Name: Chicken Stock
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 90 min
Total time: 140 min
Ingredients: 5 regular mouth pint jars (sanitized, with lids and rings); 1 chicken carcass (or chicken wings); 1 large yellow onion (quartered); 2 stalks celery; 3 carrots; 3 sprigs thyme (or 1 sprig rosemary); 1 (2-inch) piece ginger (optional); 2 bay leaves; 1 tbsp peppercorns; 1 tbsp salt (to taste); 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar (or white wine vinegar); 10 cups water

Print Pin

Chicken Stock

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 1 30

Canning Time 20

Total Time 2 20

Servings pint jars

Ingredients

5 regular mouth pint jars sanitized, with lids and rings
1 chicken carcass or chicken wings
1 large yellow onion quartered
2 stalks celery
3 carrots
3 sprigs thyme or 1 sprig rosemary
1 (2-inch) piece ginger optional
2 bay leaves
1 tbsp peppercorns
1 tbsp salt to taste
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar or white wine vinegar
10 cups water

Instructions

Roast the bones

Preheat oven to 450 degrees
Place carcass/bones on to a baking sheet and roast for 30 minutes
For a more richer flavored stock, add the other vegetables and spices and roast for another 20 minutes, skip for a lighter stock

Pressure cook the ingredients

Transfer chicken, vegetables, and spices to the instant pot
Add 10 cups water (or more if desired, up to max fill line)
Secure the lid of the instant pot and make sure the pressure valve is set
Program the instant pot to cook under high pressure for 1 hour and 30 minutes, and make sure to disable the Keep Warm setting
After the instant pot has finished cooking, use the quick release method to bring it down to ambient pressure
Skim off the fat on top and strain the contents of the instant pot in to another container and discard the spent solids

Canning the Chicken Stock

Set up the five pint jars near the cooking area with their lids and rings handy
Rinse out the instant pot and place canning rack inside and fill with ~2 inches of water
Distribute the stock among the pint jars
Wipe the rims of the jars clean as necessary
Apply lids and screw the bands to finger tightness on the jars
Using the jar lifter, lower the jars in to the instant pot
Secure the lid of the instant pot and make sure the pressure valve is set
Program the instant pot to cook under high pressure for 20 minutes, and make sure to disable the Keep Warm setting

Wrapping up the process

After the instant pot has finished cooking, be sure to let it come down to ambient pressure using the natural release cycle, do not try to do the quick release cycle as this can cause liquid to be forced out of the jars and potentially break the seals
Once the instant pot is safe to open, open it and use the jar lifter to pull the jars out and place on a towel too dry and cool down
If the rings on the jars are loose, they can be finger tightened again, carefully
Leave the jars to cool, you should hear the lids popping as the pressure creates a seal on the jars
After the jars have cooled, the rings can be removed and the jars are now shelf-stable and safe to store in a pantry to be eaten later
If any jar failed to seal, it is safe to either eat immediately or reprocess in the instant pot, though you may need to replace the lid since it did not seal properly

Notes

Stock clarity:

For a clear stock, or if using previously flavored chicken carcass/bones, boil for 10 minutes prior to roasting. This is usually done for aesthetics so I usually skip this step unless using bones from chicken wings or a rotisserie chicken.