Bone broth is a traditional health food and culinary delight our great grandmother’s generation would have known well. It is a richly nutritious food because cooking animal bones for long periods of time, often 24 hrs. or more, leeches the minerals and amino acids stored in the bones and marrow out into the broth for you to consume, plus it’s delicious and super cheap. These nutrients support the body’s natural digestion, detoxification and rebuilding processes. Whether you’re trying to improve your immune system, athletic performance, or lose weight, bone broth is your friend. For a more in depth look at why bone broth is amazing, visit htp://nourishedkitchen.com/bone-broth/.
Below are two basic recipes for chicken and beef broth. Either one of these recipes can be cooled to a little above room temperature, frozen in ice trays, then stored in freezer bags in the freezer for up to 6 months.
Slow Cooker Chicken Broth
- 1 whole chicken, or chicken breasts and thighs with the bones
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tbsp. pepper
- 1 tbsp. salt
- 1-2 c raw vegetable scraps
- Filtered water
Instructions
Place all the ingredients in a crock pot and cover with water until the chicken is submerged. As the liquid evaporates or is used, around every 8 to 12 hours, you will need to replace it so that the chicken and bones stay mostly covered. After the first 24 hours, you can begin to remove broth or chicken as you need it. The chicken is great for salads, soups, casseroles, and stir fries, while the broth can be sipped from a mug, or used as a base for cooking vegetables, soups, and etc. Pour the broth through a strainer, sieve, or coffee filter if the little bits of meat and such floating in it bother you. After up to a week of simmering, separate the bones and broth by straining them, then throw out or compost the bones and store the broth in the refrigerator. Once you’ve washed your crock pot, you can start it all over again.
http://nourishedkitchen.com/perpetual-soup-the-easiest-bone-broth-youll-make/
Slow Cooker Beef Stock
- 5 lbs. beef soup bones
- 1-2 c raw vegetable scraps
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tbsp. salt
- 1 tbsp. pepper
- 1 tbsp. apple cider vinegar
- Filtered water
Instructions
Rinse off the bones and pat them dry, then roast them in the oven for around an hour. Add the bones and other ingredients to the crock pot, cover with water, then simmer for 24 hours. At the end of the cooking process while the broth is still hot, skim the foam off the top with a spoon. Strain the broth and pour it into mason jars or a similar glass container. As it cools, the broth will gel and the fat will rise to the top. You can scrape the fat off with a spoon if you want. When you want to reheat the broth, spoon it out of the container, and it will turn back to liquid as long as it stays hot.
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