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I often like to cook an entire chicken in water in a crockpot. After the chicken is done cooking, I remove all the meat and then throw the bones & organs back in, pour some extra water in, and let it sit for a day on "Keep Warm".

Now the only thing is that I find that there's some brown particles floating around that I'd rather not be in there. I do my best to clean out the chicken before putting it in, but I'm still not entirely trusting.

Anyway, how can I filter this stuff out to just leave me with a liquid broth?

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    Please make sure your "keep warm" setting keeps it above 140°F/60°C, for food safety reasons ...
    – derobert
    Commented Aug 21, 2012 at 15:53
  • Yep. It's usually a light boil after about a couple of hours.
    – joslinm
    Commented Aug 21, 2012 at 15:56
  • Also, what have you tried? There are several commonly used filters, from a fine-mesh strainer, cheese cloth, coffee filters, chinois (which are all filters), to an egg-raft used in making consumé. Then there are the non-traditional methods, using freezing or gelling agents.
    – derobert
    Commented Aug 21, 2012 at 15:57
  • I've tried coffee filters but the ones I tried kinda fell apart and it didn't work out so well. I have a fine mesh strainer actually on the way so I can try that, but wasn't sure if it would be too porous or not. I thought there might be some "known" way to do this that closely mirrors how the big brands do it.
    – joslinm
    Commented Aug 21, 2012 at 16:02
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    Depends on how clear you want it. Personally, I rarely bother with anything more than the fine-mesh strainer. (The big brands no doubt do it in some manner appropriate to a food plant, but way too expensive for home use)
    – derobert
    Commented Aug 21, 2012 at 16:09

2 Answers 2

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A piece of muslin/cotton/fine-tissue-of-your-choice will do the job nicely.

You can easily find it in kitchen stores or online.

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    After filtering the broth with cheese cloth you may want to cover the broth with a fresh piece of cheese cloth and set it in the fridge for a while (overnight). The oils left in the broth will rise to the top and form a solid layer which will come out when you lift the cheese cloth. This will allow your broth to last much longer.
    – Cos Callis
    Commented Aug 24, 2012 at 0:51
  • @Cos Callis: good tip! I'll try that next time!
    – nico
    Commented Aug 24, 2012 at 7:14
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If it really bugs you, you could clarify the broth.

You can mix egg whites with minced (chicken) meat. Add it to your simmering broth and wait until it floats to the top.

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  • What is the use of the egg white?
    – nico
    Commented Aug 23, 2012 at 16:26
  • @nico, The proteins in the egg whites traps the floating particles. In Spanish, 'clara de huevo' is egg white and 'clarificar' is more or less filtering (they did that with egg whites).
    – BaffledCook
    Commented Aug 24, 2012 at 0:06
  • makes sense! You always learn something new!
    – nico
    Commented Aug 24, 2012 at 7:14
  • @nico, they clarified wine [Spanish] this way.
    – BaffledCook
    Commented Aug 24, 2012 at 7:49

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