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Picture of Bone Broth after 20 hours of simmering
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Chicken Bone Broth
Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
1 d
Total Time
1 d 15 mins
 

Learn to make a healing bone broth the right way. This is the base recipe, add what you want to make it your own. 

Course: Soup
Author: Linda, The Industrious Homemaker
Ingredients
  • 3 lb Chicken parts - backs, necks, wing tips, etc. preferably pasture raised, organic
  • 3 ea Chicken feet, (Asian or Mexican market)
  • 1 large onion, papery skin removed, quartered, roots and all
  • 3 ribs celery, coarsely chopped - tops and bottom included
  • 1 ea carrot, coarsley chopped, unpeeled, base included
  • 1/2 - 1 tsp peppercorns
  • 2 ea bay leaves
  • 1 TB salt, optional, depending on use
  • 2-3 TB apple cider vinegar, Bragg's or similar quality
  • 4 QTS cold, filtered water
Add at the end:
  • 1 bunch parsley, rinsed
Additional Ingredients, as desired
  • 1-2 cloves garlic, cut in half
  • 1 inch ginger, roughly chopped
  • 1-2 sprigs oregano (or a tsp dried)
Instructions

  1. Put all ingredients EXCEPT the parsley in a stainless stock pot. Let stand approximately 30 minutes to an hour, 

  2. Bring to a boil, then IMMEDIATELY turn down the temperature to a simmer. Watch for scum. Remove any scum that rises to the top. 

  3. You may partially cover after the first couple hours. There shouldn't be any more scum at this point. 

    Picture of the Bone broth after 5 hours of simmering

  4. Allow to simmer at least 12 hours, preferably 24 hours. 

    Picture of Bone Broth after 20 hours of simmering

  5. Add the bunch of parsley. continue simmering 15 minutes more. 

  6. Use a slotted cooking spoon to remove as much of the vegetables and bones as possible. 

    Picture of removing solids from the bone broth

  7. Remove to a colander that has been placed over a clean bowl to strain out more of the liquid. 

    Picture of placing solids in colander

  8. Cool the broth quickly using an ice bath and stirring frequently. A proper ice bath will cool the broth to 40 degrees in about 20 minutes. A larger recipe may take a little longer.*

    Picture of pot placed in ice bath to cool the broth quickly

  9. Add the strained broth from the colander. 

  10. The temperature should be about 40 degrees before storing the broth. The broth will be the consistency of soft-set Jello at this pont.

    Picture of taking temperature of broth

  11. Discard bones and vegetables. They have exhausted their nutrients and flavor. 

    Picture of solids removed from the Bone Broth

  12. Use a fine mesh strainer to strain the cooled broth into containers. Refrigerate or freeze, as desired. You may remove the fat that accumulates** or stir back in. 


Recipe Notes
  • *DO NOT place in the fridge, freezer, or out in the cold to cool. For safety, please use an ice bath to cool your soup to 40 degrees quickly and safely. 
  • ** I remove the fat and freeze the "disk" in a ziplock bag. Then when I need to fry some chicken for a stir-fry or other use, the added flavor of the chicken fat is AWESOME. If serving cornbread with a chicken dish, you can use the fat to butter the pan. I don't make cornbread, but I assume you can use the fat in place of some of the butter or other fat. 
  • If this broth was made correctly, the use of wing tips and feet along with the apple cider vinegar will pull the collagen out of the chicken. The broth should be like jello once it's cooled. In fact, by the time you cool it to 40 degrees, it will already be like soft-set jello (see picture when taking the temperature). The collagen is healing to the gut, to your cells, to your joints, and may even renew your skin and strengthen your nails. Drink a cup or two daily for best results.