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An easy recipe for Homemade Bone Broth lets you control the ingredients you use to make a flavorful broth. Perfect to use as a base for soup, pasta sauces, and other recipes. Made with simple ingredients and a slow cooker.
The rich aroma from the simmering broth makes my house smell like chicken soup.
Making homemade bone broth is easier than it sounds. The extra effort will give your recipes enhanced flavor and make it so worth it! Simple bone broth in the slow cooker is even better.
Bone broth is also beneficial if you are feeling under the weather. When I am not feeling well I will heat a cup on the stove and sip it. It's easier and quicker than making chicken noodle soup and very comforting.
If you have sore joints from too much exercise, make sure and have a cup or two daily. It may help ease those aches and pains.
What's In Bone Broth
Our forefathers on the farm knew about eating all the parts of the chicken or cow including feet, wings, shanks, etc.
These parts of the animal include valuable nutrients, such as gelatin and are important for our stomachs, joints, and skin.
Bone broth can be made with chicken, turkey, beef bones and parts, or even fish bones.
Beef connective tissue provides huge amounts of gut-healing gelatin. Bone marrow is a great source of Omega-3 fatty acid, monounsaturated fat, and glycine.
Bones contain important micronutrients like calcium, iron, phosphorus, zinc, selenium, magnesium, and manganese.
Chicken bones and feet are rich in collagen and gelatin. They help to repair your gut lining.
In addition, they provide an excellent environment for healthy bacteria to thrive. Ingesting gelatin and collagen improves skin elasticity, and reduces inflammation throughout your body.
I use bone broth to add flavor to my soups and gravies.
Beyond the flavor, the ingredients in the bone both are important too. The amino acids from the gelatin in the broth can only be properly utilized when the diet contains sufficient fat-soluble activators, such as vitamins A and D.
So, don’t hesitate to put cream in your broth-based soups and sauces and include other sources of vitamins A and D in your diet, such as butter, and egg yolks.
Flavorful Bone Broth Additions
Vegetables
Carrots are a rich source of the powerful antioxidant beta-carotene. A precursor of vitamin A. It helps maintain healthy skin and eyes. Carrots supply essential minerals, vitamins, and enzymes that aid in digestion.
Celery is an excellent source of antioxidants and beneficial enzymes. It contains vitamins and minerals such as vitamin K, vitamin C, potassium, folate, and vitamin B6. The antioxidants and polysaccharides support overall health, by fighting free-radical damage (or oxidative stress) that can lead to inflammation.
Onions have been used to reduce inflammation and heal infections for centuries. The phytochemicals in onions along with vitamin C help boost your immunity. The chromium in onions assists in regulating your blood sugar. Onions also lower the production of bad cholesterol (LDL), thus keeping your heart healthy!
Garlic is widely used as both a preventative agent and additive treatment for atherosclerosis, hyperlipidemia, thrombosis, hypertension, and diabetes. It has been shown to help control high blood pressure, boost your immunity, and help fight infections.
Consider adding Bell Peppers for extra flavor. They are fairly high in fiber, but low in calories, and high in vitamin C. Vitamin C helps with iron absorption, and wound healing, and may if eaten regularly in the diet support lowered blood pressure.
Spices
Poultry Seasoning is a combination of thyme, sage, marjoram, rosemary, black pepper, and nutmeg. Ingredients support a healthy digestive system and immune systems
Peppercorns help improve your stomach's ability to digest foods and promote intestinal health.
Parsley contains disease-fighting antioxidants including luteolin, apigenin, lycopene, beta-carotene, and alpha-carotene. These antioxidants help with inflammation within the body and slow the aging process.
Bay Leaf is extraordinary for its many health benefits, such as helping treat gas, bloating, and aids digestion.
Apple Cider Vinegar can detox your body. It helps balance your body’s pH. It supports cardiovascular health, bowel motility, and lymphatic drainage. A balanced stomach pH also helps with acid reflux and heartburn.
These are some of my favorites, but I also add ginger, cayenne peppers, and other spices to mix up the flavor. Season with salt and pepper to your taste.
Tips for Making Broth
- Use ALL the parts you have leftover, including bones, wings, neck, and even the skin.
- You can also use leftover beef bones from roasts. If you don't have bones available, you can purchase them at the local grocery store. Sometimes bone broth parts will be prepackaged. If you don’t find them, ask the butcher.
- I save the inside leafy portions of celery and discarded parts of carrots, kale stems, bell pepper, and onions from other meals. Store veggie parts in the freezer until ready to make a batch of bone broth.
- Add a tablespoon or so of apple cider vinegar. Apple cider vinegar is important in pulling the nutrients and minerals out of the bones.
- Remove the bones and vegetables with a strainer #ad. I love this long-handled strainer for smaller jobs. I keep it with my kitchen utensils and use it almost daily. So much easier than pulling out a large bowl strainer.
- After the broth has simmered for 8-24 hours, pour it into a large container and store it in the fridge until cool. This will cause fat to congeal on the top. No worries. Just scrap and discard the hardened fat. Depending on how many bones you have on hand, the broth will be thickened almost like soupy jello.
Slow Cooker or Stock Pot
I make my bone broth in my slow cooker. It is an easy way to set up the bone broth to cook on low, and then in 12 hours, you have bone broth.
My slow cooker is programmable so I can set the temperature to low and the number of hours I want the simmer the broth. Take a look at this slow cooker to see.
No worries if you don't have a slow cooker. You can use a large stockpot and simmer on the stove. Just keep an eye on the fluid and you may need to add water over the course of time that you simmer the broth.
Ingredients
- Chicken, beef, or turkey bones
- Apple cider vinegar
- Whole carrots
- Celery stalks
- Onion
- Minced garlic
- Poultry seasoning
- Bay leaves, ginger
- Ground pepper, cayenne pepper
Instructions
Step 1. Prepare bones by removing excess meat. Add bones, carrots, celery, onion, garlic, apple cider vinegar, and spices to the slow cooker. Cover with water. Cover cooker with lid.
If making beef bone broth, roast bones prior to adding them to the slow cooker. See directions below.
Step 2. Program for 8 hours. Set on low and allow to simmer. Ideally, simmer for 12-24 hours.
Step 3. Turn off the cooker and allow ingredients to cool. Use a strainer to remove bones, and other solid ingredients. Place broth in a covered container and store overnight.
Step 4. Remove the layer of congealed fat from the top of the broth. The broth will be semisolid. Use a measuring cup to portion into one-cup portions. Use zip-lock bags or another covered container. Store in the freezer if not used within 24 hours.
Frequently Asked Questions
To enhance the flavor of beef bones, heat the oven to 500F. Please bones on a baking sheet. Roast for 30 minutes before adding to your slow cooker.
Store in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Freeze in 1-cup portions in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Healthy Soup Recipes for You
Check out my soup recipes to use your batch of bone broth.
March 2022 Update: Minor update to post. Added new pictures.
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