We use our Chicken Frames (AKA Chicken Backs) to make a flavorful and healthy bone broth. “Chicken backs” refer to the central part of the chicken that remains after the breast, wings, and legs have been removed. Our chicken backs, which are quite meaty, are commonly used for broth preparation and for extracting any leftover meat.

Stock can be prepared from virtually any type of animal bones by simmering them in a pot with water and aromatics, which include vegetables, herbs, and spices added for flavor enhancement.

The nutritional value of the stock is partly derived from these aromatics, but the primary health benefits come from the minerals, collagen, and gelatin extracted from the bones during simmering. Indeed, these bone-derived nutrients are the reason why homemade chicken soup is often associated with faster recovery from a cold. The addition of an acidic ingredient, such as vinegar or lemon, to your stock recipe aids in extracting these beneficial substances from the bones. If simmered for a sufficient duration, what you end up with is essentially homemade bone broth.”

Making Bone Broth with Chicken Frames

When making chicken stock, I tend to do it in two steps to get an extra serving of tender chicken. If you skip the first step, you’ll still be fine, but the chicken will lack texture.

Take the contents of a pack of chicken frames and place in the pot of a pressure cooker. Cover with water. Add your seasoning and pressure cook for 20 minutes.

Let the cooker cool on it’s own. When it’s cool enough to work with, run the contents through a strainer and set aside the broth. Working the chicken, separate the bone and skin from the meat. You should have about 2 cups of delicious chicken per bag of frames. It’s not a pleasant task, but well worth the effort.

Now put the skin and bones back into the broth and pressure cook again for 3 – 4 hours. Once cool, pour through a colander and discard the solids. Here you’ll have rich, fantastic bone broth. If time allows, let it cool and skim the solidified fat off the top. This should result in about 1 gallon of chicken stock which has a myriad of uses around the kitchen

You can get similar results with a slow cooker (cook for 12-24 hours on low) or on your stovetop (bring to boil, reduce to low and simmer fore 6-8 hours).

Ingredients:
• 2-3 chicken frames (from roasted or raw chickens)
• 1 onion, quartered
• 2-3 carrots, chopped into large pieces
• 2-3 celery stalks, chopped into large pieces
• 2-3 cloves of garlic, smashed
• 1-2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar (helps extract nutrients from the bones)
• Water (enough to cover the bones, typically about 8-10 cups)
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Optional herbs: bay leaves, thyme, or parsley for added flavor
• Optional: 1-2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar (helps extract minerals from the bones)