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What is Bone Broth?
Bone broth is made from simmering roasted bones, vegetables, and aromatics in water for a long period of time. The result is a delicious and highly nutritious drink, base for soups, risottos, gravies, and more. Bone broth is similar to stock or standard broth, but bone broth needs to be simmered longer, and is gelatinous when cold. Bone broth is extremely versatile and very easy to make.
Why is it good for you?
There are numerous benefits to consuming bone broth. It is rich in many vitamins and minerals, which are released into the water as the bones simmer, making these nutrients more readily available for your body to absorb. The collagen in the bones becomes gelatin when cooked, which is what makes the bone broth thick and gelatinous when cold. This gelatin is excellent for gut health, and many people find it helps with a variety of digestive issues. It is also good for hair, skin, and nails, may help fight inflammation, joint health, and can even promote a good night’s sleep.
Why make your own bone broth?
Bone broth is hardly a new concept, but it is a popular health food trend at the moment. And this means you can pay a pretty penny for it. But I’d like to show you how simple, economical, and practical it is to make it yourself.
One of my favorite things about making bone broth is that it uses up things that would otherwise be thrown away. I always keep a container in my freezer that I add food scraps to for broth making later. Onion ends, carrot peels, spent herbs, wilted spinach, kale stems, and celery leaves just to name a few. Almost any vegetable can be added to make a flavorful bone broth. I especially enjoy adding a few mushrooms for that scrumptious umami flavor. The only things I steer clear from are things like lettuce and potatoes or starchy vegetables, and I also avoid anything that is well past it’s prime. Wilted is fine, moldy and rotting is not.
As I’ve mentioned before in my meal planning post, roasting a whole chicken has become an instrumental part of our meal planning routine. This is largely due to bone broth, which is another cornerstone ingredient for many of our meals. When you roast a whole chicken, you are left with a carcass that would normally be thrown out. I love that I can really get the most out of each chicken by making bone broth.
How to make bone broth from a whole chicken carcass in the crockpot
There are so many different ways to make bone broth. You really don’t need any fancy equipment to make bone broth, all you really need is a pot, some bones, vinegar, veggie scraps, and water. But to really get the most out of your bone broth, you need to simmer it for a long time. And because of this, my favorite way to make bone broth is in the crockpot. It is super hands-off and easy to add into my routine.
For my method, you will need:
- A crockpot
- A chicken carcass and pan drippings
- 1 TBS Apple cider vinegar (my favorite brand here)
- Vegetable scraps from freezer -OR- 2 carrots, 1 stalk celery, ½ onion, 5 cloves garlic – all roughly chopped
- Fine mesh sieve
First, you’ll need to roast and carve your chicken. Here is my favorite way to roast a whole chicken. Remove as much meat as possible, then add the remaining bones and pan drippings to your crockpot.
Then, add in your vegetables or vegetable scraps, 1 TBS. apple cider vinegar, and enough water to mostly cover it all. Don’t skip the apple cider vinegar. You won’t be able to taste it in the final product, and it really helps to pull as many nutrients as possible from the bones. My broth always gels when I add the apple cider vinegar. It is hit or miss without it.
Now, turn your crockpot on high and let it simmer for at least 12 hours, and up to 24. Really as long as you are able to. I get really great results with a 12 hour simmer. This allows me to start it in the morning and strain it that evening, which is most practical for me.
The last step is to let it cool and strain out the solids. I use a fine mesh sieve and strain my broth into mason jars. It will keep in the fridge for up to a week or you can freeze it for up to 6 months. If you want to freeze your broth in the mason jars, make sure you use wide mouth jars, don’t fill them too full, and let them cool completely- preferably in the fridge- before freezing. This will ensure that your mason jars don’t crack.
Now you have a beautiful, golden superfood to use to make delicious soups, sauces, and more! Made from almost nothing, salvaged from things that would have ordinarily been thrown away. How cool is that?! Give yourself a pat on the back for learning a super resourceful new skill in the kitchen.
Vine & Harvest 