Thecia Ellis
There is a difference between bone broth and bone stock, and I don’t remember which is which. I just call what I make bone broth. I find that it is a very satisfying and nutritious liquid, whatever you choose to call it.
There are many uses for bone broth besides a base for soups. I frequently drink it in the mornings that I am away from home. Instead of coffee, which I love, I fill an insulated tumbler and take it with me on a busy day.
Bone broth added to a roux makes a wonderful gravy.
For those who are lactose intolerant, bone broth is an excellent substitute when making mashed potatoes. The flavor is not strong enough to be dramatically discernable and helps to make the potatoes nice and fluffy.
If I’m making a dish where the rice needs more flavor, I will use bone broth instead of water. This is particularly helpful with risottos.
When cooking or steaming vegetables, use bone broth, either full strength or diluted for extra flavor and nutrition.
We live on a homestead and raise our own chickens, ducks, pigs and rabbits. My husband also hunts deer each year. The different sized bones of the animal species sometimes dictate the way I make my broth.
Early on in my broth-making days, I roasted bones in the oven, then transferred them to a large stock pot to simmer, sometimes for a day or two. I have since then adopted other ways to make my broth.
Instant Pot
This is the way I make my broth most of the time. Because the broth is for myself and not for outside the family, I save the bones from our meals. Everyone in the family is instructed to put their bones in a freezer-grade bag after dinner and the bag goes into the freezer. When the bag is full, it has the right volume of bones to put into an Instant Pot with a full onion, cut in half, two or three nice sized cloves of garlic and a couple of large pinches of salt. I then fill the pot to the indicated line and set it for soup/broth.
After the instant pot goes through its cycle, I lift the bones and onion out with a slotted spoon into a large bowl. I then strain the broth with paper towels cut to fit into my bottle funnel (a funnel with a small spout) into the jars. A regular instant pot generally produces three quart-sized jars. I change the paper towels frequently as they get clogged with solid debris particles.
When the jars are filled, I put them into the refrigerator and this broth will last me about a week. I pick the bones clean and save them in the freezer to fortify soups and such at later meals.
You do you, but because the bones have been cooked twice, the second time at a high, wet temperature, my livestock guardian dogs get the bones. They absolutely love them and seem smart enough to not eat a bone that is too sharp, like the little bone that runs along the larger leg bone on a chicken.
The onion and garlic cloves go in the scrap bucket for the pigs. Nothing is wasted.
Roaster Oven
Longer bones that don’t fit into the instant pot go into a roaster oven. This is usually deer or turkey bones. I roast the bones in the roaster for an hour or so. I generally double the recipe of broth when making broth in the roaster. I toss in two onions, halved, and about six cloves of garlic, doubling the salt also, then fill the roaster with water.
The nice thing about making broth in a roaster, you can taste the broth after simmering for a few hours and adjust the salt to taste. I usually simmer the broth for at least 24 hours, adding water as needed to keep the volume correct.
When the broth is to the desired flavor, I remove the bones and strain the broth into quart jars, usually producing 6 or 7 quarts. This is too much broth for my use in a week so I pressure can the jars of broth.
Check your canning manual (not the internet). My Ball book indicates that I process the jars of broth at 10 pounds for 30 minutes.
Add-Ins
Bone broth can be made from a variety of meats; clam, lobster, fish, pork, lamb, goat, duck, whatever. I saved shrimp shells one time to make broth but was not thrilled with the taste.
Add-ins can, not only change the flavor of your broth, but they can add specific health benefits.
Ginger root can help with digestion issues.
Turmeric root can help with inflammation.
Red pepper flakes or chili oil can add a nice kick to your broth and help clear your sinuses.
I highly recommend learning to make your own, nutritious bone broth, especially as you learn to adjust recipes to your taste. Enjoy!
