For anyone reading this in the future, I finally did contact Dr. Andress and there really isn't supposed to be any meat left on the carcass when you start, they rewrote the instructions for So Easy to Preserve but she says they might clarify a little more on the website that this is a STOCK not a soup, that's why I kept putting "stock" in quotes b/c to me a stock doesn't have meat. Here's her reply "Here is how we re-worded it for our University of Georgia So Easy to Preserve book, below, although it's not a lot more specific. And I might now choose to say "Place large carcass bones (with as much meat removed as you can)": Or the other option is to not allow picking of the carcass at all. The directions really only allow for adding back the bits still clinging to the bones after cooling, not the all the meat stripped from the bones. So that's how we tried to word the order of actions for our book. But we can consider rewording on the website from the USDA guidelines, also. Thank you for pointing this out. Chicken Stock (Broth) Hot pack-- Place large carcass bones (with most of meat removed) in a large stockpot. Add enough water to cover bones. Cover pot and simmer until meat can easily be stripped from bones, about 30 to 45 minutes. Remove bones. Cool broth; skim off and discard fat. Remove the bits of meat clinging to bones and add to broth, if desired. Reheat broth to boiling. Fill hot jars, leaving 1-inch headspace. Wipe jar rims. Adjust lids and process. CAUTION: Do not add additional meat to this product. Process in a Dial Gauge Pressure Canner......(etc.)" Since how much meat is left on the carcass can vary, I think it's best not to put any meat back into the broth for canning, though I suggest that straining to get any bits floating might not be necessary. I also wouldn't add anything left at the bottom of the stockpot to the jars (sometimes I get little bits of bone as well as meat at the bottom of the stock). I knew what stock meant to a chef, couldn't figure out why NCHFP website was saying to add meat back into the broth, this was from very old procedures and it turns out stock really means stock. Maybe this is clear to someone who's been canning for a long time, but I haven't had any training (beyond NCHFP course, reading, and what I've picked up on this forum) so when I read that you could have meat in the jars my first question was "how much" - answer turns out to be "really nothing". HTH

I have tried the Penzey's and was not impressed at all. The beef version simply would not dissolve at all so I called them and they did replace it. They admitted that they had a number of calls about it. For canned, I like College Inn and for the mix it yourself I buy Minor or the GFS brand, the one kept in the coolers. Those Knorr little tubs are nice too.

Phew, it got busy around here in the last few hours! Lunch, muffin making, grading, unexpected visitors... Anyway, I'm back. : ) Jillius, nope, the kitchen isn't done yet. Thanks for asking! You know how DIY goes. : ) DH and I sat down with our lists of what we want to do on the house yet, and there were other things I'd rather have done right now than the kitchen (like another bathroom and the master bedroom in the attic!). We are using a pair of dressers for the island right now which is working fine. It might be next winter before we do the island and the finishing details of the kitchen. It all depends on what he can get done between now and then. After reading Nourishing Broth by Sally Fallon recently (and Nourishing Traditions a few years ago), I've renewed my interest in making bone broth for our family. It is sooo good for us. Not only nutritious, but healing to the body, good for joint health, and yummy! Waaay better for our health than bullion. Who knew God designed food could be so good for us?! I'd be happy to give details, anitamo. Here you go: This batch of stock started with 2 chicken carcasses from roasts that I made this weekend. I've also used carcasses from the rotisserie chicken that you can pick up on your way home from the grocery store, too. Both have made good tasting stock. You can also make this with turkey or beef bones. Ideally, you want beef bones from grass fed, young beef for the highest quality stock. Ok, here goes. This recipe will be roaster sized. You can certainly cut it down if you want a smaller amount. We have a big family, and I wanted enough to freeze to make several batches of soup. Bones from a roast (a couple of chickens, a turkey, or a few pounds of beef bones, you pick.) Toss the skins in the pot, too, as well as any coagulated gelatin, juice, etc. Feel free to add in the necks, gizzard, heart, and so forth. Just leave out the livers, since their flavor will be too strong. Save them for something else if you're brave enough to eat them. (I'm still working on the courage for that!) 4-6 cloves of garlic, smashed, no need to peel. Ideally, let these sit out for at least 10 minutes after their smashed before starting to cook them. This gives them the time they need to activate all the health properties that are locked inside. 8-10 carrots, depending on size, washed, trimmed, and broken or cut into large chunks. 1 carrot will give you 2 or 3 chunks. 4 cups chopped celery* 2 or 3 onions, cut the ends off to remove dirt, then cut in half. No need to peel. Supposedly the skins give the stock a more robust color. You can add some greens such as kale, if desired and available. A splash of vinegar to help dissolve the nutrients from the bones. NT suggests 2 Tbsp per 4 qts. of water. A few bunches of parsley can be added about 10 minutes before the finishing of the stock for extra nutrition. Put all of these ingredients into the roaster. Cover everything with water until the roaster is almost full. Put the cover on, and set the roaster to Slow Cook. Leave it for hours. I left mine for about 8 hours, but you can go longer. Some people will even strain the liquid off, pour new liquid in, and continue making a second batch. Once your stock has finished cooking, let it cool enough to handle (I let mine sit, turned off, over night. Shhhhhh...the germ police might come get me if you tell them...), and then start ladling the stock through a strainer and into your storage containers. I like to use 5 qt. ice cream pails, or the large Rubbermaid storage bowls. These are great because they are pot shaped, which comes in handy when it's time to use the stock. Leave enough room for the liquid to expand in the freezer container without disturbing the lid. See the small sauce pan in the picture? That's my "ladle" for this job. : ) Chill the stock in the fridge. The fat will from a skin at the top of the container that you can remove. Then freeze your stock. Now, I'm the kind of cook that almost never remembers to get things out of the freezer ahead of time. You are probably smarter than me, and will remember to take the stock out the day before you want to use it. But if you forget, you can loosen the lid on the plastic container, slide the whole shebang into a larger stock pot, fill the pot partway with water, and put it on the stove to heat up. The stock will defrost enough to use in about 20 minutes or so. The trick to using this is that your soups will need extra salt than what you are used to using as compared to store bought broth or bouillon. You can also cook rice in the broth, or drink it, if you are so inclined. *(We grow our own celery. In the fall, we harvest it and use the food processor to chop the celery. I bag and freeze them in 2 cup portions, ready to dump into homemade soup.)

Ironic, but my husband is a type-1 diabetic,Sleevendog. I am well aware of spikes, glucagon injections, A1c levels etc. etc.Sourdough bread (more than 30 hours start to finish most passive) works for him, so I make it every week (and also mailed a loaf to my daughter in Boston for $14.95:). We, like Annie, have several health issues that we work with: nut allergy (anaphylaxis), dairy allergy, two withulcerative colitis, type-2 diabetes and my daughter’s Lo FODMAP diet and SIBO diagnosis. I also pretty much cook and deliver food to my elderly parents every week. We go out to dinner maybe four times a year. Oh, and look, I know how to make stock (shaking my head) The lo FODMAP diet, is by the way, the most restrictive diet I've worked with. Not only the foods, but quantities allowed. That said, it is a game changer for digestive issues. We'll agree to disagree about horrid advice. Kate Scarlata "Is a Boston-based registered dietitian and NY Times best selling author with 25+ years of digestive health experience. She was awarded Best Dietitian 2016 by Boston Magazine" and has spoken at numerous conferences from Harvard Medical School to Monash University. She is an exceptional resource and pioneer expert on Lo FODMAP (diet in general). She was also the one who one year after testing and continuing illness, found my daughter's missed SIBO diagnosis, advocated for her and recommended a new doctor who treated. I think having commercial broth on hand is okay. You don’t. I won't presume that food deserts don't exist, that everyone can afford fresh ingredients and has the time and means to drive around to get them, has the kitchen space, and should prioritize making stock rather than pursue other interests. I also know that my mother who has crippling arthritis still enjoys making soup -- she is unable to pick chicken off bones, but loves throwing frozen vegetables in broth with some rice or pasta -- it gives her a feeling of still being able to cook, and I'm grateful. And yes, I give her frozen packages of my stock too, but the commercial stock is okay too. Annie, an outlier for me was finding my daughter can only dispose of food scraps once a week – either they could compost (in a very teeny, tiny apartment) or they have to freeze (in already full freezer) them until garbage day. Oh, and I found their garbage disposal is wonky at best:) HA! Cathy in SWPA BTW, this is going down the road of the Cream of Mushroom soup posts of the past for me.