Questions about bone broth and water kefir. X-posted

[Blessed_Mom]

Hi,


My DD is 8 mo old and dairy allergic.

How do you guys make bone broth soup? Please share recipes. What bones do you use and where do you buy them? (We do only chicken, lamb and fish). I am guessing you don't mean trotters but stew bones? And you buy fresh rather than use the bones from (say roasted chicken) Meaning are raw bones ok OR should I use only roasted bones? Am very confused

2. Please share recipes of water kefir. My DD is dairy allergic. Where do you get your water kefir?

Thanks so much.

[rhiandmoi]

I make bone broth - which I call chicken stock - out of chicken bones following 1 of 3 methods -

1. I get a whole chicken and either meat counter or I cut it into pieces. Then when I get home, I put the wings, neck and back in the crock pot, fill it with water and then put on low. I usually add a couple of bay leaves, maybe an onion and a couple of carrots, but sometimes it is just chicken. That night I'll cook the chicken pieces for dinner, and whatever we eat that night, the bones go in the crock pot with everything else. Cook on low for at least 24 hours.

2. I get the same whole chicken from the meat counter and cook it whole, usually roasting it. I carve off the bone for the first nights dinner, then after dinner I pick the carcass clean and toss it in the crock pot. Cook on low at least 24 hours.

3. I purchase a roast chicken from the deli counter, pick it clean and toss the carcass in the crockpot. Cook on low at least 24 hours.

I actually prefer method 3 as it is the easiest, but usually I go with method 1.

I have made beef stock before, and I feel like it is too much work, as you have to roast the bones first, and I don't do bone in beef roasts much to have bones as a "left over". I have never done pork or lamb stock, but I imagine you would have to roast those bones first also to get a good flavor.

[Blessed_Mom]

Thank you. I can buy stew lamb bones (raw) from Wholefoods, How can I make bone broth from these??

[Magelet]

For chicken stock, I usually use the carcass from a roasted chicken, because I love roasted chicken. I'll often also throw in raw necks and various other bones, and if I have raw bones, I'll use them. (I keep carcasses in the freezer til I'm ready to make stock). I cook them with a small handful of onion skins and carrot trimmings and celery bits if I have them (also frozen), and a splash of apple cider vinegar, for 18-48 hours at a simmer, making sure there is always enough water so it doesn't boil down.

Beef and lamb I either brown the bones by roasting or browning in a pot, or I am lazy and just throw the bones into a pot with water to cover and some apple cider vinegar (just a splash). bring to a boil, simmer for 2-3 days with a lid, topping off with water as needed to keep the bones covered. I don't do bone in roasts ever really, only ground meat and the occasional stew (ground is cheapest). So I buy the bones seperately. They aren't too expensive. I take whatever bones they have, asking for "beef bones" or "lamb bones". Or whatever. I know some bones are more meaty, some more gelatinous, but I'll take what they got.

you can use really any bones, at work we do make pork trotter broth from smoked pork trotters. I don't eat pork, so of course I don't do that at home.

[mbravebird]

I find it useful to buy chicken backs from a local farmer -- they come packaged and frozen, and are very affordable. You can keep them in the freezer and pop a few backs in your stockpot for broth whenever you need to. And if you buy from a local farmer, you can be sure the chickens were grassfed, whereas I suspect the lamb bones from whole foods might not be...? Also, chicken broth flavor is easy to like and use in lots of different things, whereas lamb might be a bit more strong. JMO, though -- go for the lamb if that suits you.

You can buy water kefir grains from Cultures for Health. And here's some great recipes for water kefir, both basic and beyond:
http://www.weim.net/homeovet/Docs/water%20kefir.pdf

Have fun!

[mbravebird]

You also asked about recipes for broth/stock -- I put in a stock pot:

2 chicken backs
2 carrots, chopped
1 onion, chopped
Water to a few inches from the top of the pot
add 2-4 TBS vinegar (preferably raw) and let sit for 30 min-1 hour

Bring to a boil, skim the foam, then put at a bare simmer with the lid on for 12-24 hours. It will gel better the closer it is to 12, but it will have more minerals in it the closer it is to 24. If you're working on leaky gut (allergies), you might want to go for more gelatin, so less time. I usually do about 14-16, and still get an OK gel.
Strain, pick off meat if you want to for use in soup or other things. Refrigerate, use within 7 days or freeze.

You don't have to make soup -- you could just drink mugs of it, salted. When you do a long simmer like that, it tastes really good with just salt added. Yum!