What exactly is a stewing hen and why are they a healthy addition to your diet? A stewing hen is a “retired” laying hen. Laying hens can be retired anywhere from one to three years old; it will depend on how productive they are with laying eggs. These hens are much different from broilers who live only between five and ten weeks on average. Broilers are used for meat production and bred for accelerated growth to produce a plump, juicy bird. Check out the difference between a broiler and stewing hen: the broiler is on the right and the stewing hen is on the left.
A laying hen if raised on pasture will spend her days eating grass and foraging for bugs. She will get a lot of exercise, building strong bones and connective tissue along with lean muscles. Her bones will have absorbed minerals from foraging and vitamins and other nutrients will be accumulated in her. To extract these nutrients, stewing hens must be cooked low and slow. If you were to roast a stewing hen, you would be extremely disappointed with the tough, dry meat (I can attest to this from early in my marriage). BUT this hen still has nutrients to provide to us, and we can extract these nutrients through a long-cooked broth, drawing all the vitamins and minerals out. The meat can be used in soups, stews, casseroles, pot pies, chicken tacos, or wherever a recipe calls for precooked chicken. The stock can be used in stews, soups, sauces, or for sipping. Let’s take a look at how to cook a stewing hen.
The Nutrient-Dense Stewing Hen
Ingredients
- 1 stewing hen
- Water to cover the bird, filtered is best
- Salt, 1 to 2 tablespoons
- Peppercorns, 5 or 6
- 2 cups total of rough-cut aromatic vegetables such as onions, garlic, carrots, celery (all are optional)
- Apple Cider Vinegar, 1 tablespoon
Instructions
- Place stewing hen in large stock pot.
- Cover with filtered water and bring the water to a boil then turn down to a simmer. Skim any foam that rises to the surface. Here is a great tool for that.
- Simmer covered for 2 to 4 hours; the chicken should fall apart easily. You don’t want it to boil at this stage. The stock will become cloudy.
- Remove the carcass from the pot to a plate and allow to cool.
- Add the salt, peppercorns, aromatic vegetables if using, and apple cider vinegar which helps release the minerals and nutrients from the bones.
- Once the chicken has cooled, remove the meat and return everything else (bones, skin, tendons) back into the stock pot. The meat can be stored in the fridge or freezer for soups, stews, or recipes requiring cooked chicken. Continue to cook the stock for another 8 to 20 hours at a simmer, don’t let it boil. Total cooking time up to 24 hours. You will want to check on the pot to make sure your water level doesn’t get too low.
- Remove from heat and strain the broth through a fine-meshed sieve. Pour in to glass jars.
- Let the stock cool. It can be kept in the fridge for up to 5 days. If you put the stock in wide mouth jars and leave at least 1-1/2” head space, the stock can be put in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- The stock will get a layer of fat on the top once it is put in the fridge. Leave it there as it will keep the stock fresh. When you are ready to use the stock, scrape off the fat and it can be saved and used for other recipes that use any type of animal fat.
When I make stock, I don’t add a lot of aromatics as I want my stock to be focused on the chicken flavor. Other recipes call for herbs such as parsley and bay leaves, I choose to not use them either, again to keep the flavor focused on chicken. This beautiful stock can be the foundation of your favorite recipes that call for stock; it will be much more nutritious than store-bought stock.
Stewing hens will be a challenge to find; but if you purchase your eggs directly from a farm, ask your farmer if and when stewing hens will be available. Invest in your health by stocking up on these nutrient-dense hens.
Do you make your own stocks or broths? Have you used a stewing hen before?
Be blessed and be a blessing,
Heather
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