How To Make And Can Simple Delicious Chicken Broth

Making and canning simple, delicious chicken broth is well worth the time in kitchen. You save money on chicken stock and it tastes way better than any of the store bought stuff. Plus it yields large amounts with every rotisserie chicken carcass that you buy. So why wouldn’t you make it?

“It’s broth day, huh?” That’s what my husband said as he came down stairs and I had my gallon bag of frozen veggies out with three deboned rotisserie chickens. One time he said that: “store bought chicken broth is just salty water” and I agree with him on that! There is no depth of flavor at all! That is why he was very happy when I started making and canning our own broth.

Benefits Of Homemade Chicken Broth

• Cost affective– One quart of chicken broth in the store can be $4-$6!
• Deep flavor– You can add lots of seasonings and vegetables to get an amazing flavor.
• Not wasteful– Putting kitchen scraps to good use.
• Hair, skin, and nails– The collagen from the bones really gets pulled out over long simmering periods and is very healthy.
• Joints– Helps joint pain and inflammation.
• Pregnancy– A very nourishing substance both while pregnant and during post partum.
• Sleep– The amino acids in the chicken broth have been proven to help people relax and have better quality sleep.

What You Will Need To Make Simple, Delicious Chicken Broth

Chicken carcass– One deboned chicken carcass with the fat and skin. You can also use about five cups of chicken bone scraps from your family.

Veggie Scraps– I collect the ends of my onions, peels from onions and garlic, and carrots and celery before they go bad in my fridge. I freeze these scraps until I am ready to use them.

Salt– My favorite is Redmond Real Salt but you can also use Kosher.

Water

Instant Pot– You can simmer your broth for 24 hours over the stove but an instant but goes much quicker.

What You Will Need To Can Chicken Broth

Ball or Kerr jars– I have proven that glass can shatter while in the pressure canner. If you use a trusted mason jar brand like Ball or Kerr I promise that won’t happen!

New lids– You will need lids that have not yet used their seals. I find that brand new lids work the best.

Distilled White Vinegar– There are several steps where the vinegar is helpful. You are more likely to have sealed your jars if you have vinegar. (There is nothing more frustrating than going through the whole canning process and having several jars that didn’t seal).

Pressure Canner– You must pressure can chicken broth because of the lack in acidity. You do not want to get you or your family sick because of botulism in your jars.

Jar Tongs– These are important so you don’t burn yourself while getting the jars out of the water.

Jar Magnet Stick– This little thing is real dandy for getting your lids out of a warm sauce pan. It isn’t a necessity but you will be glad you have it!

Jar Funnel & Ladle– Makes things easier when you’re pouring broth into the jars

PSI Gauge Information

PSI (pounds per square inch) is the measurement that the gauge on a pressure canner is taking while in use. You will need to know your altitude before starting the canning process so that you can keep an eye on your gauge and know how long to process the jars for. Here is a break down of the altitude and PSI matchings for a Presto pressure canner: https://www.gopresto.com/content/s/canning-stock-and-soup

• Dial gauge canner: Use 11 PSI for altitudes up to 2,000 ft., and increase by 1 PSI for every 2,000 ft. increase in altitude.
• Weighted gauge canner: Use 10 PSI for altitudes up to 1,000 ft., and increase to 15 PSI for altitudes above 1,000 ft.

The altitude for my city is above 5,000 ft. I process my jars at 15 PSI.

Tips For Making and Canning Chicken Broth:

• Have your broth process over night so that you can wake up and can them first thing in the morning.
• Just warm your jars by pouring chicken broth into them and letting them sit for 5-10 minutes. No need to wash them in the dish washer first.
• Another way to gradually warm your jars and broth is setting filled jars into the pressure cooker before the water is boiling. Let the jars with broth gradually warm up with the water to skip a step.
• Pour 1/4 cup- 1/2 cup of distilled white vinegar into the pressure canning water to help keep the jars clean and the seals clear.
• Make sure your pressure gauge is cleaned and on correctly. This can affect the accuracy of your gauge.

How To Make And Can Simple, Delicious Bone Broth:

How To Make Simple, Delicious Chicken Broth

1. In a 4.5-8 quart Instant Pot add the bones, skin, and fat of one rotisserie chicken.
2. Add about two cups of onion, garlic, carrots, and celery scraps.
3. Add one tablespoon of salt.
4. Fill water up to the max line in the Instant Pot.
5. Push the soup/broth button. Once it is finished, for a more health beneficial broth, you can hit the button again and continue to process your chicken and scraps.
6. Salt to taste.

How To Prep Simple, Delicious Chicken Broth For Canning

1. Fill pressure canner with enough water that your jars will be half way filled. Pour in about a half cup of distilled white vinegar and heat that pot until it is rigorously boiling.
2. While that pot heats, put clean lids into a small pot with water and a plash of distilled white vinegar. Heat that pot on low.
3. Fill clean mason jars with hot broth.
4. Pour a couple of tablespoons of vinegar into a small bowl.
5. Wipe rims with a towel and the vinegar from the bowl.
6. When the lids are warm, use your magnet stick to pull the lids out and place on top of jar rims.
7. Screw lids on to the jars medium-tightly.
8. When the water in your pressure cooker is rigorously boiling, grab each jar, one-by-one with the jar tongs and place them in the water up-right. Fit as many jars with broth inside as will fit.

Pressure Canning Process

1. Fit the top of the pressure canner on. Wait until a stead stream of steam is coming out of the silver nozzle and then set a timer for 10 minutes.
2. After 10 minutes of the steady stream, put the weight on top of the nozzle and get your broth up to the recommended PSI for your altitude.
3. Once the PSI gauge has reached the recommended PSI, slightly reduce the heat to keep the gauge at that PSI and set another timer for 25 minutes. (I process my broth longer than recommended because I’ve had good luck with all of my jars sealing this way).
4. Once 25 minutes is up, turn the heat from the stove off and remove the PSI weight. The pot will release the steam from the canner gradually for about an hour. You will know when you can open the pressure canner once the PSI is all the way back down to zero and steam is no longer being released from the nozzle.
5. Lay out a kitchen towel and take the lid off of the canner and pull your jars out with the jar tongs, while keeping the jars up right, and place them all on the kitchen towel.
6. You will know when your jars are sealed when you have heard them audibly “pop” and the middle indent has been sucked down.
7. Leave your jars here for 24 hours before moving.

Notes:

• Processing the broth in the instant pot should take at least 4 hours for a flavorful broth.
• If the water reaches too high on the jars get a metal bowl of some sort and a heating mitt to not burn yourself and scoop boiling water out into the sink.
• When the pressure is completely release, make sure to take the pressure canner lid off with oven mitts on so that you do not burn yourself.
• Some times I will not hear the amount of pops as jars that I have processed, this is okay. What is important is that within 24 hours the middle indent has been sucked down and the lids are sealed to the rims.
• Always check the next day to see if your lids have all sealed. I have torn lids off of jars, thinking that they hadn’t worked and I was going to use them for a meal, and they had actually sealed.

If you love this recipe, I would love if you came back and gave it 5 stars!!!