Bone Broth Fat--can I reuse it?

[FairyRae]

So, I put my freshly made bone broth (from grass fed beef bones) into the fridge in jars (I usually store it in a big bowl) and the fat hardened into thick solid discs on top of the jars. It reminds me of how coconut oil looks when kept cold.

Can I use it to cook w/? I'm under the impression that most traditional societies skimmed the fat off of their broth (maybe it has impurities in it?) so I'm wondering if this is something you all would do? Use the bone broth fat in cooking? Or not?? (It looks pretty clear--just a light yellow color--no specks of stuff in it or anything...)

TIA for any info/tips!

[pampered_mom]

I prefer to leave mine with the bone broth just because I like the way the broth is in recipes then, but you could just as easily pull it off and store to use in other dishes, etc. It's just fat that's been rendered...not any different than lard or tallow.

About the only time I heard of someone *not* wanting to use it is when it came to the fat off the top of chicken bone broth, but then it was more an issue of the fatty acid profile than anything. Still, it's often called schmaltz and on rare occasion we've used it all by it's lonesome.

[FairyRae]

Originally Posted by pampered_mom

It's just fat that's been rendered...not any different than lard or tallow.

Woo hoo! Thrilled to learn this! I WILL be using it then!!! (I was vegetarian for 12 years so am in the beginning stages of learning all this meaty stuff!)

Thanks for the reply!

[Magelet]

oh, but the chicken fat is SOOO good for you! It has palmitoleic acid, which is thought to boost the immune system, oleic acid which supposedly is beneficial to cholesterol, lots of omega-3s (if it was pastured) (Which I say thought and supposedly because I don't much beleive in nutrition science, it changes so fast. What I do beleive in is the fact that chicken soup with its fat has been curing sick folks for as long as people have made chicken soup, and the deliciousness, and history behind schmaltz.). Its the fat which makes chicken soup so healthy, and good for sick folks. Its also where all the flavor lies.