Bone Broth color, what should it look like? Is it creamy/beige color?

[countryangels]

What color should my bone broth look like?

How much water do you place into the pot for a small chicken?

Do you keep adding water, until the bone marrow dissolves? How long should that take?

Is it ok to let it boil?

After its completely done, do you strain it?

Does it taste like chicken soup or stronger than that?

Many thanks,

Blessings!

[Bantams]

Chicken stock is usually quite pale in color, unless you roast the bones first (and then it will be a rich golden brown).  Chicken broth will be just a little richer in color than stock.

I was taught to use 8# of bones per 4-5 quarts water.  If you are using meat as well (a whole chicken) you can use a lot more water.  I would use 6-8 qts for a chicken.  It just depends on how flavorful you want the stock.

Chicken bones don't really have much marrow - after all, bird bones are mostly hollow.  But mammal bones will have marrow.  I think the normal 12 simmering time for beef stock would be enough to extract marrow.  I would simmer chicken stock for 4 hours.  At that point, most of the flavor and nutrients will have come out, and longer cooking will only dull the flavor.

It's best to keep stock at a gentle simmer - vigorous boiling will emulsify the impurities into the stock, making it cloudy. 

Yes, you will want to strain the stock when it's done.

[kwiathellen]

Is chicken stock the same thing as chicken bone broth?

[Bantams]

Technically, "stock" is made from bones (chicken, beef, veal, etc) while "broth" is made from meat and bones, so it's much richer.  Many chefs will even use stock as the base liquid (vs water) when making broth. 

I have to say, not many would care if you used the words interchangeably.  Probably only the chef instructors at a culinary school...

[Chicky2]

I probably make more stock than anyone I know.  We butcher our own animals so I have a huge amount of bones at any given time.  Almost every week I have at least 3 full stock pots (30-60 quart pots, depending on the size of the bones) of stock going.

I always simmer for a few hours (completely cover bones in water and don't forget your whey or vinegar), skimming the junk off the top, and then remove bones and clean off the meat for later use.  Then put the bones back into the pot and let simmer the rest of the day.  Then I'll put the pot on the back porch if it's cold enough out or let it cool and put in the extra fridge.  Next morning I skim the fat off the stock and strain it.  Then back onto the stove it goes (unless it's not gelled, in which case I'd keep the bones in after getting the fat off and then simmer another 12 hrs or so) to simmer down to a couple of inches in the pot.  Then I either can that or pour it into ice cube trays and freeze. Pop into a bag later.  If you skim it well, and don't boil, but simmer, your stock should be clear.

HTH!  FTR, I do chicken, guinea, feral pig, beef, goat, duck, lamb, and domestic rabbi stocks.  And deer if I get the chance!

[kwiathellen]

I always use chicken bones from roasted chicken legs. There always are pieces of meat still attached to the bones when I put them in the slow cooker. So is it necessary to simmer chicken bones  with vinegar for 12 hours to get the nutrients out or can I just do it for 4hours like Bantams said?

[philomom]

Originally Posted by kwiathellen 

I always use chicken bones from roasted chicken legs. There always are pieces of meat still attached to the bones when I put them in the slow cooker. So is it necessary to simmer chicken bones  with vinegar for 12 hours to get the nutrients out or can I just do it for 4hours like Bantams said?

I get good results from letting mine simmer in the crockpot from nine a.m. to nine p.m....... I break the bones some with a kitchen hammer. I add whatever veggie scraps I might have on hand in with the leftover bones from a couple of meals.The stuff always gels well when cooled.

[Thyme Mama]

I make two gallons or so of chicken bone broth every week. I buy chickens from a local family who raises them on pasture. I usually roast my chicken, strip it, and then save the bones and cartilage in the freezer or start the soaking right away. I soak my bones in a pot full of water and a 1/4 cup of whey overnight. In the morning I start my pot. I get it to a rolling boil, skim it and then reduce heat to a gentle simmer all day. I skim throughout the day, if necessary. Before I go to bed I take the pot off of the heat and depending on how it looks, I either strain and cool it or just stick the pot in the fridge to cool and I simmer again the next day.

My bone broth is usually a golden-milky color. It is opaque and gelled completely. If I use non-pastured chicken I notice that my broth doesn't gel as much. Also, IMO, bone broth has a different aroma and taste than regular broth. It's hard to describe, but it does smell and taste different to me. But I do have a very sensitive palate and sense of smell.

If I don't use it sooner, my bone broth will stay fresh in the fridge for up to four weeks.

[cyclamen]

The milkiness, I have been told, is a result of emulsified fat.

[pookahjade]

Quick (possibly silly) question: why would you add vinegar to the chicken/bones when making stock? I have never heard of this before.

[philomom]

Originally Posted by pookahjade 

Quick (possibly silly) question: why would you add vinegar to the chicken/bones when making stock? I have never heard of this before.

The vinegar is helping to leach minerals out of the bones... that "goodness" is then available for your body when you eat it. At least, that's how I understand it. I use lemon juice. My kids don't like that hint of vinegar.

[pookahjade]

Originally Posted by philomom 


The vinegar is helping to leach minerals out of the bones... that "goodness" is then available for your body when you eat it. At least, that's how I understand it. I use lemon juice. My kids don't like that hint of vinegar.

So would any acid do the same?

[DoubleDouble]

I think so. Tomato paste would do the same.

[Blessed_Mom]

Is there anyplace I can purchase bone broth from? I live around Seattle. I don't eat that much chicken and would like some bone broth from chicken or turkey......

[Chicky2]

Do you have any neighbors or friends who would save a few bones for you?
 

Originally Posted by Blessed_Mom 

Is there anyplace I can purchase bone broth from? I live around Seattle. I don't eat that much chicken and would like some bone broth from chicken or turkey......

[Blessed_Mom]

Originally Posted by Chicky2 

Do you have any neighbors or friends who would save a few bones for you?
 

Err...we have never had *that* conversation yet...Lol.

Thing is...we don't really have friends or family here (at least with whom we are close)......

So - no stores sell bone broth is it? Why? It seems like a ripe business idea - no?

[philomom]

My New Season's sells frozen stock, not bone broth.

[Blessed_Mom]

Originally Posted by philomom 

My New Season's sells frozen stock, not bone broth.

How is that different from the regular stock so many stores sell? Wholefoods, Trader Joe's , even Safeway sells stock (maybe not frozen) but how is it different? TIA

[Thyme Mama]

Bone broth is much more nutritious, it is gelatinous (it looks like jello when cold, it will melt to a liquid when heated) and has lots of available calcium and gelatin and protein. Stock or regular broth is a liquid, and while still good for, it has nowhere near all the nutrition bone broth has. I believe US Wellness Meats may stock bone broth now.

[colsxjack]

If you can't find bone broth, you may be able to find soup bones and make broth.

We sometimes buy beef or chicken bones. And we just bought a whole bunch of bones from a grass fed beef farmer.