What is the easiest way to cook bone broth?

Bone broth seems to be all the rage these days thanks to the popularity of the paleo diet, but this liquid superfood has been around for over thousands of years. Made by simmering animal bones over low heat for a long period of time, bone broth is filled with protein, vitamins, and minerals. While you can find bone broth at many grocery stores, making bone broth at home is easy. So before tossing out the scraps from the short ribs or roast chicken you had for dinner, make homemade bone broth instead.

 

Restorative, nourishing, and filled with age-defying collagen. Easy and versatile, Learn How to Make Bone Broth with these easy to follow instructions, tips, and answers to all your bone broth frequently asked questions.

 

EASY CHICKEN BONE BROTH

Makes a nutrient-dense, mildly flavoured broth you can use in soups, sauces, or as a hot drink. I purposefully don't add much to it as I add flavours to it as I use it.

 

INGREDIENTS

• Chicken bones from a healthy source (1-2 carcasses or a random assortment of leftover chicken bones)
• 2 chicken feet for extra gelatin (optional)
• 2 tablespoons Apple Cider Vinegar
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 sprigs of fresh thyme
• 5 black peppercorns
• filtered water
• Optional: 1 carrot, 2 stalks of celery, 1/2 bunch of parsley, 5cm piece of ginger, 5 cloves of garlic

 

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Place the bones in a large pot or slowcooker
2. Cover  the bones with filtered water and add the vinegar and bay leaves and thyme.
3. Bring the broth to a boil and reduce to a simmer.
4. Remove the impurities that float to the surface in the first few hours of simmer.
5. Add veggies and fresh herbs in the last 6 hours of cook.
6. Remove from heat and let cool slightly before straining.
7. Once cooled, store in a glass jars in the fridge for up to 5 days, or freeze for later use.
8. The longer you cook the bones, the more nutrient-dense your broth will be.

 

Easy Beef Bone Broth Recipe

Ingredients

If you have the time, try making bone broth on the stovetop with this easy bone broth recipe.

 

• 2 kgs of beef bones,marrow and knuckle bones
• 2-3 Bay leaves
• Garlic
• Vegetables like carrots, celery, garlic, and onion, roughly chopped
• 2-3 tbs apple cider vinegar or lemon juice
• Black peppercorns
• Sea salt

 

Instructions

1. If you're making beef bone broth, roast the bones first in a roasting pan at 200C for 30-60 minutes.
2. Add to a large stockpot and fill with filtered water, leaving a couple of inches at the top.
3. Add acid to the pot to help the bones release the collagen—a few tablespoons of apple cider vinegar or lemon juice.
4. Add chopped veggies to the pot. Try standard soup ingredients like carrots, garlic, onions, and celery. They don't have to be peeled or cut into small pieces since they'll be removed at the end of cooking. Also add the bay leaves, salt, and peppercorns. Bring the pot to a rolling boil. Then lower the heat and let the broth simmer.
5. Skim the fat or foam that collects on top in the initial hours of  the cook.
6. Simmer for at least ten hours and no more than 24.
7. Don't leave the pot unattended, you can turn it off if you are out and resume cooking later.
8. When the broth is done, remove from the heat.
9. Strain to separate the solids from the liquid.
10. Let the broth cool down to room temperature.
11. Store the broth in the refrigerator for up to five days, or store in the freezer for up to three months.

 

Slow-cooker bone broth

If you find the idea of leaving bone broth cooking on the stove overnight daunting, try this easy slow cooker recipe instead.

 

INGREDIENTS

• 2kg beef bones (mix of marrow, knuckle and meat bones)
• 6 sprigs thyme
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar (see Note)
• 2 carrots, quartered
• 1 brown onion, halved
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 4 garlic cloves
• 1 Masterfoods Bay Leaves

 

METHOD

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C or 180°C fan-forced. Place bones on a roasting tray. Roast for 30 minutes.
2. Transfer bones and fat to a large slow-cooker with remaining ingredients and enough filtered water to cover bones. Close the lid and cook on low for 24 hours, adding more water to keep bones covered.
3. Strain into a large bowl. Cool quickly by placing the bowl in a sink or large tub filled with iced-water. Chill. Discard the hard layer of fat if you like

 

NOTES

• Makes about 1.5L
• Roasting is optional, but it does give the broth extra, richer flavour and deeper colour.
• This broth will keep for five days in the fridge or up to 3 months in the freezer.
• The vinegar helps extract nutrients from the bones.
• Leaving the layer of fat helps preserve the broth in the fridge.
• You can discard the fat, or if using bones from grass-fed beef, you can choose to keep all or part of the healthy/good fat.

 

 

 

Tips for storing in the freezer:

First, you can freeze some in ice-cube trays and then you'll have some small amounts ready-to-go for adding to stir fries.

Second, Pour into a zip-top bag and freeze flat.

 

Tips for Bones

The more effort you put into finding the perfect bones to add into your bone broth recipe, the more nutrient-dense it will be.

The better the bones,  grass  fed organic,  the broth will have less froth/scum as it cooks

Use a variety of bones such as large marrow bones, short ribs, feet, knuckles, neck or even oxtails.

Ask your butcher to break down the marrow bones to help release more  nutrients

Chicken feet and necks have a very high collagen content.