pot to make stock as well. 
You may also get chicken pieces from your local butcher.

Chicken Stock:

several chicken carcasses and chicken pieces
½ chopped onion
3 stalks chopped celery
5 large chopped carrots
12 whole peppercorns 
1 Bay Leaf

Add chicken parts to a large stock pot. 
Add the vegetables and spices and fill pot about ¾ of the way with water.
Bring to boil and then simmer for about 4 hours and walk away.
Occasionally skim the fat off of the top with a large metal spoon.
When it's done, take out the bones and strain the stock to remove the peppercorns, bay leaf, and all other nonessentials.
What you want is a smooth, clear final product   
Either use it right away or put it in containers and freeze it for later use(which is what we do!)
We fill an ice cube tray with stock for use in small batches, too. 
Stock is so easy to make and it can be used for rice, soups, whatever you want.