Yesterday was the one bad day for several of our ducks so today we made some broth out of the leftovers from two we parted out for meals for the next ten days or more. It just so happened that today was the first true chilly wet autumn day (and yesterday was apparently the Hunter’s Moon) and it felt good to fire up the wood stove instead of the gas range.

Big stock pot, two carcasses, onions grown on site, garlic, carrot, and parsnip the same. Some ACV, whole black peppercorns, and a dash of lemon juice before adding water to cover (we’ll occasionally add a little more to keep things pretty covered. The stove will get loaded to run overnight to keep things simmering and tomorrow morning I’ll strain it for soups and stock before loading it again for a second round with extra ACV to get what’s left in the bones.

For anyone interested: The ducks were pasture raised with access to a pond, the garden scraps, worms during compost turning, and fruit grown for them in their run. The wood was harvested from the property next to us (the owner is a logger). The feet have been saved and dehydrated to use for dog chews (under supervision). The hearts, livers, and several gizzards will feed us or be turned into the craziest high value dog training treats you’ve ever heard of. The only way to truly honor our time with these members of our flock is to make them as much of a part of our lives as we can.