Nutrient dense, homemade broth is very easy and inexpensive to make! It's also a great way to use the bones from whole chickens, steaks, turkeys, etc. There are a lot of benefits to making your own broth, especially from a health perspective. It is a great source of the amino acids needed for healthy connective tissue.
The Paleo Mom has a great article on these two amino acids. It's also great to have on hand for when someone is sick.
There are several places to get good, quality bones:
- Save them from when you roast or bake chicken, turkey, goose, duck or when you grill steaks.
- Go to the market and purchase neck bones, marrow, and any other leftovers that the butcher may have on hand. I know at Kroger, they prepackage them and are in the beef section.
- Online at Tropical Traditions or US Wellness Meat.
What you need:
- 2 lbs or more of bones from chicken, cow, turkey, lamb, bison (any healthy source)
- 2 carrots, cut in large chunks
- 1 onion, cut in large cunks
- 2 celery sticks, cut in large chunks
- 1.5 tbsp bay leaves
- 1 tsp each salt and pepper
- water
What you do:
- Start by collecting bones and carcasses from meals. You can also purchase them at any of the above mentioned places.
- Place bones/carcasses in crockpot.
- Add chopped up veggies. I noted to cut them up in large chunks because you will have to spoon them out later.
- Add enough water to cover bones and vegetables.
- Add bay leaves, salt and pepper.
- Stir or mix with hands until well combined.
- Cook on low for 10-12 hours. I have never experimented with cooking on high. You want this to sit for a long time so that the nutrients from the bones have time to simmer.
- Once finished, scoop out vegetables and bones/carcasses.
- If I am making this well in advance of using, I pour the broth into ice cube trays and once frozen, store in a ziploc bag. If you make it the day before you are using it, you can store in an air tight container and keep in the refrigerator.