So, people have been surprised to hear that we still have parsnips, turnips and winter squash in storage. The parsnips are holding up really well (although there are only 2 left in the fridge but more in the ground in the front garden). The turnips are OK - some are good, some are going. The squash is the same as the turnips. I have to cut it up and take out the bad spots but most of it is still good. As long as your squash doesn't freeze and it's not too humid, you can keep it for a long time. It's almost March and I still have at least 10 various squash in the garage. Now, I'll admit, I protect it. I don't open the garage door so it's basically a very large "root cellar". I stuff any air hole I notice with rags or sheets. I have a thermometer in where the squash is kept and if I see the temp. at 38 or so, I plug in a small space heater. This is not what everyone is committed to do. But, if you want a "fresh" squash in late-Feb., it works.
I enjoy cooking but really don't like to slave over the stove. Soups are good. You can put them on and let them go, adding during the last hour the complimentary ingredients. Today was one of those days. We've had a lot of snow lately so I thought soup might be in order and, at about 1:00, I took out a stewing hen from the freezer, put it in an 8 Q. stock pot, covered it with water, added 2 fresh bay leaves (from one of our plants), 4 very small onions from the fall harvest, about 1/8 cup of coarse kosher salt (small handful), and 8 - 10 peppercorns. I turned it on high (because it was frozen) and suited up to go and plow. Allie and I had so much fun plowing that we decided to go into the woods to haul out a log (we heat with wood). Long story short, I drove over a log and got stuck. (I did get out 1 1/2 hours later). So, we walked to the house.
Now, with all of the excitement, I had forgotten about the soup. But, that's the beauty of soup. As long as it doesn't evaporate, it's OK. The chicken was at a full boil and was no longer covered with water but I just added some water, turned it down and continued to simmer it down until 5:00 .
I ladled off the fat (there was about 1/3 inch on the top) and poured the stock through a colander into a large sauce pan. I let the chicken cool and de-boned it. The bones are now in a second pot making more stock (with one onion, some salt, and a bay leaf). I cut up the chicken and threw 1/2 in the pot and will keep the other 1/2 for pizza or sandwiches. Then I peeled and chopped up 3 parsnips, about 1/3 large patty pan squash squash and 3 turnips, added about 1 tsp. each of celery salt, coriander, ground ginger and some rice vinegar and brought to a boil until the veggies were tender.
Yum. I added noodles for the children, Zingerman's bread for the adults.
Showing posts with label stewing hen. Show all posts
Showing posts with label stewing hen. Show all posts
Chicken Stock
Winter time is the time to make stock. It has a comforting aroma, adds moisture to the dry air, and gives you something to do with all of those laying hens that are no longer producing. To save the stock, place it in pint-sized jars and process in a hot water bath or pressure cooker, according to the directions for your canner.
Ingredients:
1 or 2 stewing hens. The best chicken to use is one that is about 2 years old and has stopped laying.
4 - 5 carrot tops or carrots, if you don't have tops.
2 - 3 onions, washed and cut in half
3 - 4 cloves of garlic - no need to skin these, just toss them in.
2 - 3 T of kosher salt
Some black pepper or 1 - 2 dried spicy peppers if you like spice
1 - 2 bay leaves (I pick these off of my bay leaf plant. I use the ones that are starting to dry up or look weak)
Some celery (if you have it but I usually don't)
Rinse the chickens and place all ingredients in a large pot. I use a 24 Q stock pot and fill it until the chickens are covered. Bring the mixture to a boil and then turn down to low. Allow the stock to cook for 3 - 4 hours, uncovered.
Place a colander over another large pot and strain the stock. The chicken should fall apart at this point. Put the broth back on the stove, along with the bay leaves & garlic (squeeze the meat out of the skin and toss it in and it will dissolve.
Let the chicken cool and then remove the meat that you want to remove. The meat should be really tender now and can be served for dinner, saved to make chicken sandwiches, made into chicken pot pie, anything.
At this point, you can can your stock or freeze it. I don't have room in the freezer, so I can it. I also don't have a lot of room on my shelves so I continue to cook the stock for 2 - 3 more days! After I separate the meat from the bones, I toss the bones back into the pot and continue to simmer the stock. At night I put it in the cold garage or fridge and in the morning I put it on the top of the wood stove. By the end, the stock is very concentrated. Strain the broth again and then pour into your clean jars. When I use a pint to cook with, I'll add water if I'm making soup or gravy.
The last time I made stock, I ended up with about 7 pint-sized jars. I did add a little water as the chicken simmered, to make sure the meat was always covered during the cooking process.
A tasty, organic, inexpensive alternative to store-bought stock!
Ingredients:
1 or 2 stewing hens. The best chicken to use is one that is about 2 years old and has stopped laying.
4 - 5 carrot tops or carrots, if you don't have tops.
2 - 3 onions, washed and cut in half
3 - 4 cloves of garlic - no need to skin these, just toss them in.
2 - 3 T of kosher salt
Some black pepper or 1 - 2 dried spicy peppers if you like spice
1 - 2 bay leaves (I pick these off of my bay leaf plant. I use the ones that are starting to dry up or look weak)
Some celery (if you have it but I usually don't)
Rinse the chickens and place all ingredients in a large pot. I use a 24 Q stock pot and fill it until the chickens are covered. Bring the mixture to a boil and then turn down to low. Allow the stock to cook for 3 - 4 hours, uncovered.
Place a colander over another large pot and strain the stock. The chicken should fall apart at this point. Put the broth back on the stove, along with the bay leaves & garlic (squeeze the meat out of the skin and toss it in and it will dissolve.
Let the chicken cool and then remove the meat that you want to remove. The meat should be really tender now and can be served for dinner, saved to make chicken sandwiches, made into chicken pot pie, anything.
At this point, you can can your stock or freeze it. I don't have room in the freezer, so I can it. I also don't have a lot of room on my shelves so I continue to cook the stock for 2 - 3 more days! After I separate the meat from the bones, I toss the bones back into the pot and continue to simmer the stock. At night I put it in the cold garage or fridge and in the morning I put it on the top of the wood stove. By the end, the stock is very concentrated. Strain the broth again and then pour into your clean jars. When I use a pint to cook with, I'll add water if I'm making soup or gravy.
The last time I made stock, I ended up with about 7 pint-sized jars. I did add a little water as the chicken simmered, to make sure the meat was always covered during the cooking process.
A tasty, organic, inexpensive alternative to store-bought stock!
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