Bone broth is so good for you. It is full of collagen which apparently helps keep the skin elastic and hold back aging. I could definitely do with some of that. Another bonus is that that it is good for the hair. Bone Broth also helps with gut health and inflamation. One of the big benefits for me is that it helps with joint heath and reduces the pain as it contains glucosamine, collagen, and chondroitin. All the minerals it contains also strengthens bones.
The amino acids are credited with improving mood which I always need at this time of year, and be good for brain health generally. They also support our immune systems. At my age, with the constant scare stories of flu, plus my arthritis, making bone broth seems like a no brainer.
Bone broth is expensive to buy. I have made broth out of a chicken carcuss before, but never been able to afford beef with a bone in it. We have been so lucky this week. Twice we have seen bags of bones outside of the butchers for free. We have therefore been making jars of bone broth in the slow cooker.
The first lot I rinsed the bones and threw in some onions, seasoning, and carrots, and cooked for 19 hours on low. You can roast the bones first but I didn’t. I removed the bones and sieved any fragments out before bottling it.
It had really thickened up and was solid the next day. These are only for short term storage, kept in the fridge, and will be used over the next few days. I did manage to fit some in my freezer. Before we bottled the last lot we did whiz it up with some of the bits of meat that had fallen off and the veg. I don’t think that you are supposed to do this but I hate waste.
I made a soup for our meal last night with some noodles and fridge gravel vegetables in it. I also added some paprika. A suprising amount of meat did come off. It tasted fine, but was a different taste and consistency to my normal soups..
The bones I am cooking today I am just cooking for 24 hours in the slow cooker with water and seasoning. I will add the vegetables later when I use the broth. I am hoping to get more into my freezer over the next few days.
This is almost a free way to get nutrients into your body and make a tasty stock. A lot of butchers give away bones for free; or charge £1 or so. Making the broth in the slow cooker means that it is easy and I don’t need to watch it. Has any one got any more tips of what to do with the bone broth, or different ways to use it, please? I am a novice. I am going to freeze some in ice cube trays and bag them up when solid. I can then throw a few of them into meals to add extra nutrition and taste.
I never add vegetables to my broth. They go in the pot, when I’m making the actual dish. I wouldn’t have the heart to throw them out either.
Browning the bones does intensify the flavour.
Soups, gravies, stews, cottage pies, chillies, my red lentil lasagne. Some take it as a hot drink on a winters day, but I have never fancied that. I go for tea – or on special occasions cocoa – any time…
I didn’t throw the veg out but went through it looking for bones. The second lot I made doesn’t have veg and I like that better. I will try roastingcthe veg next time. Thanks.