Chicken or Beef Stock

Ingredients

2 gallons of water
Raw vegetables (ends and tops of onions, 2 or 3 garlic cloves, two carrots, the ends of root vegetables, a stalk or two of celery…)
Leftover fresh herbs or stems of herbs
2 tbs. kosher salt
10 black peppercorns
3 or 4 soup bones or 8-10 organic chicken wings or a poultry carcass with some meat left on it

Procedure

1. Put all ingredients in a 3 gallon stockpot. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to a low but steady simmer. Cook, uncovered for 4 hours or until the liquid is reduced by half. Turn off heat and cool to room temperature.
2. Strain liquid into a large bowl or container that can be refrigerated. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until fat rises to the surface (4-6 hours).
3. Transfer stock to various freezer containers and freeze for up to 6 months.