Keene Organics 

Stewing Hens/Soup Chickens

Now available $6.99/Whole Chicken

Our hens are raised outside on organic pastures eating certified organic grain.

A chicken that's termed "stewing hen" is older and tougher and not really the type of chicken meant for the quicker cooking methods that are used for young, tender chicken.   A stewing hen needs long, slow, moist cooking to make it tender.  It has wonderful flavor and is full of great nutrition. As laying hens move about for two years, scratching for grass and insects, their muscles, connective tissue, and flavor develop.  Stewing hens make great broth, soup, chicken stew, and chicken meat to be used in casseroles, pasta and salads.  Connective tissue has the virtue of melting into collagen when it is cooked over low heat, and makes a great healing broth which is great for our own bodies.    Homemade broth is one of the most healing foods that you can consume. Not only does it contain gelatin but it also contains high amounts of minerals, such as, calcium, magnesium and potassium.  Broth has been used around the world as part of many traditional diets. The chicken meat becomes tender and delicious when it is cooked correctly, cooled, and then the meat pulled off the bones and used in soup, salads, casseroles or other dishes.

Chicken Broth and Chicken Soup

Chicken Broth

1.  Put chicken in a pot with the neck and gizzards, Apple Cider Vinegar or OJ, enough water to cover the entire chicken. 
2.  Cover pot and bring to a boil
3.  Skim off foam that will surface.
4. Add all other broth ingredients.  These add flavor and nutrition to the broth.
5. Lower temperature and simmer until meat starts to fall off bone. It will seem stiff for quite a while! I boil the chicken for about 6 to 8 hrs...I left in overnight making sure there was enough water for all meat to be submerged-adding more water at times or I start it early in the morning.

6.  As soon as the chicken is obviously breaking down and falling apart, using a colander strain all broth into another pot.  Your broth is now ready. 

7.  Let the chicken cool.  Remove all the meat off the bones.  Use some for the chicken soup and reserve some for chicken enchiladas, chicken salad, pasta, etc.

8.  Reserve some broth to make chicken soup.  Store the rest of the broth in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or freeze in ice cube trays or mason jars (leaving 1” for the freezing expansion).  After refrigeration, it should be thick and jiggle like Jell-O which means it is full of gelatin and high in protein.

9.  Reserve the veggies you want to add to your chicken soup.   

Chicken Soup

1-In a pot add all the soup ingredients: 6 cups of broth, chicken (pulled off the bones), veggies.  Add seasonings to flavor.  Bring to a boil and add egg noodles or rice (finish boiling soup according to rice or noodle directions.)   If you want to freeze some soup, freeze without the rice or egg noodles as they will become mushy.

Double or triple the recipe to save yourself time by making enough to freeze.  I freeze the soup recipe without the egg noodles and add them to the saucepan after the soup is thawed and boiling.  Freeze in wide mouth canning jars ¾ full, so the contents can expand.  Broth can be frozen in ice cube trays to add to recipes as needed.

Chicken Broth and Chicken Tortilla Soup

Chicken Broth

1.  Put chicken in a pot with the neck and gizzards, Apple Cider Vinegar or OJ, enough water to cover the entire chicken. 
2.  Cover pot and bring to a boil
3.  Skim off foam that will surface.
4. Add all other broth ingredients.  These add flavor and nutrition to the broth.
5. Lower temperature and simmer until meat starts to fall off bone. It will seem stiff for quite a while! I boil the chicken for about 6 to 8 hrs...I left in overnight making sure there was enough water for all meat to be submerged-adding more water at times or I start it early in the morning.

6.  As soon as the chicken is obviously breaking down and falling apart, using a colander strain all broth into another pot.  Your broth is now ready. 

7.  Let the chicken cool.  Remove all the meat off the bones.  Use some for the chicken soup and reserve some for chicken enchiladas, chicken salad, pasta, etc.

8.  Reserve some broth to make chicken soup.  Store the rest of the broth in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or freeze in ice cube trays or mason jars (leaving 1” for the freezing expansion).  After refrigeration, it should be thick and jiggle like Jell-O which means it is full of gelatin and high in protein.

9.  Reserve the veggies you want to add to your chicken soup.   

Chicken Tortilla Soup

1-In a pot add all the soup ingredients.  Add seasonings to flavor.  Bring to a boil and add tortilla chips. 

Double or triple the recipe to save yourself time by making enough to freeze.  Freeze in wide mouth canning jars ¾ full, so the contents can expand.