This time of year, our food menus typically contain lots of broth, gravies, etc., anything that warms us up while the temperatures drop outside. Making and keeping your own broth/stock is a good way to stay prepared and stock your pantry. You might have a tried-and-true recipe, or like to "wing" it, but the end result is what we like to call "liquid gold".
Making your own broth might sound hard or time-consuming, but honestly, it's one of the easiest kitchen tasks, and you can use ingredients that would normally be considered "scraps". The broth is forgiving, and you can use whatever ingredients you have on hand.
Not only is broth a yummy, additional ingredient to our favorite recipes, it is a nutritionally dense food that can aid in joint health, digestion, inflammation, skin health, etc. It contains collagen that will give the broth a "jelly" texture when it's cold or at room temperature. That's when you know it's good!
Below are steps that you can follow to make your own. Now remember, the recipe below is just a guideline. Once you know the basic steps, you can substitute any of the ingredients. The possibilities are endless!
INGREDIENTS:
bones (beef, pork, chicken, etc.)
water
veggies (celery, onions, carrots, peppers, etc.)
aromatics (bay leaf, rosemary, thyme, oregano, etc.)
salt
pepper
STEPS:
Decide on what cooking vessel you plan to use. I prefer a large crockpot because you can start a batch in the morning, and then the broth is ready for you in the evening. However, you can also use a large stockpot.
Load your ingredients. There's no specific way! I usually start by adding my bones to the crock. Honestly, I use whatever I have on hand. It could be soup bones, oxtail, short ribs, leftover roast, and steak bones, you take your pick. Then I add my veggies, aromatics, and seasonings. Remember that what you add to the broth will add to the flavor when it's finished. I typically use carrots, celery, and onions because that's what I have on hand.
When your crock is loaded, add water until the bones and veggies are covered, or you run out of room!
Set the crockpot on low and cook for at least 8 hours. If you choose, you could cook for up to 24 hours. If you are using a stockpot on the stove, bring the mixture to a simmer and let simmer for 2-3 hours.
When cooking is finished, let the mixture cool a bit before straining. You don't want to burn yourself. When cooled, you will separate the solids from the liquids. I like to use a slotted spoon to scoop out the larger items, and a fine mesh strainer to filter out the smaller pieces.
Once strained, you have two options if you don't want to use the broth right away. You could preserve the broth, or you could refrigerate the broth, let the fat solidify, and then preserve it. Honestly, this is your preference. Some people like to have the extra fat in their broth, and others don't. I choose to refrigerate. When you do that step, the fat will solidify on top of the broth "jello". This makes it easy to separate. You can just pick the fat right off the top. If you enjoy canning, you can pressure can the broth, or you can freeze the broth in quart-sized freezer bags. Again, this step is customizable, and you choose the method that works best for you.
Overall, bone broth is one of the easiest pantry staples to make yourself. Happy broth-making!
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