Homemade Chicken Stock 3 (5-pound) chickens 3 large onions, unpeeled and quartered 6 carrots, unpeeled and halved 4 celery stalks with leaves, cut in thirds 4 parsnips, unpeeled and cut in 1/2, optional 20 sprigs fresh flat-leaf parsley 15 sprigs fresh thyme 20 sprigs fresh dill 1 head garlic, unpeeled and cut in 1/2 crosswise 2 tablespoons kosher salt 2 teaspoons whole black peppercorns Place the chickens, onions, carrots, celery, parsnips, parsley, thyme, dill, garlic, salt, and peppercorns in a 16 to 20-quart stockpot with 7 quarts of water and bring to a boil. Skim the surface as needed. Simmer uncovered for 4 hours. Strain the entire contents of the pot through a colander, discarding the chicken and vegetables, and chill. Discard the hardened fat, and then pack the broth in quart containers. Yield: 6 quarts Note: This might seem like way too much chicken stock, but if you have 6 containers that can go in the freezer, it's such a time saver. Of course you can use one chicken and 1/3rd of the other ingredients - but think about the full recipe when whole chickens are on sale! Back to Soups