bone broth – GrowIt BuildIT

Bone broth is one of those buzz words these days. One of those old school turned hipster delicacies, if you will. But, this one....seems to be worthy of taking a deeper look at. It may be more than just comfort food. You can buy mass produced bone broths these days in health food stores and many grocery stores. But, it does tend to be quite expensive...and to be honest, the one's I have tried did not taste good... much to my disappointment. During my first pregnancy I had bought some bone broth, wanting to take advantage of the nutritional benefits. So, I was quite surprised when I could not get myself to drink the 'store bought' bone broth without adding a good amount of seasoning. But - I am happy to share the bone broth I made myself is very tasty and makes a great comfort drink...perfect for an evening drink to warm up on a cold, winter's night. I hope you give it a try and make a batch for yourself! Let me know how yours turns out! Let's get started! How to Make Bone Broth What you need: To find items I use to make my slow cooker bone broth, visit our RECOMMENDED PRODUCTS PAGE. slow cooker whole chicken ( I recommend getting the best quality you are willing to pay for...organic, no hormones, antibiotics, etc. The reason being you are cooking the bones to allow them to release everything they have...and that can mean both good and bad things...so I do not recommend skimping on quality in this case.) onion, celery, carrots water 1 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar (This helps to release the minerals from the bones.) strainer ice cube tray To begin... Start with a fresh or thawed chicken. Remove from packaging, remove giblet bag, rinse chicken and put in slow cooker. 2. Add onion, carrot, and celery. There is no specific amount needed, I just add as much as I have room for. I cut them into larger chunks, no need to chop them up too small. 3. Add water to cover the chicken. 4. Cover and cook on high for 3-4 hours. Some will say you can cook on low for 3-4 hours. I tend to err on the side of overcooking meat when using a slow cooker. I recommend using a meat thermometer and making sure your chicken is thoroughly cooked before removing the meat from the bones. The internal temperature should be at least 165 degrees. 5. Carefully remove the chicken from the slow cooker. You may want to use gloves or carefully scoop it up using some large kitchen utensils and place in a large bowl or pan. 6. Allow the chicken to cool enough that you can remove the meat from the bones. You can use this meat for some meal prepping for the week ahead and/or freeze for later use. 7. Return all the skin, bones, & bits back to the slow cooker & add 1 Tbsp. of apple cider vinegar. 8. Cook on low for 6-12 hours or until the bones easily break. The longer, the better. I've even read that breaking open the bones helps release more of the 'good stuff', but no need to worry about that as a beginner. Get the basics down and enjoy it! 9. Use a strainer to remove all the bits, bones, & veggies. Personally, I save those chunks of veggies. Either use them fresh in another recipe or freeze them and add them to soups, especially when you are making soups from store bought broths. Those veggies are loaded with yummy flavor and some of that great bone broth! 10. Store broth that you will use within the next few days in the refrigerator. 11. Freeze the remaining broth in ice cube trays then move to a large freezer bag to store. 12. You can then pull out the cubes as you wish to use them either in recipes, or just to heat up and drink, which is what I prefer. Throw a few cubes in a mug and heat up in the microwave and enjoy a rich, warm broth. Perfect for an evening night cap on a cold day! Subscribe to get new content sent to your inbox: Email address: Leave this field empty if you're human: Don't forget to PIN IT to save this recipe for later: If you are interested in bone broth, you may also want to check out my easy how-to on making fermented sauerkraut, another great food for gut health. And, follow us on Pinterest & Instagram. https://growitbuildit.com/how-to-make-fermented-sauerkraut/ Check out our NATIVE PLANT PROFILES, INVASIVE PLANT PROFILES, & gardening tips. JOIN US ON on YOUTUBE . Thanks for reading! Let me know how you make out with your first try at bone broth!