Ingredients
1 whole chicken* (about 4 1/2 pounds), skin removed
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt (optional, for seasoning the meat on the bone)
Water to cover the chicken completely (about 9 cups)
Optional bone broth ingredients, for added aromatic flavor:
1/2 small white or yellow onion, peeled
1/2 celery stick, but into 2 pieces
1 small carrot, cut in half (washed well, peeling is unnecessary)
1 bay leaf
10 black peppercorns
Instructions
Break, twist, and/or cut the thighs, legs, and wings apart from the torso of the chicken. Place in the slow cooker. Remove the gizzards from the bag in the cavity of the chicken and place it (excluding the liver due to its strong taste) in the slow cooker. Pour in the water and add the vinegar and salt.
Cover and set the slow cooker on high heat to speed cooking. After 2 hours, reduce heat to low and skim the white scum off the top of the liquid.
Once the meat is cooked through, after about 4 hours, pull out the meat with tongs, pulling the meat from the bone. Add the bones back into the slow cooker. Reserve the meat for something else, like Michelle’s Spicekick Chicken Salad.
Add the optional ingredients. Cover and simmer 6-18 hours longer. Skim off surface fat. Refrigerate. When broth is chilled and jiggly, scrape off the solid fat from the top. Pour bone broth into storage jars with lids, leaving a bit of room at the top for expansion during freezing.
Freeze until ready to use.
Notes
*If you are using cooked bones with the meat off them, do not add the optional salt. It’s better to add salt when you know exactly how you will be using the bone broth and if it will need more salt added or not.
