How long do you cook your chicken broth?

[gcgirl]

I read somewhere that chicken bone broth only needs about 2-3 hours simmer time. What?! I simmer mine for, like, 8 hours. Am I crazy? Am I wasting nutrients? I usually simmer until the water reduces about 1/4 - 1/3, then add more water and simmer a few more hours. Is this wasteful? I get a really nice gelatinous broth, so I'm pretty sure I'm getting the good stuff out of the bones. And I like a thick, flavorful broth, so maybe that's why I cook it so long.

What does everyone else do?

[dogmom327]

2-4 days depending on if I forget about it. I do it in my crock pot though.

[mbravebird]

I like to do it at least until the bones are soft, about 14-16 hours. I used to do it longer, but then read that the gelatin starts deteriorating with longer simmers, and found that I got better gels with a shorter time. I'm focusing on my gut right now, so wanted to make sure I got some good gelatin.

But the minerals only really are drawn out with a very long simmer -- so the longer the better if you're interested in minerals.

Were you reading the Cook's Illustrated approach? They're more focused on taste and cooking time than nutrients, and they've found a good way to produce good-tasting broth in just a couple of hours. But I don't think it has many minerals in it!

Here's an amazing article that details the nutrients found in long-simmered broth, and why you want this stuff:
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/m.../ai_n10299306/

[gcgirl]

Originally Posted by mbravebird

Here's an amazing article that details the nutrients found in long-simmered broth, and why you want this stuff:
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/m.../ai_n10299306/

Great article, thanks! I'm trying to get a lot more bone broth in my diet since I found out I'm allergic to dairy and I think DS might be too. So the nutrients in the bones are REALLY important to me.

[philomom]

I do mine all day in the crockpot... 8 hours at least. Then, I chill overnight and skim off some.. but not all, of the fat.

[Drummer's Wife]

1-3 days. It just depends... but I leave it in the crockpot, so it's not a big deal.

[Magelet]

12 hours to 2 days. (Ideally 18-24 hours, but sometimes, it gets left at a simmer since I just don't have the time to deal with it for another day or two. I just top it off with more water.)

[PlayaMama]

Originally Posted by Magelet

12 hours to 2 days. (Ideally 18-24 hours, but sometimes, it gets left at a simmer since I just don't have the time to deal with it for another day or two. I just top it off with more water.)

pretty much exactly. my dh likes the bone broth so much he's taken over the timing of it.

[Koalamom]

Originally Posted by mbravebird

Here's an amazing article that details the nutrients found in long-simmered broth, and why you want this stuff:
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/m.../ai_n10299306/

Great article!!

I make a bone broth that goes for 24 hours, and then strain, and refrigerate, and make another broth that is still on the stove barely simmering. It has been on there for almost 2 weeks. We just get a scoop out and mix it with what ever we are eating. It is so concentrated that we only nee like 1/4 cup to get what would be in several cups of other bone broth.

Are any of those using crockpots to make broth concerned about the lead in the broth from the crockpot?

[Brown Lioness]

i just made some this weekend and i simmered it for about 18 hours but now that you posted that article and you ladies are saying you simmer for days, ima have to go longer to try it out, lol.

[BetsyPage]

I have made it twice, about 24+ hours each time. But I don't really like the taste of it, it's kind of blah slightly burned. I'm wondering if my crockpot runs too hot, it's a new one.

What is bone broth really supposed to taste like? Like tasty when you drink it alone? 'Cause mine is not.

I have cooked mine for a long time because I thought that was the best way to get the minerals out. The bones actually crumble or break easily when I'm done, so I do think I am getting the minerals out. Just have bags of non-tasty broth in my freezer now!

[tarajean56]

Originally Posted by BetsyPage

I have made it twice, about 24+ hours each time. But I don't really like the taste of it, it's kind of blah slightly burned. I'm wondering if my crockpot runs too hot, it's a new one.

What is bone broth really supposed to taste like? Like tasty when you drink it alone? 'Cause mine is not.

I have cooked mine for a long time because I thought that was the best way to get the minerals out. The bones actually crumble or break easily when I'm done, so I do think I am getting the minerals out. Just have bags of non-tasty broth in my freezer now!

Do you skim your broth? I've found that if I don't skim, sometimes the flavor is a bit off. Otherwise, mine is yummy on its own (usually I add crushed garlic and sea salt).

[wagamama]

I also find that when I make an "ordinary" 6-hour broth from a whole chicken, it tastes much better than when I just use leftover bones. Even if I simmer them for 24 hours, the broth tastes weak. Of course, I assume it's full of minerals though.

[mbravebird]

Originally Posted by bluebirdmama1

Are any of those using crockpots to make broth concerned about the lead in the broth from the crockpot?

Yes, me! That's why I don't use my crockpot. I get a little squirrelly about things like that.

[mbravebird]

Originally Posted by BetsyPage

I have made it twice, about 24+ hours each time. But I don't really like the taste of it, it's kind of blah slightly burned. I'm wondering if my crockpot runs too hot, it's a new one.

What is bone broth really supposed to taste like? Like tasty when you drink it alone? 'Cause mine is not.

I have cooked mine for a long time because I thought that was the best way to get the minerals out. The bones actually crumble or break easily when I'm done, so I do think I am getting the minerals out. Just have bags of non-tasty broth in my freezer now!

It should be pretty tasty -- I usually just add salt and drink a mug of it. Maybe it's your cooking pot? I once had an off taste when I cooled it in a stainless steel bowl instead of in glass.

[tanyalynn]

I've gone to shorter simmers for the gelatin, knowing that we're not getting as much mineral-wise. So usually about 6 hours for us.

I didn't realize until recently, Asian markets apparently often have chicken feet for sale, pop in a few and really bump up the amount of gelatin. I've done that with pigs' feet in a slow cooker with a roast as well--it gives a really nice mouth-feel to the liquid and the veggies in with the roast.

And on a related note--do you ever think how you're messing up your kids? Mine will grow up believing that refrigerated soup is solid. Bwahahahahaha......

[Koalamom]

Originally Posted by TanyaLopez

I've gone to shorter simmers for the gelatin, knowing that we're not getting as much mineral-wise. So usually about 6 hours for us.

I didn't realize until recently, Asian markets apparently often have chicken feet for sale, pop in a few and really bump up the amount of gelatin. I've done that with pigs' feet in a slow cooker with a roast as well--it gives a really nice mouth-feel to the liquid and the veggies in with the roast.

And on a related note--do you ever think how you're messing up your kids? Mine will grow up believing that refrigerated soup is solid. Bwahahahahaha......

I know how important the gelatin is, but I also need the minerals. Do you consider the gelatin more important since you supplement the additional minerals? I am trying to get the best of both worlds and do a first short broth for the gelatin, and then make a another one that simmers for about a week. Our bone broth simmering right now is so concentrated that we only need 1/4 cup to replace what is equivalent to a cup of milk.

Yeah, my dd jumped up and down shouting "yippee, my oil, my oil!" when our fermented CLO came in the mail. Our kids will never be the same.

[MountainMamaGC]

I made turkey broth using the necks. I simmered it overnight in the crockpot and till about noon the next day. We put it in the fridge and it gelled. It wasnt a solid gel but it still gelled. I am assumin I got both gelatin and minerals using this method.

[Magelet]

Originally Posted by BetsyPage

What is bone broth really supposed to taste like? Like tasty when you drink it alone? 'Cause mine is not.

Personally even "good tasting" broth, I don't find it tasty plain. what I do like is it spiced up with some garlic, lemon juice or lime juice, and salt. (or more complicated seasonings). It shouldn't taste too off though. (Once mine tasted bitter and soapy. clearly, it wasn't good, though I still don't know what happened, or which pot wasn't clean etc.)


you like to skim your broth? how do you skim it? I find that I can skim it, and it needs to be skimmed again 5 minutes later. (I can't seem to get my broth at below a slow boil down to a real simmer. I've tried practically everything and it won't go there on this stove.)

[blueridgewoman]

I generally cook mine for 48 hours- I find that the taste improves and gets a LOT richer that second day. But it refuses to gel..... I've done beef broth recently and that's come out like jello, but I can't seem to get my chicken broth to gel. I use feet and everything.