RECIPE: BONE BROTH
By Gail K. Kachnycz; 07 March 2024
The basic recipe
was given to me by my good friend Karen in December of 2018. Her sister used
bone broth to bolster the nutrition in food for their mother in her final
months. Bone broth made according to the recipe below contains protein
(collagen), Vitamin A and B, and the minerals zinc and calcium. It is hard to
know exactly how much protein is in home-made bone broth, but Bonafide Brand
Organic Bone Broth, made with bones from free-range chickens contains 10 grams
of protein in eight ounces. To compare, a large boiled egg has 6 grams of
protein. However, if your loved one has difficulty chewing meat, or gets tired
of eggs, using bone broth as the liquid for soups, gravy, and mashed potatoes
will add extra protein to these foods. The protein collagen is important for
supplying the body with the materials needed to heal wounds and build
connective tissue. Bone broth is just packed with goodness.
An ingredient that may seem unusual is vinegar. Karen’s recipe uses apple cider vinegar, but I have used red wine vinegar as well. I must have seen this
done at some time, perhaps by my mother when she was cooking the turkey bones
after Thanksgiving. An article by Tom Maxwell
on the website thedailymeal.com explains that the acid content of the vinegar
serves to break down the bones and release the collagen, minerals and vitamins.
My method of
making bone broth is very intuitive, I do not measure. I will describe the
instructions I received from Karen. If you want an actual recipe, you can check
the article
“For Mouthwatering Bone Broth, You Need A Little Vinegar,”
by Tom Maxwell, published on
www.thedailymeal.com/1422578/bone-broth-vinegar-ingredient/
BASIC BONE BROTH: NOTE: Stovetop or slow cooker method requires 5 hours.
1. Ingredients: Bones
(see below) 1 large yellow onion, quartered 2 Large bay leaves
3 celery stalks,
cut in medium sections (you can leave the leaves on) 1 TBSP Vinegar
(Cider or Wine)
NOTE: there
is no salt, so broth can be used for low-salt diets. If you want salt, add
later.
I never use raw bones. I use any kind of bones from meat that has been cooked for a meal (chicken, turkey, beef, pork). Small numbers of bones can be collected and frozen until you have the amount you want to make a batch of broth.
2. Remove as much of the meat as you can from the bones, but
don’t be too particular about this. The meat will become very tender and come
off the bones easily when the broth is cooked.
3. Place the bones and the seasonings in a pot that will accommodate
all the ingredients, with some room at the top so the broth will not boil over.
4. Use a measuring cup to pour water over all the
ingredients until they are covered (about 4-6 cups).
5. Add 1 Tablespoon of vinegar to the pot.
(Apple Cider Vinegar or Red Wine Vinegar)
6. Bring the pot to a boil, then reduce heat to low and
simmer for at least 5 hours. You can also make in a slow cooker set on high for at least 5 hours. High setting must be used to assure that the liquid becomes hot enough to kill bacteria. I recommend bringing the pot to boil on the stove and then transferring to the slow cooker if you use that method. To safely avoid splashing of hot liquid, ladle, rather than pour, from the pot to the slow cooker.
7. After cooking 5 hours, allow the broth to cool enough so you can handle it
safely. Strain the broth from the solids by pouring or spooning the contents
through a colander; collect the liquid in a heat-safe container.
8. Spoon the broth into smaller containers, then seal and
allow to cool completely in the fridge.
9. When the broth is completely cool, skim the fat and
discard. At this point, I like to divide the broth into containers that hold
about 8 ounces, and freeze what I will not use immediately.
10. For the solids, I like to take the meat shreds, onions,
and celery and add them to soup or stew. They are probably cooked to a pulp,
but they will have good flavor and add substance to the liquid. Be sure that
the meat does not contain any small bones, gristle, or lumps of fat. Remove and discard the bay leaves.
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