Lemony Chicken Broth (or Stock)

Directions

1. Place chicken and accumulated juices in stock pot. Add enough water to cover. Place on burner on high and bring to boil.
2. Meanwhile, add in all the rest of the ingredients. Squeeze the lemon juice into the broth and put the cut lemons in, too.
3. Once the water comes to a rolling boil, reduce heat to low so that it continues to simmer, just below boiling. Let it simmer uncovered for about 2-3 hours. You want it to reduce somewhat, concentrating the flavors. Occasionally spoon off any foam or debris that comes to the surface.
4. Turn heat off. Some people let soup cool to room temperature before dividing. My mother-in-law used to leave chicken soup on the stove for days. According to the USDA, "Bacteria grow most rapidly in the range of temperatures between 40 and 140 °F, some doubling in number in as little as 20 minutes. Some types will produce toxins that are not destroyed by cooking. Hot food can be placed directly in the refrigerator or it can be rapidly chilled in an ice or cold water bath before refrigerating. A large pot of food like soup or stew should be divided into small portions and put in shallow containers before being refrigerated. "
5. Remove the chicken carcass and strain the soup into a pitcher. (I actually strain it twice--once through a colander to get out all the big pieces, and a second time through a fine-mesh strainer to get the little stuff. You can line the fine mesh strainer with cheese cloth, but the strainer works fine for me.)
6. Pour the broth into containers and freeze or refrigerate.