Re: Help with chicken stock!

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 10/12/02 4:51:48 PM Eastern Daylight Time,

jafffaus@... writes:

> am making chicken stock for the first time and noticed that the

> recipe in NT calls for vinegar. I only have apple cider vinegar. Is

> that O.K.? Please tell me quick so I can run to the store and get

> the regular vinegar if needed. Also, why the vinegar? I've never

> used it in chicken soup before. And, why let the soup sit for up to

> l hour, instead of turning the heat on right away?

>

Any kind of vinegar is fine. The vinegar is to draw out the minerals from

the bones by creating an acidic envrionment. I have no idea why it is

supposed to sit first. Maybe it is to encourage most of the scum come up

during the first boil, rather than later in the making. I do it anyway just

to follow directions.

Chris

____

" What can one say of a soul, of a heart, filled with compassion? It is a

heart which burns with love for every creature: for human beings, birds, and

animals, for serpents and for demons. The thought of them and the sight of

them make the tears of the saint flow. And this immense and intense

compassion, which flows from the heart of the saints, makes them unable to

bear the sight of the smallest, most insignificant wound in any creature.

Thus they pray ceaselessly, with tears, even for animals, for enemies of the

truth, and for those who do them wrong. "

--Saint Isaac the Syrian

[Guest guest]

just made some yesterday using apple cider vinegar. it worked so I guess it's

ok, next time will try lemon juice. think it's the acidity that's important,

there's a bit about it somewhere in the NT book.

sorry I can't answer your second question....

good luck with the stock,

Dedy

----- Original Message -----

From: jafffaus

Sent: Saturday, October 12, 2002 9:49 PM

Subject: Help with chicken stock!

Hi,

I am making chicken stock for the first time and noticed that the

recipe in NT calls for vinegar. I only have apple cider vinegar. Is

that O.K.? Please tell me quick so I can run to the store and get

the regular vinegar if needed. Also, why the vinegar? I've never

used it in chicken soup before. And, why let the soup sit for up to

l hour, instead of turning the heat on right away?

Thanks,

[Guest guest]

Thanks i was really wondering about the vinegar too. By the way, for

any of you who are on the lazy side in the kitchen, i discovered this little

trick with my last chicken stock. I put the chicken in whole and let it cook

for a few hours like that, then stick a big fork in the pot to easily break

up the chicken. I figure it's going to cook another 18 to 20 hours anyway.

So if you want to save on dirty dishes and time cutting up the chicken, this

works great! Maybe i'm not getting such pure stock though.

Elaine

[Guest guest]

> HI,

>

> A previous message said to take the chicken meat out

> before it loses flavor and let the bones and the rest

> cook for 20 hrs. Does anyone know when to take the

> chicken meat out before it loses flavor?

If I'm using the crock pot on the low setting (I put it on high until

it's hot and then turn it down), I can let it go about 6 hours before

taking the meat out and it still has flavor. If I'm doing it on the

stovetop, 4 hours is about the max (I can't get the heat on my

stove as low as the crock pot).

> Also, a previous question wasn't answered. If the

> chicken mildly boils the whole time, will this be a

> problem for the end product?

The only " problem " with this that I know of is that if it boils instead

of simmers, the end result tends to be cloudier (for crystal clear

stock, you're supposed to not ever let it boil). Personally, I don't

care if my stock is cloudy or clear. If water evaporates away, it

just means you have more concentrated stock, it doesn't make it

any less nutritious - makes it easier to store because of less

volume, and you can reconstitute when you use it.

Aubin