How to Make Bone Broth

Wellness Mama 134 Comments

If you aren’t already making bone broth regularly, I’d encourage you to start today! It is an incredibly healthy and very inexpensive addition to any diet and the homemade versions beat store bought broth in both taste and nutrition (by a lot).

This is the one nutrient rich food that anyone can afford to add!

What is Broth?

Broth (or technically, stock) is a mineral rich infusion made by boiling bones of healthy animals with vegetables, herbs and spices. You’ll find a large stock pot of broth/stock simmering in the kitchen of almost every 5-star restaurant for its great culinary uses and unparalleled flavor, but it is also a powerful health tonic that you can add to your family’s diet.

Broth is a traditional food that your grandmother likely made often (and if not, your great grandmother definitely did). Many societies around the world still consume broth regularly as it is a cheap and highly nutrient dense food.

Besides it’s amazing taste and culinary uses, broth is an excellent source of minerals and is known to boost the immune system (chicken soup when you are sick anyone?) and improve digestion. Its high calcium, magnesium and phosphorus content make it great for bone and tooth health. Bone broth also supports joints, hair, skin and nails due to its high collagen content. In fact, some even suggest that it helps eliminate cellulite as it supports smooth connective tissue.

It can be made from the bones of beef, bison, lamb, poultry or fish and vegetables and spices are often added.

Why Broth?

Anyone who has read Gut and Psychology Syndrome knows the many benefits of bone broth and how it can improve digestion, allergies, immune health, brain health and much more.

What isn’t as well know is that broth can help reduce cellulite by improving connective tissue, increase hair growth/strength, improve digestive issues and remineralize teeth.

Broth is also helpful to have on hand when anyone in the family gets sick as it can be a soothing and immune boosting drink during illness, even if the person doesn’t feel like eating.

Broth is very high in the amino acids proline and glycine which are vital for healthy connective tissue (ligaments, joints, around organs, etc). The Paleo Mom has a great explanation of the importance of these two amino acids:

“In addition, glycine is required for synthesis of DNA, RNA and many proteins in the body. As such, it plays extensive roles in digestive health, proper functioning of the nervous system and in wound healing. Glycine aids digestion by helping to regulate the synthesis and of bile salts and secretion of gastric acid. It is involved in detoxification and is required for production of glutathione, an important antioxidant. Glycine helps regulate blood sugar levels by controlling gluconeogenesis (the manufacture of glucose from proteins in the liver). Glycine also enhances muscle repair/growth by increasing levels of creatine and regulating Human Growth Hormone secretion from the pituitary gland. This wonderful amino acid is also critical for healthy functioning of the central nervous system. In the brain, it inhibits excitatory neurotransmitters, thus producing a calming effect. Glycine is also converted into the neurotransmitter serine, which promotes mental alertness, improves memory, boosts mood, and reduces stress.

Proline has an additional role in reversing atherosclerotic deposits. It enables the blood vessel walls to release cholesterol buildups into your blood stream, decreasing the size of potential blockages in your heart and the surrounding blood vessels. Proline also helps your body break down proteins for use in creating new, healthy muscle cells.”

What Kind of Broth?

Homemade, nutrient dense bone broth is incredibly easy and inexpensive to make. There is no comparison to the store-bought versions which often contain MSG or other chemicals and which lack gelatin and some of the other health-boosting properties of homemade broth.

In selecting the bones for broth, look for high quality bones from grass fed cattle or bison, pastured poultry or wild caught fish. Since you’ll be extracting the minerals and drinking them in concentrated form, you want to make sure that the animal was as healthy as possible.

There are several places to find good bones for stock:

Save leftovers from when you roast a chicken, duck, turkey or goose (pastured)
From a local butcher, especially one who butchers the whole animal
From local farmers who raise grassfed animals (ask around at your local Farmer’s Market)
Online from companies like US Wellness Meats (also where I get grass fed Tallow in bulk- they sell pre-made high quality broth) or Tropical Traditions (I order high quality beef, bison, lamb and chicken bones from them at good prices)

This recipe for broth is my favorite and is an adaption of the recipe in Nourishing Traditions.

How to Make Bone Broth:

What you need:

2 pounds (or more) of bones from a healthy source
2 chicken feet for extra gelatin (optional)
1 onion
2 carrots
2 stalks of celery
2 tablespoons Apple Cider Vinegar
Optional: 1 bunch of parsley, 1 tablespoon or more of sea salt, 1 teaspoon peppercorns, additional herbs or spices to taste. I also add 2 cloves of garlic for the last 30 minutes of cooking.

You’ll also need a large stock pot to cook the broth in and a strainer to remove the pieces when it is done.

What to do:

The first step in preparing to make broth is to gather high quality bones. As I said, you can find them from sources listed above or save them when you cook. Since we roast chicken at least once a week, I save the carcass for making broth/stock.

I usually aim for 2 pounds of bones per gallon of water I’m using to make broth. This usually works out to 2-3 full chicken carcasses. If possible I’ll also add 2 chicken feet per gallon of water (completely optional!).

You’ll also need some organic vegetables for flavor. These are actually optional but add extra flavor and nutrition. Typically, I add (per gallon of water and 2 pounds of bones):

1 onion
2 large carrots (if from an organic source, you can rough chop and don’t need to peel)
2 celery stalks, rough chopped

I also add, per batch, a bunch of parsley from the garden. Since I make in bulk, I usually use about 4 times the amount of each of these. You can make in any amount, just multiply or divide the recipe up or down.

If you are using raw bones, especially beef bones, it improves flavor to roast them in the oven first. I place them in a roasting pan and roast for 30 minutes at 350.

Then, place the bones in a large stock pot (I use a 5 gallon pot). Pour (filtered) water over the bones and add the vinegar. Let sit for 20-30 minutes in the cool water. The acid helps make the nutrients in the bones more available.

Rough chop and add the vegetables (except the parsley and garlic, if using) to the pot. Add any salt, pepper, spices or herbs, if using.

Now, bring the broth to a boil. Once it has reached a vigorous boil, reduce to a simmer and simmer until done. These are the times I simmer for:

Beef broth/stock: 48 hours
Chicken or poultry broth/stock: 24 hours
Fish broth: 8 hours

During the first few hours of simmering, you’ll need to remove the impurities that float to the surface. A frothy/foamy layer will form and it can be easily scooped off with a big spoon. Throw this part away. I typically check it every 20 minutes for the first 2 hours to remove this. Grass-fed and healthy animals will produce much less of this than conventional animals.

During the last 30 minutes, add the garlic and parsley, if using.

Remove from heat and let cool slightly. Strain using a fine metal strainer to remove all the bits of bone and vegetable. When cool enough, store in a gallon size glass jar in the fridge for up to 5 days, or freeze for later use.

How to Use:

Homemade Broth/Stock can be used as the liquid in making soups, stews, gravies, sauces and reductions. It can also be used to saute or roast vegetables.

Especially in the fall and winter, we try to drink at least 1 cup per person per day as a health boost. My favorite way is to heat 8-16 ounces with a little salt and sometimes whisk in an egg until cooked (makes a soup like egg-drop soup).

In times of illness (which doesn’t happen often) we will usually just drink bone broth until we start feeling better as it supports the body but is very easy to digest so the body’s energy can go to healing. In cases of stomach bugs or vomiting, bone broth often calms the stomach very quickly and helps shorten the duration of the illness.

If you aren’t already, make bone broth a regular part of your kitchen routine. It’s health boosting, inexpensive and easy… you can’t afford not to!

Do you already make bone broth? Will you try it now? Share your tips or questions below!

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Filed Under: Beef, Poultry, Recipes, Soups and Stews Tagged With: tutorial

About Wellness Mama

Wellness Mama is a full-time housewife with a background in nutrition, journalism and communications. Her passion is helping others achieve optimal health through a “Wellness Lifestyle.” She has helped hundreds of clients lose weight, increase athletic performance, improve fertility, and overcome numerous health problems and diseases. Connect with her on Twitter, Facebook, Google+, & Pinterest.

Disclaimer: Many of the links on my site, especially those from Amazon, Mountain Rose Herbs, Tropical Traditions and OraWellness are affiliate links. Should you click on these links and decide to purchase anything, I will receive a small commission and you will have my sincere thanks for supporting Wellness Mama!

DISCLAIMER: The statements made here have not been approved by the Food and Drug Administration. These statements are not intended to diagnose, treat or cure or prevent any disease. This notice is required by the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act.

Kristin Friesen

You said you roast a chicken about once a week, but also that you make your broth in bulk… how do you store the carcasses until you have enough to make broth? I have made broth in the crockpot with a single chicken carcass but it obviously didn’t have enough gelatin because it was very runny. Your way seems much more efficient, as long as my bones wont go bad in the fridge before I get a chance to make it
http://wellnessmama.com Wellness Mama

I just freeze them… the they can go straight in to the pot… don’t even need to be defrosted.
http://www.facebook.com/jenny.pennock Jenny Pennock

How many chicken carcasses do you need to make a couple pounds? Also, this is probably a stupid question, do you only save the carcass as bare as possible? or does the carcass have fat left on it at all?
Erin

I love this site and in theory I would love to be able to make the broth…however we cannot even begin to afford organic meats to get these bones to make this amazing broth. I know you never advocate nonorganic but for those of us who have a stringent budget would it provide some of the needed nutrients???
http://www.facebook.com/jenny.pennock Jenny Pennock

I’m in the same boat. But I just called one of the butchers in town and found out they have bones for broth for $1.09/lb. And the bones are from grass-fed, hormone and antibiotic free beef. I can handle that price. I was shocked it was that inexpensive. I still can’t afford the beef but I can afford the bones at least. Maybe you could find the same situation in your town? Good luck!
Stephanie

I can’t believe you posted this today, I was searching for bone broth recipes YESTERDAY! thank you!
http://wellnessmama.com Wellness Mama

I just pick what we eat off and leave the rest. So, most of it is off, but some is one, which is fine. It usually takes 2-3 carcasses to make over 2 pounds.
http://wellnessmama.com Wellness Mama

It would, and definitely do that if you need to, but I regularly find grassfed bones here from butchers for less than $1 per pound. They can sometimes be tough to find, depending on the area, but I’d bet you can find some near you…
http://twitter.com/CarrieHomemaker 20SomethingHomemaker

Have you ever heard of “Perpetual Soup?” I read about it somewhere and made it a couple times. You basically do everything you said, except place everything in the crock pot on high for an entire week. After 24 hours you can start to use the broth, and it was suggested to use 1/2 the broth a day (then replenishing with water) so it doesn’t taste burnt or too watery. I was concerned about having fats heated for that long a period of time, but I haven’t been able to find any good info telling me it was dangerous. Do you have any thoughts on this?
http://wellnessmama.com Wellness Mama

I actually do something similar sometimes too… if we’re eating a lot of broth, I’ll just keep it on perpetual simmer on the stove and replenish the water as we go. As long as it isn’t at a constant boil, the fats shouldn’t be affected and you will get a really high concentration of minerals this way…
Anne

This may seem silly but is it safe to leave the stove on overnight? Kind of freaks me out. =)
Vanessa

I make mine in a pressure cooker. It takes about an hour, and the chicken bones are basically disintegrated after that.
Jennifer

I use the pressure cooker also. It takes less time and I haven’t had a bad batch yet.
http://www.hippressurecooking.com/2011/02/pressure-cooked-chicken-broth-beginner.html This is a great site for those who might want to give it a try.
Karin

Great post. You might address someone on the GAPS diet, who is trying to heal autism or some other brain issue…OCD, bipolar, dyslexia, etc. It is very important that they not use bone broth until their symptoms are gone and the gut has been sealed. The free glutamates from the bone broth can act very much like MSG…these patients need to avoid this, b/c it can trigger their condition. For this type of patient, they would continue and only use meat stocks, which are cooked for just a few hours. It can make a big difference in their healing.
Lisa

I had the same thought….not a silly question. It says to cook the beef broth for 48 hours. That’s two nights of leaving the stove on. Would cooking it in a crock pot be a safer way to cook it?
http://wellnessmama.com Wellness Mama

It worried me the first couple times too but you keep it on really low heat and I’ve nver had trouble with it…
http://wellnessmama.com Wellness Mama

You can use the crock pot too… I don’t like the flavor quite as much, but it definitely works…
Rebekah

is pastured pork not a good source for bone broth?
http://wellnessmama.com Wellness Mama

You can use it too, especially I’d it isn’t a cut like cured ham where even the bones are salty
Sharon

I keep a ziploc bag in my freezer and fill it with bits of vegetables that I might normally throw away – - – onion and garlic skins, carrot tops, peelings – - – anything except rotten stuff or things from the brassica family (no cabbage or broccoli). These bags fill up pretty fast for me. I use several gallon bags in with my bones to make the broth.
Erica

Do you simmer it covered or uncovered? I have read stock recipes that call for you to do one or the other. Thank you for posting this!
http://wellnessmama.com Wellness Mama

Usually loosely covered…
Rebecca

I just made this recipe. Thank you so much for posting. I had to cut the recipe in half because I only had 1 chicken available that I had roasted. The broth is in the refrigerator but it is still liquid. Isn’t it supposed to gel?
http://wellnessmama.com Wellness Mama

It is supposed to gel… How long did it boil? It could just be that there weren’t enough bones or that it didn’t boil long enough… Did you use chicken feet too? Those usually thicken it up a lot
Beth

my family and I are Americans but we currently live in Bolivia,SA! They sale the cow bones in the grocery store in the meat department here. I always wondered why I would buy that now I know! I just figured it was to make the soups they cooked here taste good. I’ll definitely be sharing with all of my Bolivian friends all the benefits of bone broth and be buying some myself! thanks for sharing
http://www.facebook.com/barbara.checkethanks Barbara Checket-Hanks

Thanks for asking (and for the reply)! I’ve got about 5# of roasted Berkshire bones in the freezer.
Tammy Thompson

Can I “can’ this?
Also, could I do this overnight in a crockpot?
Thanks
Kelley

Where do you buy chicken feet??
http://wellnessmama.com Wellness Mama

Definitely… great way to store it. Just follow the instructions with your canner for canning meat products…
http://wellnessmama.com Wellness Mama

I have a local farmer here. I’d definitely only buy these from a trusted source, but call around. There isn’t usually a huge demand for them so some farmers or butchers will virtually give them to you.
Rebecca

Thanks for your help. It boiled for 24 hours. No chicken feet though, so I guess I will try that and more bones next time. I had no idea you could make stock from already cooked bones – this is such a money saver!
http://www.facebook.com/lisafarmplayer Lisa Marie

I always have put my garlic in the beginning of making broth. is this not okay? I do use the parsely toward the end of the process
http://wellnessmama.com Wellness Mama

You can add earlier, my Italian husband just doesn’t like the taste of overlooked garlic so I add then to keep the flavor or him
Silvia

Try your local ethnic markets. I can find them here in Phoenix at an Asian supermarket and a small Hispanic market.
Silvia

I make a big stock pot so my much smaller crock pot wouldn’t work. Just keep the heat down low and check to see if you need to add more filtered water before bed to keep the bones covered as the water does evaporate.
Silvia

I will say that roasting beef bones in the oven before boiling them the water greatly improves the flavor. I’ve tried making broth with raw beef bones and it just doesn’t taste as good. Taste is important if you have finicky family members like I do.
Myndie

Is the broth supposed to be oily? I used beef bones from our local farmer and it’s been sitting the crockpot for about 24 hours at the time I am posting this comment. My husband wanted to taste it and as I was straining, I noticed how oily it was…just curious.
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http://wellnessmama.com Wellness Mama

It will have natural oils and fats in it. When it cools, this will form a protective layer on top of it that seals out oxygen and helps it stay better longer. You can either strain out before using or just reheat and use with the fat still in it…
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April

I’ve been making my own broth for a few years. I make a huge batch after Thanksgiving and another after Christmas. I just throw the carcasses into the freezer until life is a little calmer after each holiday. I can mine. It is extremely easy. I blogged the instructions http://www.ourfoodstorage.com/2009/11/09/make-and-canfreeze-your-own-turkey-broth/

For a while I was making gelatin tea to get health benefits. Have you tried that? I was actually mixing it with the natural calm for additional magnesium (and the added flavor didn’t hurt).

We are a family of 8. I make about 60 pints of chicken broth a year and 20 of beef, which doesn’t cover what I need for cooking. I can’t imagine what I would need if I fed each of us a cup a day. Certainly a delicious addition to the day, but I would need a lot of bones. One thing I do to get those nutrients in our diets is cook with bone in meats instead of boneless whenever possible, especially in the crock pot. How much broth do you make in a year?
Eupatorium

Thanks for this great post. I have been making broth for years, since reading “Nourishing Traditions.” I use
Eupatorium

Thanks for this great post. I have been making broth for years, since reading “Nourishing Traditions.” I use citric acid by squeezing a lemon and a crock pot on low for a couple of days (poultry only). I unplug it at night–the acid continues to leach minerals from the bones. I find that if I boil a whole chicken for just a couple of hours, I get broth that gels readily in the fridge, but if I remove the meat and simmer the bones for another day or two, the broth stays thin in the fridge. This is how it usually is when I use just bones w/necks and meat attached. I often use chicken feet. Am I cooking it too long and somehow destroying the gelatin?
Tweedyknows

My nearly 4 year old twins are not fans of drinking broth–we have usually added beans or grains to broth to encourage them to consume. Any better suggestions (grain or bean free?) thanks! sheila
http://wellnessmama.com Wellness Mama

What about pureeing sweet potato in it or roasted butternut squash… my kids love “orange soup”
Katie

I just learned this yesterday:

“Whatever form of gelatin is used, it should never be cooked or
reheated in the microwave. According to a letter published in The
Lancet, the common practice of microwaving converts l-proline to
d-proline. They write,”The conversion of trans to cis forms could be hazardous because when cis-amino acids are incorporated into peptides and proteins instead of their trans isomers, this can lead to structural, functional and
immunological changes.” They further note that “d-proline is neurotoxic
and we have reported nephrotoxic and heptatotoxic effects of this
compound.”55 In other words, the gelatin in homemade broth confers
wonderous benefits, but if you heat it in the microwave, it becomes
toxic to the liver, kidneys and nervous system.”

I’m glad I found out because I was reheating my healthy homemade bone broth in a mug in the microwave!! UGH Hope this saves someone else from making the same mistake. Here is the article, very thorough explanation regarding bone broths……

http://www.westonaprice.org/food-features/why-broth-is-beautiful
http://www.facebook.com/cortney.thomas Cortney Matthews

I am getting ready to try this and was curious if you can only use the bones you mentioned or if you can also use venison bones or any other game animals? (my husband is a hunter so we usually have alot of those)
http://wellnessmama.com Wellness Mama

Bones from wild game are great too.
Elitza

Is 24 hours for chicken bones the minimum to cook? I just received my organic chicken bones (yaaayy!!) and Im just waiting for them to defrost. I’m a bit worried that my dad might dislike the idea of having the stove on all night, which is why Im asking why it takes 24 hours. I hope to be able to justify my actions in a logical manner. Thanks for helping me with this!!!
http://wellnessmama.com Wellness Mama

YOu can do it in 8-12 but will have more minerals if you let it go longer…
Elitza

Oufff, I live in a house full of paranoid people, unfortunately. I boiled everything and it’s been simmering for about an hour, my dad is telling me that as soon as he leaves he will turn it off (in about 30 mins). I can’t stay home either, and Im almost convinced that I just ruined and wasted my precious bone broth. My question is: if I am to take it off the stove after an hour, can I resume cooking it tomorrow? This is my only hope for now.

Thanks so much!
http://wellnessmama.com Wellness Mama

It will be fine as long as you completely boil it when you start to make sure no bacteria is growing in it.
Cheri

I tried my first attempt at making bone broth. I kept it on simmer but kept loosig my liquid and kept having to add more water. Is this expected? Should I keep adding water? How much water should be in the pot for the best flavor/vitamin content? unfortunately after 2nd night I woke up and all the water evaporated. I don’t understand why I added water AGAIN before going to bed. I assumed since all water was gone it was longer good. Was it? Thanks for help.
http://wellnessmama.com Wellness Mama

Make sure to add water if needed and keep it on low… It is normal for some of the water to evaporate
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Mandy

My broth turned out dark brown as opposed to a lighter version that I usually buy. Is this normal? Should I dilute it before using? I cooked it about 30 hrs on low.
Mandy

Could I have over cooked it?
http://wellnessmama.com Wellness Mama

It is just more concentrated. You can use as is,or dilute, or freeze in ice cube trays and use in a ratio of 1 cube per cup of water for broth.
angela

Help…now I am wondering if the broth I’ve been making all this time has all the benefits you mentioned above. I just use the whole pastured, organic chicken. Everything else I add is the same. But I don’t use bones that are leftover from something we’ve eaten or roasted. Does using the whole, uncooked chicken provide the same benefits? What’s the difference b/n using a whole, uncooked chicken versus just the bones. Thanks! I make my broth about every two weeks and I hope I am getting all the benefits you listed!
http://wellnessmama.com Wellness Mama

It will still have the benefits. It may not have as concentrated minerals and gelatin, but will still be beneficial.
Emily

Hello,

I bought 2 lbs of beef soup bones at my local farmers market and want to make broth in the crock pot. Will this work? I plan on roasting the bones in the oven for 30 min, Placing them in the crock pot with cold H20, vinegar, and veggies for another 30 minutes, and then bringing to a boil. After it boils, do I let it simmer for 48 hours? Just want to make sure I’m not missing any crucial steps. Thanks!
http://wellnessmama.com Wellness Mama

That should work… just keep an eye on the water level to make sure it is covering the bones…
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Carley

I am making my first chicken bone broth. I have been cooking the bones for almost 24 hours and just realized I forgot to add vinegar first. Is it too late to add it?
Hannah

I’ve made the chicken stock multiple times, but I’m making my beef broth right now! I got grass-fed beef bones from our local farm for $1.99/pound and I’m using it to make beef stew – yum.
Agnese

can you relay get the same intensity from 1 hour pressure cooker vs 24h simmering?
http://www.facebook.com/fajah.shamsiddeen Fajah Shamsid-Deen

I started doing this for a veggie broth. I cook with fresh vegetables with all my meals and with the ends and peelings, I just put in a saucepan with water to cover and some fresh herbs. I simmer them for several hours then strain and store in the refrigerator. This saves me a lot when recipes require vegetable stock and I have some handy in the fridge/freezer for free. I also use the veggie stock in replacement of water when making rice. It gives the rice a more fuller taste and it is economical as well. I tried making a chicken stock but I didn’t simmer for as long as you recommended. I will definitely try again because I use chicken stock for water with my more savory dishes that require rice too. Thanks for the information – very useful and excited to try!
Deborah Showalter

If you start with 1 gallon of water, how much broth should you expect to end up with? And then when you use it, do you add more water to dilute it or drink it as is?
http://wellnessmama.com Wellness Mama

I sometimes add water if needed while it is cooking, and end up with a few quarts. These quarts are concentrated though, so usually 1 quart makes a whole pot of soup and I add more water to dilute
Deborah Showalter

Thanks!
Wilma

I use my slow cooker but the last few times I have used bison and it stunk up the house pretty good so then I tried mixing beef with bison same thing. Never had this problem with good organic beef bones. I thought the bison would be good but I guess not, I don’t think it should stink. After I have my bone broth I simmer some veggies in it for about 4 hours and it is the best. My gums are looking healthier and my teeth feel good. I have been doing this for about a month.
http://twitter.com/writing_alexis Alexis Munafo

Hi. in your post about the health benefits of gelatin you mentioned adding it to your bone broth. At what point is this done and dose it also thicken the broth?
http://wellnessmama.com Wellness Mama

Toward the end when it is cooling. I first stir the gelatin in to cool water to temper and then mix in while the broth is still warm…
http://www.facebook.com/kirsten.cleigh Kirsten Cleigh

That’s pretty much exactly how I make broth. Every time we have a leftover chicken carcass from roasting a chicken, I make stock, but I don’t simmer as long, usually about 4 hours (I just forget about it for a while). Once it’s cooled to room temperature, I put it into ziplock bags in 1 cup portions and freeze it. To thaw, I run the bag under hot water in the sink until the plastic bag pulls away from the broth ice cube, then dump the ice cube into a pot on the stove to heat it up. I use it in so many recipes.
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Liv

My mother used to do something similar… well, it was actually just a broth (meat, bone and vegetables). I was telling my husband about how good a bone broth is so he made one, or we thought so. I didn’t know it had to be simmered for 24 hrs!! We both work, if cooking with a pressure cooker, how long do we need to simmer it? Thanks, love your blog!!
Maxine

I did something similar in the crock pot the other day and it was gross tasting. I feel like I did something wrong! I simmered it with the cover on for about 20 hours. I included all of the carcass and skin from the free range chicken we had that night. I ended up throwing it away . Any suggestions?? I really want to do it in the crock pot as we have a gas range stove and I don’t like the idea of leaving it unattended.
Morneau_for_4

I also use the crockpot. When it’s finished after 24 hours, I strain it and let it set overnight in the fridge. The next day, I skim off the fat (which I save). I saute celery and carrots in butter and add my broth to the pan. I let it simmer and add a bay leaf and some ginger, and sea salt, which will give it a magnificent flavor.
disqus_TiU5h6g7ae

Hi Wellness Mama, my beef bone broth always gets very oily. Is that normal and healthy? Thank you.
http://wellnessmama.com Wellness Mama

Yes, though you can strain it with a cheesecloth if that bothers you.
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Sarah

I love making broth!

My friends thought that I was crazy cause I was buying calves feet and chicken feet from the butcher and making broths out of them for days.

I would add water to it to keep the liquid level above the bones, but then towards the end I would concentrate it down. Then I would let it cool in the fridge and then scrape off the fat and then my reward would be to see how stiff I got it!! and then I would slice up the stiff and concentrated gelatin in cubes and freeze and then pop a cube or 2 in our daily meals for health.

*I would also JUST do calves feet for beef broths and just chicken feet for chicken broths- like 8 cow feets, and for chicken broth like 15 feet- man the chicken feet look crazy being cooked!

YEAH! TRADITIONAL HEALTH!
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Yolanda Dobler

Can you reuse the bones again after making the bone broth?
Alicia

I bought some beef marrow bones at the store yesterday. I am making vegetable soup and wanted bone broth as all or part of the base. I’m reading on your post about the bones needing to be from grassfed, healthy animals. I don’t know if the cow was grassfed (highly unlikely) nor healthy. Is it still worth the difference in nutrients to make the bone broth and use it rather than using the store-bought stuff (found some with no MSG or any of the other 15 names for MSG)?
http://wellnessmama.com Wellness Mama

It will still be better than the store bought stuff!
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http://www.facebook.com/Daniela.Hudkins Daniela Eve Hudkins

So I just had major abdominal surgery. In preparation for the surgery I cooked marrow beef soup bones in a crock pot for about 36 hours with some onion, celery, carrots, garlic, and cilantro. I added some garlic salt and cumin because it’s a favorite flavor of mine. 3 days after surgery and almost the entire 1st batch of bone broth, I am very pleased with how I feel. I haven’t had to use too much pain medication at this point and I feel I am healing very quickly. I have had at least 2 abdominal surgeries before this one and I have never recovered so quickly! I owe it to the broth. I even started a fresh batch this morning because I’ll run out by tomorrow evening. Thank you for this easy to digest and nutritious alternative. I didn’t get to roast my bones prior to cooking but they still came out very well. I’ll be sure to reheat my broth on the stove and not the microwave. (oh, and I gave all the fat solids to my dogs, who are also very thankful for the health benifits) Thank you, Thank you!
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may

Can I cook the whole chicken, and then when the meat is ready to use (ca 45 min) take out the meat and let the rest (bones and skin) simmer the rest of the day. Or is it wrong to cook meat in here together with the bones?
http://wellnessmama.com Wellness Mama

You can definitely do that too….
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Erin

You can also use a crock pot or a slow cooker if you’re worried about leaving the stove on for 24 hours… plus it’s less energy used.
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michelle

Congrats on the new babe! Had a quick question for you…I had my chicken remnants in the fridge for a week, is that still safe to use for the broth?
http://wellnessmama.com Wellness Mama

I would still use them if they smell ok since they get boiled, which should kill any bacteria…
Jozan1988

i just roasted a leg of lamb for easter can i use the bone to make broth
http://wellnessmama.com Wellness Mama

yes!
Josh

I do not have a large stock pot yet and I was wondering if there was any downside to making the broth on low in a crock pot as I have seen in some other paleo/primal recipes?
http://wellnessmama.com Wellness Mama

No downside, just can’t make as much at once…
Gene Ploss

If I cut this recipe in half would that lessen the cooking times at all? If so how much?
http://wellnessmama.com Wellness Mama

Nope… the long slow cook time helps release the nutrients…
Josh

Thank you for the reply, I ended up being fine using my 2 gal pot with two chickens and using your recipe. Should the final broth (especially after being refrigerated) be a liquid or have more of a gelatinous consistency? Mine came out as a liquid but I’ve read that others say it should be gelatinous. On a side note, we have been using your meal planner for a couple of months and it has been a nice addition to our meal preparation, thank you for all your efforts!
http://www.facebook.com/wdepp Will Depp

I think it is a waste of energy and money to simmer bone broth that long. After 3 hours virtually every nutrient that can be had is leached from bones.
Terryahh

Hello- this was a fabulous article – it occurred to me it would be great to make soups out of bone and to try to get the minerals from the bone into people- especially for my kids- searching the net i found this article which i believe was the most easy to follow and straight forward. So thank you. Also that is very interesting Katies remark- we got rid of our microwave years ago but is great to have it confirmed- i use a stove or a halogen light oven to heat things up in- they are cheap and work great.:)
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Tiffany

I only have chicken necks on hand so is it ok to just use necks for stock? I get my pasture raised chickens from my local butcher but they won’t have any chickens till june or july but they happen to have necks since no one buys them. Does it mean necks aren’t good if no one eats them…? I heard necks are usually given to pets.
http://wellnessmama.com Wellness Mama

From what I’ve read, they should work as they have bones in them…
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http://eatingrd.com/ Kristen

Can beef marrow bones also be used for broth? Would the marrow need to be taken out once it softens or should it be left in? Should they also be roasted beforehand? Thanks!
http://wellnessmama.com Wellness Mama

They can… I usually pre-roast and leave the marrow in…
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JenniferWI1977

I’m not a very good cook. How do you roast the marrow? Thank you in advance!
JenniferWI1977

Could you put a lid on it during the night so not much water evaporates?
http://wellnessmama.com Wellness Mama

Just in the oven at 350 for a while…
http://wellnessmama.com Wellness Mama

Yep..
http://www.facebook.com/erica.haverty Erica Frazier Haverty

how much gelatin do you add?
http://wellnessmama.com Wellness Mama

Depends on the size batch, but usually about 1/4 cup…
miklos

How much electricity do you consume running a crockpot for an entire week?
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