We do not use cheese rinds to make stock. Perhaps you noticed this during one of the soup-making lessons and/or soup videos. Cheese rinds can be added to the soup base for flavor. They are removed prior to serving. Cheers!

Further to the above comments, you can get chicken back and necks from Hoven Farms at the Kingsland Farmers Market. It's probably a good idea to contact them through the website at http://hovenfarms.com/ and ask that they reserve some for you. I drove in from Banff, as there's nothing available out here, and they had sold out by Sunday morning.

As a second option, the BonTon Meat Market in the Stadium Shopping Centre had them.

This is a little off topic but I wondered what the results would be if I grilled the bones and vegetables instead of roasting. Would the char leave an off taste in the stock? Would it change the color and/or leave it cloudy? What do you think?

A couple of issues, in an oven you have surrounding heat and that insures that the bones are roasted more or less evenly. On the grill you will not be able to get any consistency. You will have dark brown or charred parts, which will lead to a bitter stock, to no browning/roasting at all, from all the pieces that will not be in direct contact with the grill. Secondly, this will require a lot of time and you will be limited to the space on your grill. Always good to challenge ideas though. That how things improve. In that case however, I am not so sure. With that said, there is some charring of the mirepoix in the classic Vietnamese Pho.

Am I correct In assuming that the stock pot is never covered when making stock?

Yes, you are correct, covering a stock is not recommended. The liquid can potentially boil which will cause the ingredients to emulsify and make the liquid murky. Better to top up with water as needed. Cheers!

Thanks for your prompt reply Dawn. No wonder I couldn't keep the stock from boiling. I thought there was something wrong with my stove. BTW, do the same rules apply for making fish stock?

Yes, the rules apply to all stock in general. Covering them makes it hard to see what is going on in the pot. Cheers!

I've been buying whole chickens and making stock off the remaining carcass for some time. Today was the first time I did after watching this lesson - and what a difference! This stock was crystal clear, whereas my earlier attempts have always been murky. They've been usable, but this latest batch is way superior. Can't wait to do a new batch of beef stock too with my new-found skills :)

Will I be able to make a good stock if I only used the chicken bones, carrots, onions and the black peppercorns and use dried instead of fresh parsley and thyme? We rarely get celery and leeks here, and fresh herbs like parsley and thyme and also bay leaves are almost non existent.

Hi Mansoor- Yes, you can make those substitutions, not to worry. You can use chicken bones, carrots and onions and dried herbs. If you have other vegetables (tomatoes, bell peppers, mushrooms, etc.) you can try those as well. I hope this helps!

That was a really prompt response! I will make stock tomorrow with what I can find! Thanx

I had it in my mind that a broth is made by simmering meat/poultry in water, etc. and that a stock start with roasting meat/poultry in a pot. But, in reviewing recipes here, I cannot ascertain a simple rule of thumb for a stock vs a broth. Can you help me?

The main difference is that a broth is bones with meat still on them, while stock is just bones.

For a more in depth definition, be sure to review the lessons on Broth and Stock, as we go into quite a bit more detail there.

Hope that helps. Cheers!

I didn't see this question answered, but I'm curious about the difference leftover roasted carcasses make compared to raw carcasses.

After roasting a chicken, I thought I would inspect the leftover liquid after it cooled. I noticed that it jellied. Does this mean I'm losing valuable gelatin if I only use carcasses from roasted chickens? Do I need to increase the amount of carcasses when using only leftover roasted chickens? Are there adjustments that need to be made when using the carcasses of leftover roasted chickens?

I find it difficult to keep chopping up whole raw chickens so I can get bones for stock. I'm finding a rather large collection of chicken legs because I don't eat them that often. However, I have found it easier to collect the leftover bones of the roasted chickens I make as this comes from one complete meal that uses the entire chicken.

I say don't over think it too much Daniel. If you find it easier to use leftover roasted bones, then so be it. Yes you will likely be loosing a bit of gelatin, but you will still end up with a highly flavorful liquid — which is what you are going for. If you want to use a few more roasted bones for added body, then you can do that as well.

The key is that you are making your own stock and cooking from scratch. Cheers!