Bone broth has been popular in health circles lately. Bone broth contains many essential amino acids, antioxidants, and is rich in vitamins and minerals. It also contains carnosine which may help ease inflammation. Bone broth is one of the only natural food sources of collagen and gelatin. There are many studies on the health benefits of bone broth. And its easy to make at home!
Broth vs Stock: What’s the difference?
Broth is typically made from meat and vegetables. Stock is made by simmering bones, generally with vegetables and herbs. Stock is usually cooked longer than broth and is richer in flavor. However, recently there has been more talk about bone broth. Bone broth is made from bones from any animal, simmered for long periods of time, 12-24 hours. Many people prefer to roast the bones first to get the most flavor. The bones are simmered for longer periods of time in order to pull the nutrients out of the bones. Bone broth is actually stock, but the name bone broth has become popular.
In my kitchen I make either broth or stock depending what I have available. I mainly make my broth/stock from chicken. If I roast a chicken for dinner then I will throw the leftover carcass in a pot of water and make stock. If I need some cooked chicken for a recipe, I will throw a whole chicken in the pot and make broth, then debone the chicken. If I have time I will add the bones back to the pot and continue to simmer to get the most nutrients out of the bones. I use broth and stock interchangeably.
How to use broth in the kitchen.
You can enjoy your homemade broth right from a cup. It can be used in place of water in many dishes to increase flavor and nutrients. I sometimes use half water and half broth to make rice which really enhances the flavor. Use broth in soups, stews, gravies, and sauces. It’s a very versatile item for your kitchen.
How to make bone broth
You can find recipes online, but actually you don’t need a recipe. You can use a whole chicken, chicken backs or the carcass of a roasted chicken. I prefer to use chicken backs if available because the amount of bones really makes a good bone broth that congeals well when cooled due to the high gelatin content.
In a large pot add bones, or a whole chicken, 2-3 carrots (cut in half), 1-2 stalks of celery, 1 onion (cut in half), 2-3 garlic cloves smashed, 2 bay leaves, salt to taste, and pepper or whole peppercorns. Cover the bones with water, cover and simmer for 12 hours. This is just a guide, use what you have around, increase or decrease ingredient amounts based on your taste. Often, I don’t add celery because I don’t typically have it in my refrigerator. You can also add thyme and parsley. Some recipes call for 1-4 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar, this will help pull the nutrients out of the bones. Don’t worry too much about the ingredient amounts, this is a recipe that you can’t really mess up. After it has simmered for most of the day, let it cool slightly, skim off the fat, and strain out the bones/vegetables and your broth/stock is ready!
How to store
Use broth within a few days of making or freeze for later use. If I have a lot of chicken backs I will fill a large stock pot to the top and make 1-2 gallons at a time. I like to freeze in wide mouth pint or pint and half mason jars. You can buy plastic twist on lids or use the rings and metal lids the jars come with. Just make sure you only fill to the freeze line on the jars so they don’t break as the fluid expands.
Why make your own?
One of the main reasons to make your own broth is knowing what ingredients are going into it and the quality of your meat and bones. You can also control how much salt you add. Store bought broth can contain preservatives, filler proteins, artificial sweeteners, natural flavors and yeast extracts. Some bone broths have up to 500mg of sodium per cup! That is 22% of your daily allowance. Bone broth is easy to make yourself and store. Give it a try, you may never go back to store bought!
Contact us for availability of pasture raised whole chickens and chicken backs!
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