Making Bone Broth
When you’re making bone broth, you are creating a liquid made from simmering bones. The best and easiest way to do this is to reuse bones from your everyday cooking. Read on for the essentials of making bone broth from scratch.
What is Bone Broth?
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Bone broth is created by boiling bones — such as those from chicken, turkey, pork or beef — in water for an extended period. Unlike regular stock, which is typically simmered for a shorter time, bone broth requires a longer cooking duration — often between 12 to 72 hours.
How to Make Bone Broth
Making bone broth is an excellent way to utilize leftover bones, especially from roasted meats like chicken or turkey. Here’s a simple method to get you started:
- Gather Your Ingredients: Collect bones from a cooked chicken, turkey or any other meat. Ensure you have plenty of bones, as the more you have, the richer the broth will be.
- Prepare Your Pot: Place the bones in a large stock pot or crockpot. Cover them with cold water, leaving some space at the top to prevent overflow. Adding a splash of apple cider vinegar is optional but recommended, as it helps extract minerals from the bones.
- Simmer: Bring the water to a boil, then reduce the heat to a gentle simmer. For optimal flavor and nutrition, simmer for at least 12 hours, but aim for 24 to 72 hours if possible. If using a crockpot, set it to low and let it work its magic without constant supervision.
- Strain and Store: Once the broth is ready, strain out the solids and store the liquid. It can be refrigerated for up to four days or frozen for up to a year.
Alternate Way of Cooking
Most people make bone broth on the stovetop in a stock pot. It’s the most traditional way to do it. However, it’s hardly the only way. Here is another way of making homemade bone broth using your Crock Pot or slow cooker.
Crock Pot Bone Broth
If you don’t want to babysit your broth all day or continue to simmer it for 24 to 72 hours straight, put your slow cooker to work. This works particularly well for a chicken carcass or any small batch of bones.
Put the bones in the crockpot and cover them with plenty of water. I like to add a splash of apple cider vinegar. Cover and cook on low for eight to 10 hours.
Strain out the liquid and if you’d like, start another batch with the same bones. You can get up to three batches of bone broth out of the same collections of bones.
Using Bone Broth
Once you have your bone broth ready, the possibilities are endless. Here are a few ways to incorporate it into your meals:
- Soups and Stews: Use bone broth as a base for soups and stews, adding depth and flavor to your dishes.
- Cooking Grains: Substitute water with bone broth when cooking riced cauliflower.
- Sauces and Gravies: Enhance sauces and gravies by incorporating bone broth, enriching the taste and nutritional value.
- Drinks: Enjoy a warm cup of bone broth on its own, seasoned with herbs and spices for a comforting drink.
Creative Variations
Once you’ve mastered the basic bone broth recipe, feel free to get creative. Add vegetables like onions, carrots and celery during the simmering process for added flavor. Fresh herbs can be tossed in towards the end of cooking to preserve their delicate flavors. Experiment with spices like turmeric, garlic or cayenne to give your broth a unique twist.
Storing Your Broth
The cooled broth can be stored in the fridge for up to four days. You can reheat in a saucepan or the microwave if you’re going to drink it like a soup. If you don’t think you’ll use your newest batch in a couple of days, then definitely freeze it. When you use a freezer-safe container, such as these ones from Rubbermaid, which have a vented lid, it will last in the freezer for up to a year.
- Includes 3X 7-cup food storage container and lid
- Built-in vent for splatter-resistant microwaving
- Lids snap together at bases to reduce clutter
Final Thoughts
The next time you roast a chicken or turkey, don’t discard those bones. You can transform them into a broth that you can enjoy for weeks to come.
