# Let's talk Chicken Soup...



## Beaniemaster2 (May 22, 2012)

To skim or not to skim... this is my question 

I've always called Chicken Soup 'Liquid Penicillin' cause it always did so good making you feel better... I don't remember exactly how my mom made it but I'm sure she didn't remove the skin back then and maybe skinned the fat off later or we just ate it that way...

What I really don't remember is if she skimmed that skum off the top that rises I think from the blood or bones in the soup... Why I am asking is am I skimming off the healthy part??? Looks nasty and doesn't taste so good so is why I skim...

Would really appreciate imput on this as I make it quite often, even in the summer...

Nothing like a good bowl of Chicken Soup


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## Toffee (Mar 13, 2012)

I don't know about the health benefits, but I do skim. Otherwise, nobody here would eat it. If it is just an oil slick looking thing from fat, then I leave it.


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## Caribou (Aug 18, 2012)

I remove the bones, the skin because I don't like the texture of boiled skin, and some of the fat for appearance and an over greasy taste.


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## Sentry18 (Aug 5, 2012)

I usually take the chicken skeleton left over from roasted chicken and put it in a cheese cloth bag. Then I add bay leaves and other spice bundles and add it to the water. Then when it has cooked long enough I take the whole thing out. But I did not skim the liquid fat.


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## lilmissy0740 (Mar 7, 2011)

Beaniemaster2 said:


> To skim or not to skim... this is my question
> 
> I've always called Chicken Soup 'Liquid Penicillin' cause it always did so good making you feel better... I don't remember exactly how my mom made it but I'm sure she didn't remove the skin back then and maybe skinned the fat off later or we just ate it that way...
> 
> ...


I always "skim the scum". I leave the fat in there, but I think you are talking about the gray scum. It grosses me out.


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## Beaniemaster2 (May 22, 2012)

Yes, that yucky scum  I just wondered also that to get all the benefits of the soup if I should leave the skin on and take it off later but that's hard to do when you want to eat it now... easy on the cold leftovers to remove the fat... 

Anybody use Cilantro in their chicken soup???


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## lilmissy0740 (Mar 7, 2011)

Beaniemaster2 said:


> Yes, that yucky scum  I just wondered also that to get all the benefits of the soup if I should leave the skin on and take it off later but that's hard to do when you want to eat it now... easy on the cold leftovers to remove the fat...
> 
> Anybody use Cilantro in their chicken soup???


I boil a whole chicken with some s/p. skimming the scum. When the chicken is done, I take it out of the water, add my carrots and celery and let that cook. While they cook, the chicken is cooling a it. I then debone it and take the skin off. Add the chicken when the veggies are almost tender with marjoram, shimmer while I cook my noodles separate, we hate mushy noodles. But if I am making chicken and rice, I add the rice with the carrots. This is the way I do it and we like it. I am in no way a chef.


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## readytogo (Apr 6, 2013)

I place chicken, onions, celery, garlic, bay leaf, in my crock pot, Cooks over night, let it cool in the refrigerator for another day with a piece of boil cheese cloth in the pot(cleaner that way) and in the morning all the fat is solid and glue to the cloth, discard, run thru a colander, de-bone ,clean, add veg, salt needed, for creamier soup I add some heavy cream, like a chowder.is making me hungry, oh don`t forget the bread.:beercheer:


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## Tank_Girl (Dec 26, 2011)

That grey scum happens when the raw chicken blood cooks in the water.

I find it best to use roasted chicken frames and bones/ left over roasted chicken which results in a richer, slightly darker stock and soup.

If you let the soup sit covered overnight in the fridge the fat should be really easy to remove from the top.


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## Ezmerelda (Oct 17, 2010)

I rinse the chicken before I put it in the pot, therefore, my stewed chicken has no "scum."


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