Q: How do you make chicken stock? Is there a basic recipe for making chicken stock?

A: I have two, one is based on the French method and the other on an Asian method of stock making. The ratios for chicken or turkey parts to water and vegetables is similar in both. While the methods are different both versions have specific steps for removing impurities, rendering a higher quality stock. Other methods of stock making are not wrong the stock making methods in the tables are written to yield consistent, good results.

Notice that neither recipe calls for salt.

Chicken stock is not chicken soup.

Stock is an ingredient that will be altered further in recipes, with the addition of salt and spices. When tasting your stock, if it seems bland, it’s because you’re expecting a different flavor the stock should provide. Commercially prepared stocks are often made to taste like soups and contain a lot of sodium. Just be aware that what you are making here will not taste like a bouillon cube or chicken broth from a can. It will have a very mild flavor. Do not underestimate its performance in your recipes.

Q: How long will my homemade chicken stock last in the refrigerator?
A: Properly refrigerated -at or below 40°F- stock will last 2 – 3 days in the refrigerator.

Q: Can I freeze my homemade stock?
A: Yes.

Q: I made stock last night and this morning it was like Jell-O®. Is this normal? Is this safe?
A: Congratulations, you have made a very high quality stock.  Gelatin is a protein found in the connective tissue and cartilage of animals. Sure it’s kind of scary looking, but your soups and sauces will have a richer flavor and feel to them, and rank a little higher on the nutrition scale.

Q: Why is my homemade chicken stock cloudy?
A: There are several possible reasons: too much fat on the bones and scraps, the stock was not skimmed enough during cooking, or the stock reached a vigorous boil breaking up fats and proteins. The Asian method uses blanching, the quick boil, to remove many of the proteins that can create a cloudy stock. The French method relies on careful skimming and straining.

Don’t worry, cloudy stock is perfectly safe.

Q: Can I add other vegetables to my chicken stock?
A: Sure, but remember your stock is not a garbage disposal and be aware that strongly flavored vegetables like cabbage will create a strongly flavored stock. Starchy vegetables such as potatoes also yield cloudy stocks.

Q: This sounds really time consuming, does it really need three hours of cooking?
A: Yes, stocks are not fast food, but they are not labor intensive. Except for the actually draining, skimming, and occasional stir, the stock can work quietly all by itself. It doesn’t need much attention. Leave it alone.

What else would you like to know about making your own chicken stock?

Send your questions to helpme@home-ec101.com.

Questions About Making Homemade Chicken Stock is a post from: Home Ec 101 ©Home Ec 101.com 2007 - 2010

Heather says:

Summer dreams are topped with this simple  peach salsa, well mine are anyway. I haven’t met a fish yet that doesn’t get along with the peach and jalapeno medley: catfish, salmon, halibut, mahi mahi, and tuna all work equally well, so go with your favorite.  It also works as as a condiment for grilled or blackened chicken or pork. Oh, it’s also amazing with chips, but I thought you might come to that conclusion on your own. If you hate cilantro, go ahead and leave it out, just don’t tell me about it.

Peach Salsa

Ingredients for Peach Salsa:

• 4 cups fresh peaches, peeled, pitted, and diced ~ 5 medium peaches
• 1/2 medium sweet onion diced
• 6 TBSP lime juice
• 6 seeded and finely chopped jalapenos
• 2 cloves garlic – minced
• 2 TBSP chopped cilantro
• 1/4 cup honey or sugar

Yield is approximately 2.5 pints (5 cups), but then you have to subtract all of the samples.

This recipe for peach salsa is suitable for water bath canning, but unless the recipe is tripled, it’ll hardly feel worth the effort. If you plan on preserving the salsa, skip the refrigerator and immediately place into hot, sterile pint jars with 1/2 inch head space. Don’t forget to gently shake the jar to remove air bubbles. Wipe the rims clean, center the lid, and tighten the band finger tight before placing the jar into the boiling water. The pints should be processed with at least one inch of water above the lids.

Process pints in a water bath canner for:

20 minutes < 1000 feet above sea level
25 minutes  1001 – 5999
30 minutes for another over 6000 ft

Peach Salsa is a post from: Home Ec 101 ©Home Ec 101.com 2007 - 2010

Heather says:
Due to a short trip, I’ve consumed more fast food in the past 48 hours than I usually consume in a month and frankly I feel gross.

Yes, I could have planned better. I know this. I know you know this. That said, now I’m in the mood for salads, but I’m not the least bit in the mood to make salads. Whenever I eat a big salad for dinner, I tend to circle the fridge like a vulture a few, short hours later. At that point I’m cranky that I went to the effort of making a salad only to feel hungry again.

So, while I’m tearing leaves and pretending that it’ll tide me through to bedtime, I’d like to hear about your favorite salads. Just for reference, I’m talking about vegetable salads rather than their potato or pasta counterpoints. However, now that I think about it, I really could go for a good broccoli salad.

Personally I love a good Caesar, but I’m a sucker for spinach salad -have you ever had this spinach salad with candied bacon- or even a mixed green with a fruity vinaigrette.

What about you? I’m in the mood to read about food.

Salad Days: An Ask the Audience is a post from: Home Ec 101 ©Home Ec 101.com 2007 - 2010

Brian says:

I’m talking to all the guys in the room for this one.

I know there have been -and still are- times when you decide to go all out and make yourself something relatively good to eat. You break out the dusty knife set your parents bought for your new apartment and tie on your mental apron,  ready to get started.

The problem arises when you open your pantry to gather the right ingredients only to find that you’re missing a few things here and there like peanut butter but no jelly, or cereal but no milk. Fret not, good sir, for there are ways you can skirt around a missing ingredient or two simply by substituting it with something that plays a similar role.

Here are some examples:

- Can’t seem to find a slab of bacon in the fridge box?¹ A half cup of your favorite artificial bacon topping is equivalent to about eight slices of the real stuff, crumbled or chopped. It contains the same amount of salt that you’re looking for. If you’d like a more authentic look, sauté the “bacon bits” in a tablespoon of olive oil for a couple of minutes to get a charred look.

- We all love salad dressing; ranch, Italian, Thousand Island, etc., they all have a special place in our hearts and if left to our own devices, we’d put it on everything. In the event that you find yourself without, just whip up a homemade version with Dijon mustard, lemon juice or vinegar, extra-virgin olive oil, salt and pepper. Just remember the perfect vinaigrette ratio is 3 parts olive oil for every part lemon juice or vinegar, the mustard acts as the binder. Combine and whisk in a bowl for the perfect compliment to a salad, fish or other seafood.

- Can’t seem to scare up any lemons or limes for a dish? Just substitute a 1/2 teaspoon of white vinegar for every teaspoon of juice you would have used. Since two medium lemons yield about 1/4 cup of juice; you’d use about 7 teaspoons of vinegar. Don’t like the bite of vinegar? Use a very dry white wine in lieu.

-Only have cheddar, but the recipe calls for Monterey Jack? Swap away. When cheeses are used as a topping -on baked potatoes- or crumbled -into a salad-it’s almost always ok to swap for another variety as long as the  new flavor isn’t crazy -taste before adding the whole block. If you’re trying to make a cheese sauce be aware some cheeses like mozzarella and provolone get stringy when heated; others like ricotta and some fresh Mexican cheeses don’t melt at all.

In the future, I’ll be sure to bless you with many more equivalents and substitutions as I find them.

Remember: this is a learning experience for the both of us. If you have any substitutions that you’d like to broadcast, feel free to leave a comment or two.

I can also be reached at Brian@Home-Ec101.com.

¹ This should never be an issue under any circumstances, but I do realize that people make mistakes at times.

Send household questions to helpme@home-ec101.com.

Substitution 101 is a post from: Home Ec 101 ©Home Ec 101.com 2007 - 2010

Dear Home-Ec 101:

I’m taking your advice about building an emergency food supply seriously. I’d like to do some of it by canning and preserving foods from my own garden. Besides pickles, jams and jellies, (which are yummy, but don’t exactly fill a belly) what kinds of foods should I be growing so that I can fill my emergency pantry with home-grown goodness?

Signed,

Mary Mary Quite Contrary

Heather says:

Pickles, jams, and jellies are great, but you’re right they have limited usefulness in a pantry. Although, If I were in a true emergency and biscuits and bread became a much larger portion of my diet, I think I’d be pretty grateful for those jams and jellies.

Home preservation is a valuable skill, but it isn’t limited to water bath canning. Freezing, dehydrating, and pressure canning all give additional means to preserve your garden harvest.

What to plant has a lot to do with your climate, the size of your garden, the length of your growing season and your skill as a gardener. I would really like to hear what Home Ec 101’s avid gardener’s suggest.

Personally, I would like to address additional methods of preserving your harvest.

Freezing works well for many vegetables, although some like green beans, peas, and broccoli, require blanching -that’s just a quick boil- for best results. If you have the freezer space, after blanching, spread the vegetables on a baking sheet and quick freeze before packing into quart size freezer bags. This method helps keep many vegetables from turning into a solid mystery lump and preserves many nutrients.

Dehydrating fruits and vegetables is easier in some climates than others. The cost of electric food dehydrators has dropped over the past few years, but I have yet to make the investment.

With pickles, jams, jellies, and some salsas a water bath is all that is needed to process the jars, this is due to the preservative nature of sugar or the natural acidity of the recipe. Once you have mastered water bath canning, it’s time to invest in a pressure canner.  I bought the a Presto 16 Quart Pressure Cooker / Canner last year and have been slowly practicing with their provided recipes. This isn’t the exact model I have, mine did not come with a gauge, but mine seems to have been replaced with this model.

I’m just dipping my toe into the water of home preservation, but there are many other models to choose from:

I have heard good things about the All American line of pressure cookers, such as this 21 1/2 quart pressure cooker / canner, but as a beginner I couldn’t justify the investment.

With a pressure canner your ability to preserve foods increases dramatically. All of the safety precautions you learned with water bath canning still apply. You must use sterile jars and new lids. The bands should still be finger tight. The pressure canner itself brings another set of safety concerns, always check the seal for wear and make sure the vents are clear.

Remember canning soups, vegetables, and meat does have its drawbacks:

1. Foods lose some nutrients through processing.
2. Jars are bulky.
3. It’s time and labor intensive -this is especially true for new canners- after doing it a few times it’s easier to find the rhythm of work.

That said there are also some great benefits to canning your own vegetables, soups, and meat.

1. After the initial investment has been recouped (this can take a couple of seasons) canning becomes an inexpensive preservation method.
2. You gain complete control over what is in your food.
3. There is some concern over the BPA levels of canned tomatoes. By canning your own tomatoes you virtually eliminate this risk.

Unless power outages are a frequent concern in your area, if I had a plentiful harvest from my garden, I would freeze produce first and can the remainder.

Here are some useful resources to help you get a safe start with pressure canning. Presto has a great list of pressure canner recipes and references. The National Center for Home Preservation is a useful website and they are trying to update. Your county’s cooperative extension may offer classes in home preservation for free or for very low cost. It’s worth looking them up and giving them a call to see what is offered in your area. This program may be one of our most under-utilized assets. When trying new recipes for pressure canning, it’s very important to ensure it meets the guidelines for safe preservation. Variations in seasonings are usually not an issue, watch for processing times that vary widely from standard recipes for the particular ingredients.

Good luck!

Christmas in July? Why not? Check out the Holiday Bake, Craft, and Sew Along to see what some of your favorite bloggers will be creating.

Also, my peppermint bark is featured at A Southern Fairytale’s Mouthwatering Monday.

Home Preservation and Pressure Canning is a post from: Home Ec 101 ©Home Ec 101.com 2007 - 2010

Heather says:

I’ve touched on this before, but I think this is a fun little reminder. Just because something is all natural doesn’t mean it is healthy or even safe. Below is an A – Z listing of perfectly natural things.

• Arsenic
• Botulism
• Crocus (Autumn)
• Daffodils
• Elderberry roots
• Fox Glove
• Hyacinth
• Ivy, poison
• Jimson Weed
• Kex – A variety of hemlock
• Lily of the Valley
• Mistletoe
• Nightshade, Deadly
• Oleander
• Poinsettia
• Quicksand
• Rattlesnakes
• Strychnine
• Tse tse flies
• Urchins, sea
• Venom
• Water hemlock
• Xanthium strumarium (cocklebur)
• Yellow Jessamine
• Zombies¹

What was the point of the exercise? Mostly it amused me, but in part it’s a reminder to use common sense when trying to discuss what is good and healthy, especially when it comes to food and medicine. There are probably as many good chemicals out there as there are natural things that aren’t good for us.

I often struggle with how to frame conversations here. It’s so easy to slip into “good” vs. “bad” and “chemical” vs.  ”natural.” Nutrition is a topic that crosses a lot of gray area and much like parenting debates it seems to pit people against one another. Have you seen the raw vs pasteurized milk debates? Just that one debate is overwhelming to me. I can see why someone just looking into the idea of eating better could throw their hands in the air and walk away.

I wonder why the debates have to get so nasty.

My goal isn’t to make readers feel ashamed of consuming processed foods, rather I want people to see learning to cook as a skill that anyone can master. Without cooking as a basic skillset, it’s hard for the average person to eat a healthful diet on a reasonable budget. -Now is when someone brings up the raw food movement, right?-

If you’re a new cook, hang in there.

¹What, I can’t have a little fun? I had to see if you were paying attention.

Natural Is Not the Same as Safe, A Little Fun for Friday is a post from: Home Ec 101 ©Home Ec 101.com 2007 - 2010

Dear Home-Ec 101,
The toilet, in my bathroom is constantly making noise. It sounds like water is always running. Is there any way to turn that off?
Signed,
For the Love of Pete, Someone Jiggle the Handle Already!

Heather says:

There are a few things that can go wrong inside the tank of a toilet that would cause it to leak and need to fill more often than it should.

Take a peek under and behind the toilet, if no water is present, the leak probably is occurring inside the tank. If there is water present, you may need to replace the plastic washers on the bolts securing the tank.

The inner workings of your toilet may need to be fixed or replaced. Don’t worry, this is a straightforward job. If you can put together Ikea shelves, you can handle this plumbing task. Before you go to the hardware store, see if you can turn off water at the inlet valve. Unfortunately some contractors are skipping this handy mechanism to save a few bucks and it may not exist in all homes. Look for a valve on the woven or copper pipe that connects to the bottom of the toilet tank. Turning this off prevents the tank from filling. If you don’t have an inlet valve between the water line and the tank, you may have to shut off the water at the main to fix the toilet. It’s kind of a pain, but better than making a huge mess.

If there is no water present, take the lid off of the tank and take a peek inside.

If your float has cracked

Older toilets have what looks like a metal or plastic balloon that rests on top of the water. Sometimes these floats can develop cracks or leaks that allow water to seep inside. When this happens the float no longer sits above the water, causing the mechanism to fill the tank higher than it should. If the float is resting too low in the water, the toilet can overfill high enough to leak into the overflow tube creating a vicious cycle of filling and draining. I say vicious because it’s murder on the water bill.

Sometimes the metal rod or arm of the float just needs to be bent slightly to get the float to sit properly on the water. Do this carefully, if the rod snaps, the water will need to be shut off.

If you have a newer toilet, the float rides up and down a plastic tube, like a little balloon elevator. Sometimes the float gets stuck on grit or debris and just needs to be moved manually a few times to get things working again. If the elevator style float has developed a leak, it will need to be replaced.

If the float is not the problem

It could be the chain attached to the handle. If the chain is too long, it may become trapped under the flap allowing water to slowly leak. If the chain is too short, it won’t allow the flap to seal properly. Shorten or replace the chain as necessary.

The flap may also be leaking.

If you look on the inside of the tank there is often a warning to not use products with bleach. Over time these drop-in cleaners degrade the plastic, causing it to become brittle and crack. If this has happened, the flap will need to be replaced.

Don’t worry

The internet is full of *ahem* helpful advice that may actually create problems.

If you live in the USA and your toilet is newer than 1994 it only uses 1.6 gallons per flush. The toilet needs all 1.6 gallons to flush properly, please do not add a brick or bottle to reduce the capacity of the tank.  Without enough water to flush waste, the toilet is more likely to clog. In older toilets the addition of a brick to the tank may introduce additional sediment to the trap. If you need to reduce the tank capacity, use a plastic bottle full of water and replace it on occasion as the plastic becomes brittle.

How to Fix a Constantly Running Toilet is a post from: Home Ec 101 ©Home Ec 101.com 2007 - 2010

Questions for Home Ec 101 show up in the strangest places. Sometimes I’m minding my own business on Skype and they pop out of nowhere. This conversation has been re-enacted with permission, the name was changed to protect the innocent.

MarshaMarshaMarsha: Sometimes I hate living out in the country. One of the of the kids left the door open and now we have a ton of flies. Again.

Heather: Yeah, rural life can be a pain some times.

MarshaMarshaMarsha: This is ridiculous, I think I killed fifteen earlier.

Heather: That’s quite a few more than the Brave Little Tailor, maybe you need a belt.

MarshaMarshaMarsha: . . .

Heather: Sorry. You know, every time we’ve had massive fly invasions, there’s been a rotten potato. Did you check your pantry?

MarshaMarshaMarsha: I checked, didn’t find anything.

6 hours later. . .

MarshaMarshaMarsha: You’ll never believe what I found under the dishwasher, a wrinkly, nasty old potato.

Moral of the story, if there’s more than the occasional fly buzzing around the house, it’s likely they are being attracted to something. If it’s not an escaped potato, perhaps some trash has fallen behind where the bin is normally stored. If there are children in a home, food could be anywhere the monkeys can fit. Check under beds, behind drawers, under appliances. Sometimes they have “helped” put food away and a it’s in a toy box or other location. Sometimes new potting soil is the culprit, especially if it was brought in from outside.

If you can’t catch a fly remember they are attracted to light, dimming or turning off the lights in all but one room of a home will make the bugger easier to trap and swat.

Send your domestic questions to helpme@home-ec101.com.

Mysterious Fly Invasions is a post from: Home Ec 101 ©Home Ec 101.com 2007 - 2010

Brian says:

Let’s face it: we all love any chance to leave our places of work to catch some fresh air and go out for lunch. But in this topsy-turvy economy, people are being more compelled to make and take their own lunches. When it comes to this, there are some rules to follow to keep from looking like 3rd grader on the first day of school.

Lose the paper bag.

Like those who insist on bringing reusable bags to their local grocery store, the same can be done by bringing a proper lunch bag. Think about something that’s durable, washable and age appropriate. I recommend the “Mega food Carrier” from Bed, Bath and Beyond; they have an assortment of colors and styles that’ll make your lunch stand out without looking like a dunce.

Embrace the art of “The Leftover”.

So many people are convinced that going to the deli section of a store, purchasing a pre-made sandwich or tray of sushi and then placing it in their lunch sack is the same as “making” their lunch. Negative. You can start by embracing many of the recipes found on this very website. Instead of cooking for just you or your family, cook as if two or three more people are just going to magically show up for dinner. If they don’t then you can make and refrigerate portions for later on that week at work. I promise it will go a long way without the guilt of cheating.

Never forget to treat yourself…sparingly.

Constantly going out for lunch, or even dinner, is not only expensive, it leads to a slew of health problems down the road, we get this. This does not mean that you can’t live a little every once in a while. Set one day for yourself during a week where you leave the lunch bag at home and treat yourself to your favorite burger or slab of ribs from the joint around the corner. This allows you to build an incentive-based routine that makes you look forward to rewarding yourself for being so diligent.

I understand, especially in a home where both spouses are working, that time can be an enemy of yours which could cause even the most dedicated lunch maker to fall off the wagon. Try switching up the lunch responsibilities or make everyone lunch one day as a sign of appreciation. I assure you everyone else will follow suit and make the experience much more worthwhile.

Lunch Without Feeling Like a Loser is a post from: Home Ec 101 ©Home Ec 101.com 2007 - 2010

This post is part of the Home Ec 101 series on emergency preparedness.

Heather says:

Keep a charcoal grill for emergencies, sounds simple enough, but what if you’ve never used one?

A charcoal grill is for outdoor use only.

Got that? Outdoor only. Every time there is a hurricane or ice storm someone hurts themselves or their families by trying to grill in the house. No, inside the garage is not outdoors enough. Without proper ventilation there is a very real possibility of the build up of carbon monoxide. Even during a small scale black out emergency responders are already taxed beyond their normal load. Do not add to their burden.

Lighting a charcoal grill

Off-season a chimney starter can be bought on clearance for only a few dollars, at the start of the season, it may go as high as twenty.

A homemade chimney starter can be made from a #10 can (that’s the large, metal! one coffee or bulk food comes in). Remove the lid from both ends of the can. Use a church key style can opener to punch holes near the bottom of the can. There needs to be several around the bottom to allow adequate airflow.

Place the chimney starter in the bottom of the grill, add loosely crumpled paper (not glossy), cotton dryer lint -make sure it was from a load of towels as polyester fibers won’t improve your meal-, cardboard egg cartons, or cardboard to the bottom and loosely fill the can with charcoal briquettes. Use a long kitchen match or a lighter to light the flammable material through the holes in the bottom of the can.

Now your job is to wait until the initial smokiness passes. When the briquettes first get started they are smokier than when they’ve settled in for the burn. When you pass your hand over the top of the chimney, heat should be radiating. It’s time to dump the chimney and spread the charcoal, depending on your cooking method. Please use tongs or gloves, that can will be hot!

If the food you are grilling requires direct heat – hamburgers, thin steaks, boneless chicken breasts or thighs, or some vegetables, spread the coals evenly over the bottom of the grill. If you’re looking to cook larger cuts of meat or bake bread (yes, this can be done on a grill) you need indirect heat. Push the coals to one side of the grill before cooking.

Wait until all of the coals are uniformly gray or ashy before adding food to the grate. Clean the grate while it’s heating and you’re ready to get started.

Cooking on a charcoal grill.

Don’t worry, you’re not limited to using only foods that sit nicely on a grill. You can use pots and pans on a grill, just as if they were on the stove. Remember though, thin pans are quite difficult to use as hot spots will increase the risk of scorching. Consider investing in a cast iron skillet or dutch oven.  Cast iron pots and pans need to be seasoned before use, but an oven can be used for this purpose, if you have a smooth top range that would be scratched by the cookware. Don’t use your favorite pan for practice.

Try simple foods at first, scrambled eggs, bacon, or grilled sandwiches. As long as there is no emergency, try challenging yourself to see what can be cooked on a grill. Cooking under stress isn’t exactly fun, so try to develop the skills when a mistake just means ordering a pizza.

Don’t forget items like hobo packets – foil packets of onion, ground beef, potatoes and a vegetable can also be made on a grill.

In a true emergency it’s best to try to only use the grill once a day to conserve fuel. Cook as much food as possible in one go and heat water over the remaining coals to use in clean up or for sponge bathing.

Oh and a final tip for the caffeine deprived. Heat water to boiling, remove from the heat, add the coffee grounds to the water and then pour through a filter. You’re welcome.

Cooking Without Power, Using a Charcoal Grill is a post from: Home Ec 101 ©Home Ec 101.com 2007 - 2010