Making Stock

Today is the weekly wrap up of what we did to save money and resources.Jen over at "Getting Ahead" hosts The Weekly Wrap Up. Check out her blog for great money saving ideas.
This has been a tough week for me. I had some painful problems in my knee due to overzealous physical therapy.
So I haven't been out of the house to spend any money. We did the usual things like hanging laundry, cooking from scratch and eating leftovers.
I thought I'd blog about making stock.I use a lot of chicken stock in my cooking. Of course you can buy stock at the supermarket.
It's tasty but the sodium content is high. And I think it's a bit expensive. So I make my own. It's really easy to make.
Here's the 'recipe":
Chicken carcass( I save these in the freezer until I have two or three)
2 large onions halved
4 large carrots cut into large chunks
4 cloves garlic
4 ribs of celery cut into chunks
Add 1 Tablespoon of salt
Add 1 Tablespoon of pepper
Add whatever herbs you like with chicken: I have a windowsill garden so I put in a handful of parsley, oregano and thyme. Sometimes I add rosemary. If you are using dry spices measure the amount into the palm of your hand and rub your hands together to release the oils. I would use a small amount of sage( maybe two tablespoons) oregano(1 tablespoon) and thyme( 2 teaspoons). If you need more seasoning you can add it when you use the stock. It takes less dry spice/herb than it does fresh.
Throw every thing into a big pot. You will want to wash the veggies but there no need to peel them. Cover with water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 1-2 hours with the lid on. When finished pour the liquid through a strainer to remove the bones and veggies etc.
Homemade stock has a richer color than store bought and it makes the house smell yummy while it's cooking. I freeze mine in canning jars but you could use other containers as well. I take out 2 quarts every Saturday to thaw in the fridge.
I prefer to make stock because it cheaper and it allows me to control the amount of salt in my diet. Why not give it a try.