Homemade Bone Broth Recipe

With kids back to school and life falling into somewhat of a routine, it’s the perfect time to start incorporating homemade bone broth. We make a BIG batch of this bone broth recipe every week. We use it for soup bases, cooking grains, sipping on, and even the dog gets a little bowl every day. Getting back to cooking with real, all-natural, and whole ingredients is the best way to keep our bodies healthy.

The nutrients in this bone broth recipe do wonders for your health and body as a whole. Homemade bone broth contains over 19 easily absorbable amino acids (the building blocks of protein). It’s also an incredible source of the skin and joint loving collagen/gelatin. Broth’s powerful healing properties can help prevent and control arthritis, bone loss, digestive disorders, and skin problems. The collagen, cartilage, bone, and marrow that dissolves into a nourishing broth provides our bodies with nutrients that help rebuild and restore your body.

Health Benefits

Here’s a quick rundown of the best health benefits when it comes to homemade bone broth:

• Restores gut lining
• Protects the joints
• Boosts immune system
• Maintains healthy skin
• Boosts detoxification
• Supports brain health

To see a more extensive list of bone broth benefits, check out this article.

Soaking the Bones

Before you start cooking the broth, allow the bones to soak in cold water with the apple cider vinegar. By soaking them, you allow the apple cider vinegar to pull the nutrients from the bones easier. And don’t worry – your broth will not taste vinegary from it.

Using the Whole Bird

It’s not just the bones that you want to use in your bone broth recipe. Ready for it? Chicken feet and neck. I know it’s crazy and you probably winced, but the extra gelatin is the key component to making a broth full of nutrients. A common complaint is a broth that doesn’t “gel” once cooled. To get a good gel on your stock, include the parts of the bird that have the most collagen-like the feet and the neck. Most local butchers will be able to supply you with feet and necks.

Double Dipping

You should always make two batches of this homemade bone broth recipe with the same chicken/veggies. Yep. Two! Simply strain the broth after cooking and throw the bones, vegetables, and herbs back in the crockpot. Top with water and add some more turmeric. Boom – you just got yourself a second batch. Although it may not be as rich tasting, there are still a good amount of nutrients left for a second batch.

Quality Counts

When making a bone broth recipe it’s important to use organic and/or pasture-raised animals. Remember, you are what your food eats. Organic vegetables and herbs are also your best bet. The number of chemicals sprayed onto conventional farm crops are pretty scary. Organic carrots, onions, and celery are pretty affordable organics these days. You want to make the most wholesome broth you can. Quality counts when it comes to food. If you aren’t able to use organic, make sure to peel and thoroughly wash your produce.

Homemade Bone Broth

A simple and nutrient dense bone broth that you can use for soups, grains, and sipping on.

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Prep Time: 1 hour hour

Cook Time: 1 day day

Total Time: 1 day day 1 hour hour

Course: Broth

Author: Katie Stewart Wellness

Ingredients

• 16 cups filtered water
• Whole chicken carcass or about 6 cups of bones leftover skin is great too as it contains a lot of cartilage
• 2 chicken feet if you’re up for it!
• 1 chicken neck
• 1 cup carrots roughly chopped
• 1 cup celery stalks with leaves roughly chopped
• 1 whole onion with skin quartered
• 2 garlic cloves with skin chopped in half
• 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 tsp ground turmeric
• Fresh rosemary parsley, and thyme to taste (optional)

Instructions

• Add bones + feet and neck (if using) to the crockpot. (See notes for Instant Pot instructions)
• Fill with water, making sure all the bones are covered, and add apple cider vinegar.
• Allow bones to soak for 60 mins.
• Allow to simmer on low for at least 24 hours (all the way up to 72 hours topping up with water as needed).
• Strain the broth through a fine sieve to remove the bones and other ingredients.
• Consume immediately or see below for storing tips.

Notes

Instant Pot:

Add all ingredients to Instant Pot and set to Soup/Broth for 4 hours, Normal Pressure and Natural Release.

To Store:

Let cool and store in the fridge for up to 5 days, or freeze for longer.

Fill freezer safe containers (like mason jars) ¾ of the way full and allow them to cool on the counter.

Do not over fill as the liquid expands when frozen and could crack the jars.

Place them in the fridge for about an hour to slightly drop the temperature before storing in the freezer.

Once the broth cools it usually leaves the fat on the top, this can be left or used for additional cooking. I suggest you keep the "gel" as it's full of nutrients.

If you like, label the jars with the date so you know when you’ve made them.