Bone broth - Instructions

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This recipe is adapted slightly from Sally Fallon’s recipe in her cookbook, “Nourishing Traditionsâ€.

Ingredients:2 to 3 pounds of chicken parts & bones (necks and leftover bones — you can also use bones from ducks, turkeys, geese, or Cornish game hens)Gizzards (if you have some — optional)2-4 chicken feet (optional, but preferable if you can find them — they add a lot of gelatin)4 quarts filtered water (please do not use tap water — it’s full of chemicals)2 tablespoons vinegar (white or apple cider vinegar)1 large yellow or white onion, quartered2 carrots, cut into large pieces3 celery stalks, cut into large pieces1 bunch parsley (optional — I always forget to add this)

Note: It is best to use farm-raised, pastured birds. This means not just “cage-free†(not in a cage but still inside) but birds that have freedom to roam OUTDOORS, and get vitamin D from sunlight and protein from the bugs they eat. Also, if you can find a farmer who does not feed soy to his or her chickens, that is ideal. If they do feed soy, make sure it is organic (you do not want to eat chickens that have eaten genetically modified soy).

Equipment:Stock pot (enamel or stainless steel — not aluminum)1 2-gallon glass jar, 1 mesh strainer, Slotted spoon

1. Place chicken (or duck, goose, turkey, or Cornish game hen) parts and bones into stock pot with water, vinegar and all vegetables except parsley.

2 Let stand 30 minutes to 1 hour.

3. Bring to a boil, and remove any scum that rises to the top (I find that there is almost no scum when I am using pastured birds).

4. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for a minimum of 6 to 8 hours. The longer you cook the stock, the more flavor and nutrition it will have. I cook my chicken stock for 12-24 hours. (It depends on the size of the bones. I do my beef stock for 36-48 hours. Fish stock can be simmered for only 4-12 hours.)

5. About 10 minutes before finishing the stock, add parsley for extra minerals (I try to remember to do this but I don’t always get around to it. It’s a good idea to grow a patch of parsley in your garden or in a pot on the patio or window sill.).

6. Remove bones and vegetables with a slotted spoon. Discard. (Some people grind them up and use them in pet food.)

7. Strain the stock into the 2-gallon glass jar and let cool to touch on the counter. You can also use large glass bowls but I have found that they take up far too much valuable space in the fridge. If you want a clear stock (with no bits & pieces), use some cheesecloth in your strainer. I usually cannot be bothered with this.

8. Store in the refrigerator for a few hours or overnight, until the fat rises to the top and congeals.

9. Skim off the fat with a spoon and store it in your fridge or freezer to use in cooking (nothing wasted!). Pour the stock into ice cube trays and freeze.

10. Pop the cubes out of the trays and store in Ziploc bags or Tupperware in your freezer.

Now you have 1-ounce cubes of stock, pre-measured and ready for any recipe!

For more tips on making stock, head over to the Kitchen Kop. She just posted not one but two blog posts about making bone broth: