How To Make Bone Broth

Bone broth is a savory and rich drink that is packed with natural collagen and nutrients. It is made with animal bones and vegetables that are simmered in water. A simple immune boosting recipe.

Don’t be fooled by my get up as this bone broth recipe is a must have from my kitchen. The witch attire is purely for theatrical effect since its halloween but we make this recipe at home every week all through the year. Also, buying a good bone broth is not cheap. We spend a lot of money at health stores or grocery stores buying these broths which may or may not be filled with the right ingredients. Hence homemade in this case is untouched.

Bone broth is something that I have had as a child under the term”soup” when I was younger. My grandfather would make it with alphabet pasta and tell me its soup. I had to made a cup of soup before dinner and this was an everyday affair. As I grew up and grew away from him I realized what he was calling “soup” was bone broth. And I wouldn’t have had it as a kid if he said bone broth.

What is the difference between Bone Broth, Stock or Soup?

Bone broth is usually rich and collagen dense in nutrition. Once it is chilled it usually forms into a jelly due to the high gelatin content in the soup because of the bones. The broth would be simmered for a very long period of time to extract the collagen from the bones.

Stock would be cooked for a shorter amount of time and a little diluted. Some stocks are made richer than others which brings me to the point of mentioning, the way a broth or stock is cooked is based on its use. Some bones are roasted while others aren’t as well and this could be for both the broth and the stock but it depends on what the use is.

Through the past years we (my family and I) have gotten into the routine of having homemade bone broth consistently. During covid I was making sure we all drank it every day. The basic bone broth to make includes bones of animals (I use chicken), vegetables such as onions, celery, leek and carrots. Then you could add more flavor with the additions of turmeric powder, ginger, pepper corns, bay leaves and parsley.

How to make Bone Broth?

Many recipes ask to blanch the bones in hot water for 10-15 mins before making the broth. This removes any impurities. I you are using feet or beef bones then you could do this step. I personally don’t do it since I skim the top of the stock as it comes to a boil. That’s the impurities that rise to the surface which we discard. Many recipes also suggest roasting the ingredients before boiling. I fry them (without any fat) the stock pot itself before adding the cold water into it. This adds a ton of flavor, color and also helps the process for the cooking.

The recipe starts with chicken bones, onions, carrots, leeks, celery and some aromatic ingredients such as turmeric, ginger, peppercorns, bay leaves and parsley. I like to cut the veggies in roughly similar sizes to ensure they soften and cook down together. Add all the ingredients in a large cooking pot/stock pot, fill it with water and bring to a boil. As it starts bubbling you will see the top has a foam like substance, skim the top with a ladle and throw it out. This will happen for a few minutes in the initial boiling stages. Once that is done and there is no foam rising to the top, reduce the heat and let it simmer on low heat ideally for 12 hours on the stove. You can do this in the pressure cooker for 4-5 hours.

What bones can you use to make Bone Broth?

The easiest recipe is with raw chicken bones. I also use chicken feet sometimes and the flavor/richness is net level! You can use beef bones or mutton bones. Ideally joints are the best as they have higher amounts of minerals/vitamins/fat. Thighs, legs, wings, knuckles, marrow bones (I personally LOVE this) and feet as mentioned are good options. If making the stock with pork, the same rule applies.

What are some of the benefits of drinking Bone Broth?

Bone broth has been suggested to aid many health issues and assist with better living. Why is this the case? As bone broth is made from wholesome ingredients it is nutrient dense in many aspects. It is high in naturally occurring collagen due the the animal bones. It has been known to help with joints and bone structure – including but not limited to cartilage wellbeing. It helps with the health of skin, hair and nails due to the intense collagen in it. Many studies state it is beneficial for digestion and also helps with your sleep cycle.

How long can you store Bone Broth?

Once the broth is done, let it cool completely. Transfer to air tight containers and store int he fridge for 4-6 days while in the freezer for up to 6 months. I like to freeze them in ice cube trays – once frozen transfer to a zip lock bag and use in soups, stocks, sauces bakes etc as needed.

Tips to making a good Bone Broth at home-

If one stock pot is too small, use two.
If using feet or beef bones here, blanching them over the stove or roasting them in an oven is essential to ensure the impurities are removed which helps in the overall flavor and taste.
Let the broth simmer away for atlas 10-12 hours on low heat. This will ensure it is rich and collagen dense.
Add salt only once it is done and taken off the heat. We do not season before hand.
Let it cool completely before storing.

Looking for more halloween inspired recipes?

Check out the Black Forest brownies, Jack O’lantern cookies, Devils food cake. While here are some drink recipes, Wake the dead shot, Bloody mary, Poison apple martini, and Smoky green goblin. Now that we have covered how to make this Bone Broth, you can have a look at the recipe video on my socials but let’s get to it.

If you try this recipe out, don’t forget to share it with me on instagram so I can see how it turned out. I’d love nothing more than to chat with you on your cooking/baking.

How to make Bone broth

Bone broth is a savory and rich drink that is packed with natural collagen and nutrients. It is made with animal bones and vegetables that are simmered in water. A simple immune boosting recipe.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 12

Course Breakfast, Brunch, Drinks, Post Workout, Soup

Cuisine Chinese, French

Servings 2 liters

Equipment

Stock pot
Collander/spider strainer
Containers

Ingredients

2 kg Bones Raw chicken bones
2 Carrots
2 Onions
3 Celery stalks
1 Leek
2 inch piece Ginger
2 tsp Turmeric
8 Peppercorns
6-8 stalks Parsley
2 Bay leaves
10-12 cups Water

Instructions

The recipe starts with chicken bones in a stock pot on high heat. Fry until there is a little golden color.
Add the onions, carrots, leeks, celery and some aromatic ingredients such as turmeric, ginger, peppercorns, bay leaves and parsley and fry with the bones until colored.
Once everything is colored fill the stock pot with water (you may need more water - ensure the water fills the stockpot until the top) and bring to a boil. As it starts bubbling you will see the top has a foam like substance, skim the top with a ladle and throw it out. This will happen for a few minutes in the initial boiling stages.
Once that is done and there is no foam rising to the top, reduce the heat and let it simmer on low heat ideally for 12 hours on the stove. You can do this in the pressure cooker for 4-5 hours.
As the broth is done, let it cool completely. Transfer to air tight containers and store int he fridge for 4-6 days while in the freezer for up to 6 months. I like to freeze them in ice cube trays - once frozen transfer to a zip lock bag and use in soups, stocks, sauces bakes etc as needed.
The best way to consume bone broth is to add a little salt, lemon juice and sip on it hot.

Notes

Skimming the top of the bone broth is known as “depouillage” where we skim the stock of the additional fat and impurities.
Check the tips above to ensure you make the Best Bone Broth.

Annika Eats

Hi Ninja!

How To Make Bone Broth