To make chicken soup, is it really necessary to boil bones for an hour?

[Sheree Bobbins]

There's got to be a point of diminishing returns. Like the best part of the broth must be made sooner than an hour. What do you think? Can we have fast food chicken soup?

[kathie859]

Originally Posted by Sheree Bobbins

There's got to be a point of diminishing returns. Like the best part of the broth must be made sooner than an hour. What do you think? Can we have fast food chicken soup?

Do you mean to boil/simmer the previously cooked chicken bones to make stock? It can be done in an hour--but I would think of it as "broth light". The flavor will be more pronounced if you simmer your stock for a few hours. Be sure to add an onion, celery, carrot, salt and peppercorns (a sprig or two of parsley is nice, too) to the brew for a well flavored stock. I usually reserve this treatment for the Tgiving Day turkey carcass. You could also boost the flavor by substituting chicken boullion cubes for the salt.

[snarlingcoyote]

Ahmmm. . .I'm from the "use broth from the paper box" school. . .but from my forays with turkey bones and shellfish, isn't it more that you should cook broth until it rarifies and until the flavors are fully absorbed?

[Sheree Bobbins]

I going to try making my stock light! And compare it to slow-cooked broth.

[Imzadi]

Originally Posted by snarlingcoyote

Ahmmm. . .I'm from the "use broth from the paper box" school. . .

I use one of the cans of broth.

Otherwise, I have also found I can make fast food chicken soup in 25 minutes by tossing in a few chicken thighs & spices into water. About 5 -10 minutes before I think it's going to be done, I add veggies & more spices. Once the thighs flake off the bones, (which also means the bones are cooked throughout,) soup is done!

It may not be as subtle and delicate as a soup that's simmered for hours, but I'm not that much of a chicken broth connoiseur. The chicken meat flavors the soup, not so much the bones. It's hearty, flavorful and hits the spot.

[princess momma]

I think it's also a food safety issue. I don't normally make my own stock - way too much work and yuckiness involved.

[kathie859]

Originally Posted by princess momma

I think it's also a food safety issue. I don't normally make my own stock - way too much work and yuckiness involved.

Just wondering.....Why do you think that there's a food safety issue making one's own broth?

[princess momma]

The food safety issue is about cooking the chicken completely to eliminate the bacteria.

From the USDA:

http://www.fsis.usda.gov/Fact_Sheets...ocus/index.asp

Chicken should be cooked to 165 degrees. Whole fryers should be simmered (not boiled, that will cloud the stock) for 60-75 minutes. Whole roasters for 90-120 minutes.

[manning]

Pressure cooker

[kathie859]

Originally Posted by princess momma

The food safety issue is about cooking the chicken completely to eliminate the bacteria.

From the USDA:

http://www.fsis.usda.gov/Fact_Sheets...ocus/index.asp

Chicken should be cooked to 165 degrees. Whole fryers should be simmered (not boiled, that will cloud the stock) for 60-75 minutes. Whole roasters for 90-120 minutes.

Thanks for the link--some good information....I guess I assume that people know to cook food (especially poultry) until it cooked thru. The OP was talking about cooking up "bones"--which I assumed was from a previously cooked carcass. To the point of food safety, properly prepared stock/broth doesn't seem any more dangerous than canned or boxed. Don't get me wrong, I certainly use the occasional box of broth; however, store bought broth pales in flavor to home prepared and is worth the trouble in some cases (especially risotto!!!.....I LOVE risotto made with my own chicken broth)

[Imzadi]

Originally Posted by kathie859

Thanks for the link--some good information....I guess I assume that people know to cook food (especially poultry) until it cooked thru. The OP was talking about cooking up "bones"--which I assumed was from a previously cooked carcass. To the point of food safety, properly prepared stock/broth doesn't seem any more dangerous than canned or boxed. Don't get me wrong, I certainly use the occasional box of broth; however, store bought broth pales in flavor to home prepared and is worth the trouble in some cases (especially risotto!!!.....I LOVE risotto made with my own chicken broth)

Yes, when I make my 25 minute chicken soup, I boil the chicken to make sure there is enough heat to cook the bones all the way through and to make sure the stock is hot enough to kill bacteria. I really don't care if the stock is cloudy, although, now I know why it is. I can see, that if I'm cooking at a lower temp, I'd have to cook longer. I'll have to try it that way.

[punkin]

Chicken broth is simple but it does need to simmer for a long time. Luckily you hardly even need to watch it. Just set it up, skim and let it simmer for hours:

Ingredients

* 2-1/2 pounds bony chicken pieces
* 2 celery ribs with leaves, cut into chunks
* 2 medium carrots, cut into chunks
* 2 medium onions, quartered
* salt to taste
* 2 quarts cold water

Directions

* Place all ingredients in a soup kettle or Dutch oven. Slowly bring to a boil; reduce heat. Skim foam. Cover and simmer for 2 hours.
* Set chicken aside until cool enough to handle. Remove meat from bones. Discard bones; save meat for another use. Strain broth, discarding vegetables and seasonings. Refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight. Skim fat from surface. Yield: about 6 cups.

[crazelion]

WOW making stock is hard work. It is not idiot proof.

What is a carcass? Is it part of chicken like the wing and thighs.

Can someone give step by step directions on how make stock. It needs be idiot proof and dumb proof.

I don't have clue what y'll talking about.

[crazelion]

What do mean by simmer? What is skim?

Okay official lost. Read the recipe and don't have clue what talking about. What is a soup kettle and dutch oven.

Time me google. Too many terms I don't know.

Originally Posted by punkin

Chicken broth is simple but it does need to simmer for a long time. Luckily you hardly even need to watch it. Just set it up, skim and let it simmer for hours:

Ingredients

* 2-1/2 pounds bony chicken pieces
* 2 celery ribs with leaves, cut into chunks
* 2 medium carrots, cut into chunks
* 2 medium onions, quartered
* salt to taste
* 2 quarts cold water

Directions

* Place all ingredients in a soup kettle or Dutch oven. Slowly bring to a boil; reduce heat. Skim foam. Cover and simmer for 2 hours.
* Set chicken aside until cool enough to handle. Remove meat from bones. Discard bones; save meat for another use. Strain broth, discarding vegetables and seasonings. Refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight. Skim fat from surface. Yield: about 6 cups.

[Imzadi]

Originally Posted by crazelion

WOW making stock is hard work. It is not idiot proof.

What is a carcass? Is it part of chicken like the wing and thighs.

Can someone give step by step directions on how make stock. It needs be idiot proof and dumb proof.

I don't have clue what y'll talking about.

A carcass is the whole chicken skeleton, intact with the meat removed. Or to put it another way, it's that thing left in your refridgerator, the day after Thanksgiving, after everyone has gone in and slowly picked the turkey clean.