How to Make Nourishing Homemade Bone Broth: A Comforting and Healthy Winter Staple

It’s December – the time of year when comfort food can mean indulgent sweets and heavy dishes with meat and cream. Or Grandma Schroeder’s famous fried chicken. YUM.

And while these foods are okay in moderation, what if comfort food was actually both soothing AND nourishing?

Hello, bone broth.

Bone broth is not new. In fact, the women in my family have been making bone broth as long as I can remember. We didn’t call it bone broth, however. And we certainly didn’t see it being sold at posh NYC and CT specialty food stores for a million dollars. Bone broth is what my mom Marleen (a truly fanstastic cook!) has made for years every time we had turkey or chicken or beef with a significant number of bones. She used that homemade stock to make delicious soups. And guess what, my friends? You can make bone broth too! At home! And it’s easy!


Prep time:

10 min

Cook time:

2 hours with pressure cooker

3 days with slow cooker

Ingredients

Bones from chicken, beef, pork, or fish (organic, pasture-raised, grass-fed)

2 cups vegetables (carrots, onions, celery) roughly chopped

2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar

1 tsp salt

½ tsp black pepper

½ cup parsley, optional

1 tsp poultry seasoning, optional

Water

Directions for pressure cooker (Instant Pot)

1.    Place all ingredients in pressure cooker/Instant Pot. Use enough water to cover the bones, but not to exceed the maximum fill line.

2.    Press pressure cook and adjust time to 2 hours. Make sure the venting contraption is set to seal.

3.    After cooked, strain the solids from the liquid while still slightly warm.

4.    Use the bone broth in soup, to cook rice whole grains, or sauté vegetables.

5.    Store in refrigerator for 1 week or in the freezer for 1 month. The liquid will firm up when refrigerated – just  warm and stir!

Directions for slow cooker

1.    Place all ingredients in slow cooker. Use enough water to cover the bones.

2.    Cook on low for 72 hours. (You can start on high for a few hours and then transition to low heat.)

3.    After cooked, strain the solids from the liquid while still slightly warm.

4.    Use the bone broth in soup, to cook rice or other whole grains, or sauté vegetables.

5.    Store in refrigerator for 1 week or in the freezer for 1 month. The liquid will firm up when refrigerated – just warm and stir!