Chicken Broth - Can It!

Aren't they purty?

I cooked a couple of whole chickens a while back and had these lovely carcasses, necks, and giblets left over.  I'd also been making a lot of chicken-based soup, and I was getting tired of buying cans and cans of chicken broth.  Brain wave - I'll make my own!

A lot of people who make their own broth freeze it, but I didn't want to waste valuable freezer space with something that could easily be made shelf stable, so canning was the preservation method I chose.

I've canned pickles, beets, tomatoes, green beans, and jams and jellies, but never broth.  I got out my copies of the Ball Blue Book and a collection of USDA bulletins for my research project.  Because broth isn't acidic or full of sugar, it MUST be pressure canned.  No water bath canning!  So here's how to make and can your own broth.

My canner has a pressure dial regulator, but
the USDA prefers weights instead.

Chicken Broth

Chicken carcass(es), broken up
Chicken giblets
Chicken necks
Leafy tops from celery
1 or 2 Carrots, large, cut into 2-inch pieces
10 Black peppercorns
2 Bay leaves
Water to cover
1 t Salt per quart of water

Get out your largest stockpot and put in as many chicken carcasses, giblets, and necks as you can fit loosely.  Add the rest of the ingredients, measuring the water as you add it, one quart at a time.  Bring it to a boil, cover, turn the heat way down and simmer 3-4 hours.

Strain out all the STUFF - bones, vegetables, spices - and chill overnight in the refrigerator.  Skim the fat off the top of the chilled broth.  You can save it and use it to make chicken gravy later, if desired.

So that's the process to make the actual broth!


CANNING THE BROTH

To can your homemade broth, you'll need a real-for-real pressure canner like the one pictured above.  They're sold at Walmart and farm stores like Rural King or Tractor Supply.  Do NOT use an Instant Pot or similar electric pressure cooker.  Make sure you read the instructions carefully before using it.  Also, make sure your stovetop is suitable for canning.  Your owner's manual will have that information.

Clockwise, from the upper
left:  jar lifter, canning
funnel, lid, and ring.

Some inexpensive gadgets will make the job easier.  A canning funnel has a wide opening that just fits in the jar's mouth.  A jar lifter makes handling the jars safer when you're transferring them into and out of the canner. 

So if you're going to take the plunge, decide whether you're going to use quart or pint jars and wash them well in hot water (or the dishwasher!), make sure you have enough lids and rings (two-part lids) for the jars and wash the rings.  Always use NEW lids.  The rings are meant to be reused - they just hold the lids in place until the jars are sealed.

Bring the broth back to a boil.  Put about 3 quarts of water in the canner.  Put the canner's rack in the bottom of the canner.  Ladle broth into each jar to 1 inch below the rim (if you're using a canning funnel, that's just to the bottom of the funnel).  Wipe any drips or spills off the jar's rim to ensure the lids will seal.  Place a lid on each jar, and tighten the ring to just finger tight.  Place the jars on the rack in the canner, close the lid, and turn on the heat, about medium-high.  Vent the canner according to its instructions. 

After venting 10 minutes, place the weight on the vent (yes, even a canner with a dial regulator will have a weight to place on the vent).  Allow the pressure to build to 10 pounds (a weighted regulator - the weight will rock gently on its own) or 11 pounds (a dial regulator).  The pressure relief valve will rise and lock the lid.  Start timing when the correct pressure has been reached.  Adjust the heat to maintain pressure. 

Process the jars, 20 minutes for pints and 25 minutes for quarts.  When the correct time has elapsed, turn off the heat and let the pressure release.  You won't be able to open the lid until the pressure relief valve has dropped.  When it has dropped, wait an additional 10 minutes before opening the lid. 

Remove the jars from the canner.  Place them on a towel to cool.  Don't tighten or remove the rings.  Drape another towel over the jars to keep them out of any drafts.  You'll hear the lids click as they cool.  Let them sit overnight.  Check the lids to be sure they've sealed - they should be concave and stay that way.  You can remove the rings at this point. Label the jars and store them.  If any of the jars don't seal, you can put those in the refrigerator and use them within a couple of weeks, but as long as the jar rims are clean before you put the lids on, that shouldn't happen.