Making your own bone broth is a simple way to stretch your grocery dollars and still enjoy a nutrient dense food in all your recipes.
"The best part about making anything homemade is that you can control what goes into it."
I started making broth as a way to save money on our groceries. Plus I'm a little crazy when it comes to not wasting food. I liked the idea of using every part to get my money's worth. It wasn't until later that I read about the great nutritional benefits of making your own broth. It can be an excellent source of calcium, can boost your immune system, and supports healthy skin and joints through collagen.
Here's how I do it: I save my used bones in the freezer until I'm ready to use them. You can use any type of bone, but I do keep them seperated and make different kinds of broth-chicken, ham, beef. When I cut carrots, celery, potatoes, or any vegetable, I put the scraps in the freezer to use too. This makes the broth more flavorful and stretches your grocery dollars a little too.
Many people think of homemade broth as being a complicated thing, but it really isn't! Like all my cooking, I take a simple approach and mostly use the Instantpot or crock pot. This is a super easy way to set your broth and then go on about your day. Just throw all the ingredients in and forget it. You will find many different opinions about what your broth needs to look like, but rest assured even if it doesn't look right, its still flavorful and nutritious. The best part about making anything homemade is that you can control the ingredients. So, if you need a low sodium option, you've got it. If you like the flavor of a certain spice, you can add as much as you want. You can use any type of bones too, chicken, beef, ham, whatever you have. You can make it with a ton of vegetables or just water. It's all up to you!
I like to store mine in the souper cube molds, but if you don't have them, even ice cube trays will work. If you haven't tried these, check out the link below because they are great! They are a great way to store freeze, then store at just the perfect portion size. You can also pressure can your bone broth to make it shelf stable.
Ingredients:
Roasted or Cooked Bones
Vegetables or Vegetable Scraps
Water to Cover
Salt, Pepper, and any other Herbs such as Garlic, Thyme, or Oregano
2 Tablespoons of Apple Cider Vinegar
Directions:
Put bones and all other ingredients in pot and cover with water just about an inch above the bones.
If you are cooking in an instantpot, cook for 3-4 hours. If you are cooking on the stovetop or crockpot, just cook on low for at least 8 hours or until bones are brittle and easily broken.
Strain, let cool, and put in containers to freeze.
Or use within a few days in soups, casseroles, and side dishes.
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