Bone broth is magic! Not only does it have a ton of protein and vitamins, it has a wealth of collagen!! (for the skin, hair and nails ladies!) PLUS you get to save kitchen scraps to make your amazing bone broth which is kinda like recycling, right?
What I like to do is get a gallon freezer back and just start filling it up over time. The things that should go in that bag are:
BONES
any bones will do!
Chicken bones
Every week or so we get a pre-cooked rotisserie chicken, pull the meat off and put the bones and carcass in a ziploc. Or maybe you like to make bone-in chicken? Just save your bones and put them in the bag!
*Chicken feet also add great collagen to your broth, throw them in!
Beef bones
(you can get bones for stock at the butcher, just roast them on a pan for 45 mins at 400 degrees)
Or did you order a bone-in rib eye/ribs at a restaurant? Take your bones home.
Pork Bones
We like to get bone-in pork chops, we just save the scraps after dinner!
VEGGIE SCRAPS
These are the veggie scraps you want to save when you are cooking your other meals.
-carrots (shavings and ends)
-any onions (skins & ends)
-celery (trimmings and ends)
-any herbs
other veggies may make your broth bitter, I.e. peppers, tomatoes etc, so I don't save them for bone broth.
Additional add ins:
Black peppercorns
Star Anise
Trader Joes All Purpose Seasoning
Directions
Once you have 1 or 2 freezer gallon bags full, fill your crockpot with the bones and trimmings. If you have veggies that are starting to go bad in the fridge, onions, celery or carrots, roughly chop those up and throw them in.
If you have herbs starting to go, throw those in too!
Fill up your crockpot with cool water so that it covers all of the bones and scraps by an inch or so. Put a dash of Apple Cider Vinegar in with the water and let everything sit for 30 minutes or so. The ACV is supposed to help the minerals leach out of the bones.
Put the lid on the crock pot, set to low and let it go for 24-30 hours! (It doesn't hurt it to go for too long, just watch the water line and if you notice the water is evaporating a lot after 24 hours, you can be done)
Your whole house will smell like broth while this process is going. Sometimes I like to put the crockpot near where I can open a window because it can get intense!
Now you're ready to strain your broth! Use your favorite straining method, I use a wire strainer over a bowl and spoon the broth and bones/trimmings out that way. Then I use a gravy fat skimming measuring cup like this to pour the broth into. I then transfer into old spaghetti jars or mason jars for storage. Don't fill all the way to the top, especially if you plan to freeze. I've shattered a few bone broth jars in the freezer in my day!
Let the broth cool in the jars, then put into the fridge or freezer. It'll stay 5-6 days in the fridge or months in the freezer. When your broth is cooled in the fridge, the good batches will be almost like Jello! Thick and wobbly :) That's all of the collagen that made it out of the bones into your broth!
This stuff is GOLD as a base in soups, cooking rice, sauces, sautéing veggies or just warmed up in a mug with fresh squeezed lemon, hot sauce and some added salt!
Enjoy!