A Proper Chicken Stock

I don't believe in making chicken stock and stowing it away in the freezer in tidy portions and I think any recipe which only calls for 1/2 a cup of stock can probably have water added instead. This means I never feel tempted by the (salt laden) supermarket stock and when I go to the trouble of making a stock I do it properly and use it for the next three or four nights.

For example, this week we had roast chicken and then the next night I made a chicken stock. Half way through making the stock I ladled some out directly into a risotto. The next night we had a light minestrone based on the stock (made in about 20 minutes) and the day after involved a batch of double chicken polenta (eaten soft and then later on baked in the oven to make crunchy squares). Finally, the Toddler had some pasta, pumpkin and broccoli simmered in the last of the stock for her dinner tonight.

The above sounds very strident but I intend this to be a message to the Toddler when she is grown up - make your own stock for you and your family or don't bother making recipes that require it.

2 onions
2 carrots (tops and tails as well)
2 sticks of celery (leaves as well if you have them still)
4 cloves roughly chopped garlic
Organic chicken carcass or whole organic chicken - you can use the leftover bones from a roast dinner or you can poach the whole chicken in the stock. I could give you the usual lecture about why organic chicken is better but the truth is that once I cooked a non-organic chicken stock that ended up with a lot of black foam and this freaked me out so much that I have never tried to do it again.
Approximately 1 cup of old veggies lurking in fridge that need to be used up - old spring onions, broccoli, leeks, beans, snow peas, cababge - just don't use the nightshades (eggplant, tomatoes, potatoes etc). This is optional but there is nearly always something of this description that needs a home in the stockpot.
10 peppercorns
2 or 3 bayleaves, several sprigs of fresh parsley, thyme or oregano. This is also optional but good to add if you have them.
1 tablespoon of vinegar (preferably unrefined apple cider vinegar)

Roughly chop all of the vegetables and place everything in a deep stockpot together. Pour in enough cold water so that everything is covered and almost bring it all to the boil. Bring the heat down a little but so the stock gently simmers and let cook for up to 6 hours - 2 will do at a pinch. Add water during the cooking time if vegetables or bones become uncovered.

After it has cooked, strain off the vegetables and bones and store in the fridge or freezer.

Notes:
* According to Jude Blereau in 'Wholefood for Children' the vinegar is added to 'help draw all gelatine and minerals from inside the bone'. She indicates that stocks (and particularly bone stocks) are incredibly nourishing for young children.
* Don't be tempted to use add hot water to the pot - the point of the stock is for the flavour to be gradually drawn out.