benefits of making chicken stock at home?

So I’ve been wanting to make stock at home for some time, but I can never get around to storing that much chicken parts before I make the stock. Does anyone actually go out of there way to buy chickens to make stock with? I know there’s obviously a flavor benefit of making your own stock but is there really a cost benefit?

I can grab some organic low sodium broth from Whole Foods once a month for $2 each quart.

I’ve read websites that preach a cost benefit, but it seems to be relying on the fact that you have some chicken carcasses lying around.

Is there some sort of cost effective way to gathering the materials for the chicken broth? Would just buying spare chicken parts at the market be a good alternative opposed to just waiting for the day I somehow eat 4-5 chicken carcasses? Maybe just buy chicken legs that are on sale at the market, strip some meat off and use the bones/leftover meat for that? (often see 99 cents a lb for legs)

Thanks in advance, I know it might seem like a silly question but it’s always perplexed me.

I collect the legs/ wings and carcasses from eaten Chicken and Turkey in the freezer until I have enough to make a large pot. Easy to do, just simmer away on the weekend. Far and away superior to anything purchased.
Usually used up in either risotto or soups

You don’t need to get all 4-5 carcasses in 1 shot. Freeze each one as you consume it and when you have enough start stocking.

My problem with this, is it would take me probably 4-5 months to collect 4-5 carcasses. Ha!

We rarely eat chicken with bone on it, typically just buy chicken breast. I do a roast chicken probably once every two months or so?

For all you’ve said, and going back to this, I don’t see your problem.

I can grab some organic low sodium broth from Whole Foods once a month for $2 each quart.

As long as it’s a decent brand, you’re good-to-go.

That’s the basis of my question. I always see people talking about making their own stock, but if I can get organic low sodium broth at $2 a quart, is it worth it? or is there a significant difference between stock/broth?

I do it for the satisfaction and the fact it tastes better - at least to me. Even the low-sodium Swanson’s is loaded with salt and most of what is sold as “organic” and “natural” tastes to me like the cardboard it came in. That said, I keep Swanson’s around just in case.

I can buy backs from one of my local markets and may start doing that, but typically I poach a whole chicken when they’re cheap, remove the meat and make chicken salad, then put the bones back in the pot. Now that I’ve bought a canner and have the ability to can stock so it’s shelf-stable, I’ll probably start making larger batches with backs and necks if I can find them.

America’s Test Kitchen recommends wings. They’re fatty and expensive, so I don’t use them. They also claim that all thighs and drumsticks give the stock a “livery” flavor. I can see that.

Christ, lowsodium broth is the spawn of Satan, Fu. Don’t make me fly down and confiscate your Burgundy…

Making your own is free if you eat chicken with bones in it. Since you don’t do roast chicken, you could buy breasts on the bone. Take 5 seconds, run a knife under the breast, toss the bones in a freezer bag.

Me, I toss in the bones from roast chicken, if I have duck on the bone, I toss those in, it. But yeah, those of us who talk about making our own chicken stock probably eat roast chicken ~ once a week and use the bones from parts too. Obviously, if you eat enough chicken like that the stock is basically free.

If you use boxed stuff at the least use Kitchen Basics Chicken Stock. “Low Sodium Broth…” Why, I oughta…

$2! lol.

Good call on the breast bone in.

Good info. Thanks Bob. I’ll skip the thigh/drumstick idea.

No, imo. There’s a huge qualitative difference between homemade and store bought. You get a richer, more gelatinous broth when you make it at home and it makes a world of difference when you make risotto or soups, imo. I’ve been out of my own stock lately and have had to resort to that Pacific Natural Foods stock and it’s just nowhere near as good.

If you don’t want to save carcasses, just buy a package of chicken feet and one chicken and use those. That way you can always make some meals out of the boiled chicken.

The other riff on this would be to use the chicken parts in some water AND some of the boxed stock.

Just buy a couple of cans!

The only reason you need to make your own:

All commercial broth tastes like feathers.

I suggest going to a real butcher and buy a bag of backs. Make a big batch and freeze it.

You’re probably gonna get 15 different answers here, but real simply, they way I would define them is that stock is a refined (strained and clarified) broth. Broth is soup and stock makes soup.

LOL, I was in line at the market Sunday and a guy asked the checker if they had canned chicken. The checker looked at him like he was an alien from Mars and said “Uh, I don’t think we have that.”

As for stock here’s a +1 on richer, more gelatinous stock and better tasting dishes made with it when you make your own. Not even close. In a pinch you can go to a decent gourmet market and the butcher will have fresh made chicken stock.

Can’t do this with purchased stock…

home made lamb stock

LOL. Only 8 posts between when I started and got my post in.

You can w/ a coupla packages of this stuff:

Can’t do this with purchased stock…

It took you 31 minutes to type those 2 sentences?