It’s Broth Making Time

Hello my friends. I hope you are well and enjoying this beautiful and bountiful Fall season as much as I am. Fall is undoubtedly my second favorite season mainly because of the  vibrancy in color of falling leaves, the cool and crisp air, the smell of wood burning in fireplaces and of course; it’s broth making time in my household! Wahoooooo!!!!

In addition to creating favorable soups, stews and ramen, I generally use bone broth when making rice, certain pasta dishes or  have a cup when I am feeling poorly or in between meals. It is a perfect remedy to warming you on a brisk, winter day. I typically make three batches; beef, chicken and vegetable over a week’s time due to the long cooking times required and I freeze my broths.

I am including basic recipes for the bone broths, I make each year. The only variations I am making is using grass feed chicken and beef bones I purchased from a local farmer instead of store brought for nutritional purposes… However, you can use whatever you have on hand.

Beefy Bone Broth:

5 pounds of beef knuckle and short rib bones (will a small amount of meat still attached)
4 quarts of water
3 carrots cut into large chucks*
3 celery stalks cut into large chunks*
1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns
3 small onions (halved)*
1/2 cup of apple cider vinegar
2 bay leaves
1 medium sized leek, trimmed and cut into chunks*
1 head garlic (halved)*

*leave the vegetable peelings attached to add additional nutrients

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Place the bones in a large pot of cold water; add the apple cider vinegar and bring the bones to a boil and continue cooking for 15 minutes. Then drain, the bones and pat them dry. Place the bones on a large roasting pan and place them in the oven for about 1 hour. Make sure they are browned well before removing. Remove the bones from the pan an place them in a large stock pot along with your veggies  Add your reserved water making sure the bones and broth are completely submerged. Add your seasonings and bay leaves. Bring to a boil and scum off any residue that emerges at the top.

Bring to a low simmer and cover. I generally cook my stock over 24-36 hours depending on the bones sizes and flavor intensity I am looking for. During the cooking process, I continue to skim off extra fat and scum floating at the top.

After the cooking process is complete, I slowly and carefully strain the mixture through a large piece of cheesecloth, into a container which has been submerged in a bed of ice (in the kitchen sink). The idea is to cool the broth down rapidly. I then pour the broth into individual containers (I use recycled take out plastic soup containers), label, date and freeze them.

Chicken Bone Broth

4 pounds of chicken bones (backs, necks, feet)
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon black peppercorns
1 teaspoon sea salt
2 large onions (quartered)*
3 carrots chopped into large chunks*
3 celery stalks cut into large chunks*
1 garlic head (halved)*
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
6 quarts of water
3 sprigs each (fresh thyme, parsley) – optional

*leave the vegetable peelings attached to add additional nutrients

Place the bones, vegetables, seasonings, vinegar and water in a large stock pot. Bring to simmer, cover and cook 24-36 hours skimming fat and residue from the top occasionally.

After the cooking process is complete, I slowly and carefully strain the mixture through a large piece of cheesecloth, into a container which has been submerged in a bed of ice (in the kitchen sink). The idea is to cool the broth down rapidly. I then pour the broth into individual containers (I use recycled take out plastic soup containers), label, date and freeze them.

I highly suggest you try making your own bone broths. It takes a bit of time to make them, but you will not regret it. Take care!