Get a bunch of bones: Your local butcher is probably willing to give you some for free if you’re buying something as well. If that’s not an option, look for packaged of chicken backs and chicken feet. Backs on their own are fine, feet you should mix with backs and not use alone.

Get a big pot. Bigger than you’re thinking. The biggest, basically. Must have lid, lid need not fit tightly. Whack on the heat medium high and throw a small amount of oil in and then the bones, backs, feet, whatever you’re using. This is the time to throw in fat scraps, too, or old Parmesan rinds.

While that’s sizzling, browning, defrosting, whatever, wash three large carrots and three or more large stalks of celery. Roughly chop and throw 'em in. One very large yellow onion or two medium ones, leave the skin on if it’s not dirty, cut in eighths while leaving ends intact and throw in. Take a whole head of garlic, don’t peel it, cut in half across the cloves and throw both halves in. Bay leaves if you have 'em, two or three. Twelve whole peppercorns. Rough chop and apple. Thin slice whole ginger, no need to peel — this is a great way to use up older ginger that’s gone dry. Good way to use up old wrinkly veggies in general.

Do not!!! add beets or radish, the flavors are too strong. Do not add potatoes, it’ll ruin the texture of the stock; you can add them later when you’re turning stock into soup.

Get your largest stirring thingamajig and stir the veggies around with the meat. Salt everything and stir again. Don’t worry about using too much salt, it’s almost impossible to make homemade stock and end up with more sodium per serving than packaged broth.

When evertting smells sizzlin’ good, add as much water as physically fits in the pot. Cover, bring to a low boil, reduce to a high simmer and leave the lib slightly cracked so pressure doesn’t build but not too much steam escapes. You want to eat that steam, after all. Then basically ignore it for four or more hours. Seriously, go to bed and wake up in the morning to a house that smells amazing.

Skim off any grit or scum that floated to the top, kill the heat, let cool somewhat, then strain through a collander. Press the veggies and bones slightly to extract maximum goodness, then bag them up and throw them out. Strain it again through a fine mesh strainer, or if you want to get fancy, a cheesecloth or tea towel overtop of a fine strainer. Throw out the slime left behind and admire your delicious stock. Drink some from a mug. It’s delicious.

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Now this last part is both optional and advanced, it’s called “clarifying”. You can crack an egg or two in a bowl and whisk it together with the eggshells. Bring your stock back to a rolling boil, throw the egg and shell in there, and it will soak up all the remaining particulate matter. The eggs turn a horrible grey color and the stock turns to liquid gold. Skim off the egg raft, filter through a cheesecloth again, and impress your Parisian friends. I urge again, this step is only if you need to feel fancy, because you can absolutely bork your hard-earned stock if you do it wrong.

Good luck and enjoy!