Okay I know it sounds crazy....but heck in these economic times it gets the creative juices flowing so to speak. I am cutting up some pie pumpkins (purchased at my local farmer's market ) for the oven. I'm saving the seeds to eat and then I start to think why couldn't I simmer the "gut's", strain it and add that to my veggie stock? Must be some nutrition in that I would think. Why not extract what you can from what you have instead of throwing it away? Has any one else tried anything unusual that has worked?

Good idea Kim! We have to save our money where and when we can. Here are a few more threads that talk about adding other ingredients to stocks, for example chickpeas.

http://mobxhgj.rouxbe.com/community/forums/16/topics/755?page=1#3850
http://mobxhgj.rouxbe.com/community/forums/13/topics/746?page=1#3913

I have also added ingredients like ginger, garlic, star anise and szechuan peppercorns to a stock, to give it an Asian taste.

Basically I am like you, I save things in my freezer and when I have enough ingredients I whip up a stock...sometimes there are tomatoes in there, sometimes there are chicken feet :-)

Thanks Dawn! I love trying new things. Sometimes they work and sometimes they don't but always a learning experience. I'll be sure to check out those other threads.

Okay, I butcher about 50 chickens a year and have always just thrown the feet away. Tell me about the uses of chicken feet! :)

You can either make chicken stock like you normally would - using necks and backs etc…and add a few feet or you can make the whole stock just from chicken feet.

Chicken feet are super high in gelatin, which of course will make for a rather gelatinous stock. They also add nice flavor.

Here is a good blog post from Simply Recipes.

She not only has a recipe for “chicken feet” stock, she also has some great photos to go with it. She also had a good tip of trimming the feet, which I did not do. I can see why it’s a good idea, it would also make it a bit less creepy if you didn’t have to see the nails of the chicken feet.

Let me know if you make it and how it turned out.

I will look at this link to get the good ideas! I won't be able to try it until July when I butcher my next batch of chickens. Looking forward to it. I think I can handle the creep factor... just delighted to know the feet can be used for something. I have heard in Chinese cookery feet can be used for a number of things. No use throwing anything away until it has served it's full purpose and the user has offered up a humble prayer of gratitude for the substinance sp received.

I have 10 lbs of chicken feet. I want my next batch of chicken stock to be dark/roasted. I've only made "clear" simmered chicken stock so far with the feet.

I don't need anymore clear stock. The recipe you put a link in for was for boiled chicken feet. No mention of roasting them first.

How would I do this? Boil first, then roast, or skip the boiling first and just roast them like for the veal stock.

Thanks!

You will want to roast them and not boil them. Just follow the same method for "How to Make Dark Stock". Cheers!

I really wanted to get this started today, so thanks for getting back to me so quickly.

I head mention of "double stock soup" today on my foodie radio show. What is double stock? I looked all over the internet and I can't find anything but a lot of conflicting information.

Now that I've heard it, I MUST know!

Double stocks can mean two things.

1) A batch of stock is made, cooled and strained. The cold, very flavorful stock is then used as the cold liquid to start a new batch of stock using new, raw bones, mirepoix and bouquet garni. The result it highly flavorful, but most often unnecessary for every day cooking.

2) There is a French term for this called remouillage, which means "re-wetting" or "re-moistening" the bones. Once a stock has been made, the bones can be removed and re-used to make a second batch of stock with new mirepoix and bouquet garni. It is cooked to extract as much flavor as possible. This weaker stock won't have as much flavor or body as the first...but it can also be cooled and used to make a new batch of stock.

It's just about building stocks with already-flavorful liquids (not just simply water). Cheers!

I was unable to see how any one has used the juice you collect from drained fresh roasted pumpkin. I would like to know how to utilize it in recipes? Bread? Soups? anything?

So sorry, but I am not entirely sure of the question. Are you referring to small amount of juices that remain on a pan after roasting pumpkin? If so, then I suppose you could use it in anything liquidy that could use some added flavor such as soups, veggie stocks, risotto, etc. Cheers!

You understood exactly, thank you. The liquid remaining in the pan after roasting the pumpkin as well as the liquid collected after draining puree pumpkin. I have never tried adding the juice in a recipe and was wondering if anyone else has actually used the juice in that way. I was concern if it would make the final product bitter? Anyone?

I would say taste it. If it tastes good, use it in dishes that Dawn described above. If it tastes bitter going in, it'll taste bitter in the end, so you need to taste it for yourself. Hopefully others can add other experiences. Cheers!