how do you make bone broth?

[Joshuasmom16]

I hope this isn't the stupidest question you've ever heard, but I'm not great in the kitchen and don't have a lot of time working FT & commuting but I want to do as much as I can to help DS with his allergies & other issues. (I hear everyone talking about how good bone broth is so want to start doing it)

What's the best way to make it? is chicken or turkey better? does it have to be roasted 1st? can you just throw a whole chicken (or chicken legs) in the crockpot or is it really better to roast then cook on stove??

thanks!!

[Chinese Pistache]

This is not my doctor, but I found the site (through someone on this board, I think) and think their hand-outs are great. They are pdfs, so just click on "bone broth" for their instructions. Very straightforward (I'm a bone broth newbie, too). Check out the "food intro schedule," too, if you've got a baby Oops, forgot the link: http://www.soaringcraneclinic.com/forms.html

[kjbrown92]

I believe that you can use uncooked bones. I usually get a whole chicken (or turkey) and roast it, and then use the carcass for my bone broth. But I get pasture-fed beef "bones" for soup making, and don't roast those first. Either way, the easiest way I've found to do it... I have a large crockpot. I put in the carcass or bones, 1 carrot, 1 stalk celery, 6 peppercorns, 1 tsp. sea salt (you can leave out all of those if they're allergens - they're just for flavor) and fill with water (leaving about 1" at the top so there's no overflow). You don't lose alot of moisture when you use the slow cooker. I put it on high until it boils (usually about an hour) then turn it onto low. Chicken/turkey I do for 24 hours, beef I do for 48 hours. They say that a couple Tablespoons of vinegar draws more of the nutrients from the bones, but I haven't done that yet (we're on a rotation and factoring the vinegar in each time is a pain). Then I strain it, and freeze it in small containers and use what I need to for cooking rice, making gravy, making soup, etc.

[crunchy_mama]

I usually just use the back from a carcass I roasted, or sometimes I cut the chicken in pieces before I cook it. It seems that it is more likely to get a good gel if I use the uncooked carcass. I don't generally add any veggies, but usually add some vinegar. I just do mine on the stove-top, but if you have a crockpot that would be good. I usually do it 48 hrs, but at least 24. I strain the bones out and skim the top off. I don't ever do beef as I just don't have access to good beef bones for broth. I cook at least 1 chicken a week, so it just works out well. I used to freeze it after I did it, but lately I have just been trying to use it within the week I make it and as I make it every week I am not usually ever out.

[tanyalynn]

http://www.westonaprice.org/foodfeatures/broth.html

Here's an interesting article on making homemade stock. When I make chicken, I just use bones, I don't cook the meat of the chicken that long, it seems wasteful (or I'd end up with really overcooked meat).

One trick--to get really long cooking times (when I had an electric oven) I start a couple pots on the stovetop, skim off the scum until it's done (when it's at a low simmer at the beginning) and then put the pots into the oven. I had to reinforce my rack with a brick, but then I could do 2 pots at once and just let them go for hours in the oven without being around to watch the stovetop.

I don't add anything except bones, water, and vinegar, partly due to laziness and partly so that I can season when I use it in a final recipe. It's very versatile, but laziness is a big factor.