Canning Chicken Stock?

[Doodle Do]

Got lots of chicken backs and no room in freezer. I found a recipe for a chicken stock and it says to pressure cook. I dont have one of these, can I just hot water bath the stock?

 

[elnabelms]

Doodle do- unfortunately you can't water bath anything with meat in it, they have to be pressure cooked. Water bath will not sufficiently process meat, and it may not be safe to eat. Pressure cookers can be expensive, but they are great to can stew, soup or any kind of meats. We've processed beef, made barley soup, etc.

 

[blurose]

As stated above, you must us a pressure canner for canning anything with meat, even just broth. I know they can be expensive, but if you can swing it, they are very multitasking vessels, great for much more than just canning. You might try contacting your county cooperative extension office (I think that's what they're called) to see if you can borrow one. Check in thrift shops i.e. GoodWill, The Salvation Army and such for one. You might need to buy a new seal for it, but that's certainly cheaper than buying a whole new pressure cooker. You must make sure it is big enough to hold quart jars at least to make it worth even getting.

 

[patandchickens]

What elnabelms and blurose said. Very definitely.

Here is whatcha need to do instead, to save that stock -- simmer it down in a VERTICAL-sided pot for a long long VERY long time, until it is reduced into a dark intense fluid. (Be careful not to burn it if you reduce it really far - you may need to transfer into a smaller-diameter pan at some point so it does not get too shallow). Just keep going basically until the volume is small enough that it will fit, when cool, into a little nook in your freezer

The smart thing is to freeze it in icecube trays then bag the cubes for storage -- a cube or two added to soup or sauce will make a HUGE difference.

Have fun,

Pat

 

[Tutter]

And, perhaps, get a 2nd freezer; it's early in the season yet!

Pat's on the money; very handy the well reduced stock!

 

[Doodle Do]

Thanks for the info. Not sure if I will just break down and get a p.c. or freeze it. I think if I go get another freezer hubby will throw a fir, we already have 3 freezers and there is only 3 of us!