How to Make Bone Broth

As the name implies, bone broth is made by simmering animal bones for several hours to release the nutrients found in the bones, cartilage, and marrow. Vegetables, herbs and spices are often added for flavor, along with a dash of vinegar to help draw the nutrients from the bones. The resulting broth can be consumed alone, used as a soup base, or added to sauces and other dishes.

Bone broth can be made from any type of animal bones, either cooked or raw. These include chicken & other types of poultry, beef, lamb, wild game, and fish. The only real difference in preparing different types of bone broth is the amount of time that the bones need to be simmered. A broth made with fish bones, for example, only needs to simmer for a few hours, while beef bones need to simmer for 48 hours or more to draw the maximum nutrients from the bones.

The most important consideration when making bone broth is the quality of the ingredients used. Bones from factory farmed animals that have been given hormones and antibiotics are not a good choice. Look for the highest quality sources available for all of your bone broth ingredients, such as grass-fed beef and free range poultry with no hormones or antibiotics.

BONE BROTH Recipe

Prep time: 10 min • Cook time: 10 hr • Yield: 12 servings

2 unpeeled carrots, scrubbed and roughly chopped

2 stalks celery, including leafy part, roughly chopped

1 medium onion, roughly chopped

7 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed

3½ pounds grass-fed beef (or chicken) bones (preferably joints and knuckles)

2 dried bay leaves

2 teaspoons Himalayan Pink Salt

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

Directions: Place all the vegetables and the garlic, bones, and bay leaves into a slow cooker. Sprinkle on the salt, drizzle with vinegar, and add enough water to cover everything by 1 inch (about 13 cups). Cook for 8 to 10 hours on low. Use a shallow spoon to carefully skim the film off the top of the broth. Pour the broth through a fine strainer and discard the solids. Taste the broth and add more salt as needed.

The broth will keep for three days in the fridge and three months in your freezer. Substitute: Feel free to substitute chicken, fish, or pork bones or to combine them all.