If you have never made your own bone broth before, now is the time! It is easy, but it does take some prior planning.
It simmers for 24 hours on the stove, so make sure to set aside a hour at the end of cooking to get it all bottled up!
Once you have your frozen jars, you will find endless uses for it. We use it in chili, soups, shepherd’s pie, for braising roasts, taco meat, etc.
We rarely purchase broth in the store, making your own is healthier and more economical.
Obtaining grass fed soup bones is optimal. Check with local farms who raise grass fed beef.
Save the meat from the bones and freeze it. Once you have enough, use the meat to make a Shepherd’s Pie.
Chicken or turkey bone broth can be made in a similar fashion. When I butterfly a whole chicken, I save the backbone and freeze it. Once I have a few, I make chicken bone broth. Or save your turkey carcass from Thanksgiving to make turkey broth.
Make sure to read through the entire recipe first. It may take you a few weeks to collect everything you need. For instance, I save organic vegetable scraps such as pieces of celery with the leaves, herbs, or broccoli stalks and freeze them until I am ready to make the broth.
Easy Beef Bone Broth
Equipment
- 12 Large mouth mason jars (or other containers that can be frozen)
- 1 colander (large enough to nest inside a large pot)
- 1 funnel with strainer insert (optional)
- 1 Large stainless steel pot (one able to hold 4 gallons of water is helpful)
- 1 large pot that holds the colander (optional/smaller size is fine-it's just to strain into)
- 1 Glass measuring cup with a handle (for transferring broth)
- Freezer space!
Ingredients
- 4-5 lbs. soup bones, preferably grass-fed
- 2 gallons filtered water (32 cups of water)
- saved vegetable scraps if using
- 2-3 tbsp peppercorns
- 3 carrots, scrubbed and roughly chopped
- 1 large onion, cut in chunks
- 3 bay leaves optional
- 4 smashed garlic cloves, skins removed
- 2-3 tbsp apple cider vinegar
Instructions
Beginning the Bone Broth
- Throw all ingredients into a large heavy bottom stainless steel pot. Cover with lid.
- Bring to a boil. Skim the foam off the top if necessary. Place the lid back on.
- Turn down to a low simmer for the next 24 hours. (I have never done this on an electric stove. You can also choose to use a crock-pot.)
- If you are not comfortable leaving your stove on overnight, you can cool the broth, place the pot in the refrigerator, and boil again in the morning then turn down to a simmer until desired time is reached. 24 hours is ideal, but 18 hours is adequate.
Straining the Broth
- Remove the pot from the heat, remove the lid, and cool slightly.
- Place a colander over an empty pot. Place pot in a clean sink.
- Using a glass measuring cup with a handle, carefully scoop out the broth and pour over the colander.
- Depending on the size of the second pot, you may need to stop and start bottling up the broth.
Bottling the Broth
- I use glass jars. However, if you do not have a lot of freezer space, you may opt for stack-able containers or even heavy duty zip-locks.
- This is where I use my funnel with the straining insert. Double straining is not necessary, but it does ensure you do not get any small bones or particles in your broth.
- Place your funnel in the wide mouth jar and using the measuring cup, add broth.
- Fill your glass jars only half way! Freezing obviously causes expansion. See the picture above.
- Cool the jars on the counter without the lids. Place the lids on and store in the refrigerator overnight. Then place in the freezer. Set an alarm so you don't forget to move the jars!
- This method has lessened the breakage I used to get from placing the hot jars in the freezer. Some people recommend re-opening the jars to let pressure out before placing them in the freezer.
- Throw away any vegetables from the colander. Shred any meat on the bones, freeze, and save to use in another recipe.
- I like to wait until I have around two full quart jars and make a Shepherd's Pie.
Notes
One recipe you could use your fresh bone broth in!