From Scratch— Chicken Stock

Making your own stock is a beautiful thing.  For one, anyone who’s had anything fresh from the garden knows it hardly compares to what you could buy in the store. Stock is the same way.  Add to that the fact that you can make your own stock from items you already have and items you’d normally discard: onion skins, carrot tops and peels, bits of discarded celery (I’ve made a habit of freezing these as I  go along so they’re ready when I need them), and if you’re making chicken stock the carcass left over from the roaster you bought or that big dinner you had the other day.  Other than that you need a large soup pot, some water, a strainer, and a stove.  Easy.
For chicken stock set aside any remaining meat, break up the carcass and add it to the pot, for vegetable stock skip this step, then add the vegetable bits you’ve saved to the pot as well.  Cover with water.  Bring the pot to a boil and then lower to a simmer.  Leave uncovered at a simmer for several hours, occasionally straining off any film that forms along the top.
When the stock has reached the desired consistency (generally you want it a bit more compact if freezing/storing to save space) remove from heat and strain the contents of the pot.  I like to add a layer of cheese cloth or a paper towel to the  bottom of the strainer if I used carrot tops in my mix as they tend to produce more sediment within the stock.
Once strained allowed to cool a bit, enjoy or store as desired.