A true homemade chicken stock (or bone broth) suitable for babies made with whole foods: bones, cartilage, meat and flavored with added vegetables and aromatic herbs (no salt). Use the chicken stock for baby food starting from 6 months - as the starring ingredient in soups and meals that require liquid (replace the water). The chicken broth for babies/toddlers/ kids is super nutritious and beneficial for their developing digestive system.
1wholechicken(use organic free range chickens that are certified to be free of hormones and antibiotics.)
2largecarrots(roughly chopped)
1largeonion(red or white, roughly chopped)
2stalkscelery(or use celeriac (the root), roughly chopped )
3-4clovesgarlic(roughly chopped)
3/4tspdried thyme(or fresh sprigs (they are heat tolerant))
3/4tspdried parsley
1bay leaf
4quartsfiltered water(3.8 liters)
Instructions
Prepare The Chicken
Dismember a chicken and get the parts you need: the back (carcass), neck, feet and wings, wash thoroughly in cold water. Another method to ensure a clean crisp stock is to blanch (plunge in boiling water) briefly the bones and meat first and discard the water. Then add clean water and bring to a boil.
Cook The Chicken First
Add the bones and other parts to a large pot with one to two times their weight in water, I usually use about 4 quarts of water. Bring to a low simmer, constantly skimming off the scum for the first 1 hour.
Add Aromatics
Take out the cooked meat from bones after an hour or so, otherwise the protein will disintegrate and will not be good for consumption (you can add it to the soup later or other recipes). Throw the bones back in and add the dried herbs (thyme, bay leaves, parsley). Simmer for about 4-5 hours at very low heat. The water will evaporate but try to keep the level up (add if needed) so the bones are covered in water all the time.
Add The Vegetables
For the last hour of simmering throw in the vegetables (roughly chopped). Simmering the veggies for too long will destroy their nutrients.
Let cool to room temperature. Strain the stock through a fine-meshed sieve (discard solids) and store in batches (use jars, cups or freeze large ice cubes).
How To Make A Meat Based Chicken Broth For Babies
Use the chicken breast, the wings, the thighs or a combination of those. Wash thoroughly, cover with water, bring to a boil and remove the foam until there is none.
Add the aromatics and the vegetables and simmer similarly as the bone based stock but only for about an hour.
Remove chicken from stock and let cool. Finely strain the vegetables and herbs out of your stock. Store.
Notes
Tips For A Perfect Chicken Stock (Bone Broth)
Add the herbs right when you start making your stock – use dry herbs – the nutrients and flavors will be destroyed during the long simmering time. frozen or fresh
Add the vegetables at the last hour of simmering. The less they are exposed to heat the more nutrients will have.
Start with cold water. This helps extract more collagen, giving the stock more body
You can use leftover bones from roast chicken, but at least half (preferably 3/4) of the bones should be raw.
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