Mommy Money Saving Tip: One Man's Trash is Another Man's......Chicken Stock??

I'm talking about the carcass of your roast chicken or turkey and the bones left over from a pork or beef roast.  They are perfect for making delicious homemade stocks that can be used in any recipe that calls for stock or broth.  In fact, you can use the leftover pieces of many items such as the bottom of the asparagus or celery stalk.

I hate throwing away food.  All I can think is that I'm throwing money in the trash can.  When I find ways to use up the pieces that most people would throw away, I feel a sense of accomplishment.

I don't have an exact recipe for stock, because it's really not a science.....just throw things in a large pot and simmer! My go to method for stock is combining the carcass/bones with 1 large onion (cut in half), a handful of cloves of garlic, a couple of carrots (or a little over a cup of carrot ends and peels), a couple of stalks of celery (or a little over a cup of leftover celery end pieces), herbs of choice (bay leaves, parsley, thyme, etc), 1/2 tablespoon of kosher salt, and 1/2 tablespoon of black peppercorns.  I put all of this in a very large stock pot....the kind that has 2 handles on each side of the pot.  Add enough water to cover all of the ingredients.  Bring to a boil, and simmer while covered for 1 1/2 to 2 hours.  After you allow the stock to cool a bit, strain the pieces and foam out of the stock.  You can divide the stock into 1-2 cup portions and freeze for later use.  When you're ready to use the stock, you can either defrost it in the fridge or pop the frozen stock in a pot and heat it up until completely defrosted.

Trust me when I say that homemade stock is so much better taste-wise than the canned or boxed stock.  By making your own stock, you get to save money, save food waste, and have a delicious stock to use as a base in many recipes!