Chicken Stock Recipe

This is one of my favorite cold-weather recipes.  I use a large crock pot and let it simmer for two days, dipping into it as needed if my family is feeling under the weather. The result is a delicious, rich and nourishing broth, to drink by itself or as a base for soups.  For an easy meal, buy a free-range rotisserie chicken and eat the meat for a few meals, saving the bones for stock.

A bunch of chicken bones (10 leg bones, one carcass, whatever you have)
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
one onion, coarsely chopped
3 carrots, coarsely chopped
3 stalks celery, coarsely chopped
1 gallon of filtered water (or whatever fits into the pot)

Place the above ingredients into a large crock pot or soup pot.  Cover and let it sit at room temperature for 30 min to an hour, allowing the vinegar to pull the minerals out of the bones and veggies.  Bring the pot to boiling and simmer for 6 to 48 hours.  The longer it cooks the richer it will be.  Water will boil off, which makes a richer stock. OR you can add more water to it as the cooking progresses.  When you feel it's ready, strain into quart sized jars using a canning funnel and fine mesh strainer.  Refrigerate it, and freeze extra if you have too much.  Be sure those jars you are freezing are filled only 3/4 so they don't break while freezing.