6 cups water in a large pot
1 tsp. whole black peppercorns
6 sprigs fresh dill or 2 tsp. dried dill
6 sprigs fresh parsley or 2 tsp. dried
2 dried whole bay leaves
1 medium onion cut into quarters
2 carrots, scrubbed, cut into 6 pieces
2 stalks celery, washed, cut into thirds
1 four ~ pound chicken, cut into pieces
1½ pounds of chicken thigh and leg pieces
12 cups { two 48 ounce cans } low ~ sodium chicken broth { or 12 cups water and 10 chicken bouillon cubes }.
Place water, peppercorns, dill, parsley, bay leaves, onion, carrots, celery, chicken and broth into pot. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to a very gentle simmer, and cook for 45 minutes. Liquid should just bubble up to the surface. A skim will form on the surface of the liquid; remove skim with a slotted spoon, and discard. Repeat as needed. After 45 minutes, remove chicken from the pot and set aside until it is cool enough to handle.
Remove the meat from the bones, set the meat aside. Return the bones to the pot. Shred the chicken and set aside in the refrigerator for future use. Continue to simmer the stock on the lowest heat possible for 3 hours, skimming as needed. Strain the stock through a fine sieve into a very large bowl. Discard the solids. Place the bowl in a sink of ice water, cool to room temperature. Remove the fat layer that has collected on the surface. Transfer to airtight containers. Stock may be refrigerated for 3 days or frozen for up to 4 months.