Bone broth is one of the most powerful and healthy foods we can consume. It has too many benefits to count and is so easy to make at home! I'm going to teach you how to make your own chicken and beef broth so you can see just how great it is :)
Before we jump into how easy bone broth is to make, let's talk about a few of its major benefits!
Bone broth is PACKED with both vitamins and nutrients! (No wonder why chicken noodle soup is grandma's quick fix for a cold).
High in gelatin and collagen, which is great for the joints.
Great for inflammation and gut health due to being full of amino acids.
Provides glycine, which can promote better sleep!
Is a great source of protein and can even help with weight loss.
So how can you make it at home? I promise, it's easy!
Start with bones straight from your farmer. (That sounds kind of bad...but you know what I mean). These are sure to be packed with the most nutrients and will give you the best product. Broth (liquid, bouillon or paste) you buy in the store is not the same as bone broth and just won't compare in quality or flavor. We always have beef and chicken bones here at the farm and can even save pork bones upon request.
After you have your bones, it is best to have them most of the way thawed before you start the broth-making process.
Lightly oil the bottom of a large stock pot and place your bones in. I am using chicken bones for this example, but you would follow the same process for beef broth. Turn your stove on medium-high heat and sear your bones. The bones will likely have a fair amount of meat on them, which will give your stock even more flavor. Continue to sear the meat/bones until they get lightly golden brown.
Once the bones are seared, simply add enough water to cover or almost cover the bones. Usually this would be about 8-16 cups of water. I used 16 cups in mine, and had almost 4 pounds of chicken bones. The next thing I do is add about 2-4 Tablespoons of apple cider vinegar (white will work too). This helps to break down the bones to extract all of the good stuff we are looking for. I also add a couple of bay leaves (optional), a teaspoon of pepper, and a couple teaspoons of salt. Bring your broth to a boil, then turn the heat to low and begin to simmer. Cover your broth at this point, it will keep the liquid from evaporating.
Next you will add any veggies you'd like to use. You can use carrots, onions, celery, garlic cloves, etc. This will give the bone broth even more flavor and nutrients. Keep your broth covered and on a low simmer. You will simmer for about 8-16 hours. I usually shoot for around 12 hours, as this seems to be about perfect. You can stir the broth occasionally. One way to check that your broth is getting all of the great nutrients in it is to take a bone from the broth (any small-medium bone) and try to break it in half. If it breaks easily, then you can be sure that all of the healthy stuff is being extracted from the bones and into your broth. It will take a few hours for the bones to get to this point. Just keep simmering, just keep simmering....
The smell is amazing and makes me a little impatient :)
After about 12 hours, it's time to strain your broth! I know, it was a long wait, but so worth it :)
I grab a clean pot, a fine-mesh strainer and some cheesecloth. The strainer I have isn't quite fine enough, so I prefer to use cheesecloth to stop any of the finer particles. First, I clean the bones out of the pot of broth by using a slotted spoon. Next I use a ladle to dump my broth into the strainer. The solids may have to be cleaned out of the cheesecloth/strainer a few times so the liquid can continue to pass through. Keep going until you have strained all of your broth.
After all of the broth has been strained, it is ready to be used or stored! It is ready to be a base for soup, drank as is, or stored for later use. I put mine into mason jars. Usually I get about 2-3 large jars per batch. You can even freeze your broth! Just don't fill your jars or containers too full. If you are not freezing your broth, place it in the fridge until you are ready to use it. Make sure to use it or freeze it within about a week. I love to scoop mine into a mug, heat it up, and drink it as is when I am not using it for soup. You can add salt, pepper or garlic to taste.
Once your broth cools, it will usually gel up. But don't worry- this is a good thing! It means your broth is full of all of the things we want from the bones such as amino acids, minerals, gelatin and collagen. A gelled broth is EXACTLY what we are looking for!
If you notice any fat on top after it has cooled, you can simply spoon it off of the top. In the chicken broth it will usually be a skim at the top. With beef broth the fat will be white and will come to the top after the broth has been refrigerated.
That's it! You now know how easy it is to make and enjoy the benefits of broth right at home! It's such a hands-off process that is so rewarding. Once you taste this broth and see its nutritional qualities, you will never consider buying or making broth any other way!
Want to try it out? Let us know! We are stocked up on chicken and beef bones so you can see how awesome it is for yourself!
Just give us a call or text at 715-214-5220 to get yours :)