Your diet needs a change, and bone broth soup recipe will do the trick.
Don’t be worried about what it will cost you. As beneficial and amazing bone broth recipe is, it’s an inexpensive way to feed your body with the right nutrients.
Beneficial isn’t the only way to describe bone broth recipes. It is best described as therapeutic, versatile, easy to make, and nourishing.
The new trend is bone broth, and it’s everywhere. It’s not about the Fear of Missing Out (FOMO), but the immense benefits derivable from your chosen bone broth recipes.
The question on your mind now should be; is it worth it to burn your gas for hours in cooking a bone broth? Yes, it’s 100% worth it, and you’ll know from the first sip.
Don’t let anyone convince you as to the choice of your bone broth recipe; homemade bone broth beats them all. Making your bone broth recipes out of your kitchen is heavenly. You have power over the taste, texture, and the smell over your bone both recipe.
What Is A Broth?
A broth is a nutrient-filled food that anyone, regardless of income, can afford.
If you can remember one of the MUST HAVES in your grandmother’s kitchen, it’s a broth, and it’s traditional. You can ask her for her secret bone broth recipe if she’s close. No to worry, you’ll be seeing some rare but awesome bone broth recipe later on.
It is just the boiling of bones of healthy animals along with spices, herbs, and vegetables. In many families around the world, it is called varieties of names. One thing is sure; however, everyone sees the broth as a powerful health tonic that should never be missing in the kitchen.
Of course, it has a fantastic taste, but most importantly, it’s a proven source of minerals and vitamins the body needs to stay immune from diseases. Remember how chicken soup lightens up your mood when sick; the bone broth is even more potent.
Do you love to have strong bones and teeth? Regular consumption of your favorite bone broth recipe is one way to achieve this. That’s due to the abundance of phosphorus, magnesium, and calcium in a bone broth.
It doesn’t end there, your hair, joint, skin, and even your nails are not left out of the circle. Bone broth carries an ample amount of collagen that keeps these parts of the human body at optimum.
Interestingly, a broth can be made from the bones of chicken, lamb, beef, bison, and turkey.
Broth, Stock or Soup: What’s The Difference?
No need to confuse you. Bone broth is just the new way of referring to stock.
There has always been this confusion as to the underlining difference between the three. When you say bone broth, the older generation will never understand what you mean by that. To older generations, a bone broth is stock. Traditionally, the stock is made by cooking marrow rich bones for a long time.
What you know and refer to as a bone broth is a stock to older generations. Understood?
Elsewhere you’ll even read that there’s a difference between a bone broth, stock, and a broth. Funnily, this trend of calling stock bone broth is recent, less than a decade. This trend was a scenario that played out with the popularity and acceptance of paleo and wellness diets.
Are we confusing you more? That’s not the intention.
A bone broth is a good stock. A bone broth is identifiable due to the long cooking time of bones, which brings about an unusual thickness due to the release of the gelatin content.
Whether you call it bone broth, broth, soup or stock, they are the building blocks for your sauces and braises. Which is why the names are often used interchangeably. However, we should also acknowledge the similarities that exist between the three.
Regardless of what you know or believe, three things set them apart; the cooking time, the ingredients, and use of seasoning.
Let’s now set things straight;
Stocks contains bones and scraps of meats with the addition of onions, celery, and carrots. The cooking time is between two to six hours.
A broth is about simmering meats in addition with seasoning, and of course onions, celery, and carrots. The cook time is not more than 2 hours.
And a bone broth?
Bone broth is made using bones with vegetables and cooked between 12 to 48 hours depending on the bones or combination of bones used.
Which Ingredient is Needed For Homemade Bone Broth Recipe?
You are the one that can decide the taste you want out of your bone broth. Regardless, some ingredients are essential and must be present in every home-made bone broth recipe. Without which, it cannot be called a bone broth.
• Bones
No one knows what type of bones appeal to you the most. The bones, whether from beef, lamb, bison, or poultry, are what makes a broth a bone broth. This is the foundational ingredients upon which every other component relies.
• Celery Stalks
Yes, it could have come along with both carrots and onions. However, you can exempt those but not the celery stalks. Whichever bone broth recipe you are in love with, celery stalks will make a huge difference.
• Herbs
We are not just referring to the regular thyme or parsley; they are also important. Never fill your pot of bone broth without herbs such as nettle roots, ginger, fresh turmeric, ashwagandha, and astragalus.
• Vegetables
Or let’s say, vegetable scraps as they are better. You can start gathering leek tops, tomato cuttings, onion peels, and all your favorite vegetables. That brings a fresh feel into your bone broth.
• Apple Cider Vinegar
No one will tell or teach you this, not even in culinary school. Find an unpasteurized apple cider vinegar; it’s a solvent. Helps you get the best out of all the bones you’ve been cooking. The vinegar draws out all the available minerals from the bones.
Important Equipment For Homemade Bone Broth Soup Recipe
Do you intend to make homemade bone broth recipes regularly?
If the response is yes, you will need more than what you have presently in your kitchen. The benefits deposited in bone broth is worth all the investment you will make in busying the right equipment. We’ll be recommending based on research and experience;
1. A Cooking Pot
You will be wondering right now, “but I read somewhere that a pressure cooker is best for making bone broth recipes,” yes, you are correct.
It can either be a stockpot, a slow cooker, or a pressure cooker. Whichever you settle for will do the job of making a bone broth.
Caveat: each of these options has its strengths and weaknesses. That’s a topic for another day.
However, in choosing from either of the three, put into consideration your freezer space, your stovetop type, aware and comfort level in leaving a pot boiling for hours and lastly, the freezer space available.
If you are going with a stockpot, choose one with enough space to make a good amount of bone broth. You can also settle for a pressure cooker; it’s the trend lately. Everyone around you will be using a pressure cooker for their bone broth, you can too, but it’s your choice. The last option is a slow cooker, while some people think it doesn’t allow the gelatin to gel better, others prefer it.
2. A Strainer
When it comes to a strainer, you’ve got three options just like the cooking pot.
Cheesecloth lined strainer, fine mesh strainer, and a bouillon strainer.
After your bone broth recipe is well cooked, more significant bits and particles. Some cheesecloths are reusable. A fine mesh strainer is simple, lightweight, and requires no need for cheesecloth strainer.
The last option is the bouillon strainers. You’ll find a strainer mostly in restaurants as it works for large scale straining. The only shortcoming is the high cost of the bouillon strainer. You can strain large quantities of bone broth recipe with a bouillon strainer.
Your choice of strainer will help make a beautiful texture out of your bone broth.
3. Storage Containers
You don’t have to consume your bone broth immediately. You’ve got choices when it comes to the storage for your bone broth. Whatever you do, don’t use plastic in storing your bone broth recipes.
For storing bone broth, you have two options; glass jars and ice cube trays.
For glass jars, wide-mouth glass jars should be your preferred choice. Those with a curved neck can easily crack when overfilled. If you have a bone broth in smaller quantity, an ice cube tray is a right option. Someone suggested Verones Glass jars, heard it’s BPA free and ideal for bone broth recipes.
Choice ice cube trays that are silicone-free, and pops out of the tray easily. Don’t use the ice cube trays that are accessories of your fridge or freezer.
Note: The glass jar should be freezer safe.
4. Freezer
All it takes a few times, and you’ll get hooked to making a bone broth. When this happens, you will need a freezer to preserve and store your different bone broth recipes.
Create space for bone broth in your freezer. It’s not for your homemade bone broth recipes but also for the scrap bones. When gathering your bones, you need to store them in your freezer till when you’ll need them.
There’s a high likelihood that you already have a kitchen freezer, if you don’t, settle for one that is reasonably priced and has enough space.
5. Thermos
Yes, you may need to take your fantastic bone broth recipes everywhere with you. Or you may want to include it as part of your lunch package while at work, or in class.
Without a thermos, you will not be able to enjoy the beauty of your homemade bone broth recipes.
It now depends on how you see your bone broth, whether as a beverage or as a meal. This will determine the type of thermos you settle for.
Nothing beats a full mouth thermos though; the lid can serve a lot of other purposes both as a meal and a beverage.
6. Immersion Blender
Right in the stockpot, pressure cooker or a slow cooker, your homemade bone broth recipe need to be pureed, and it can only be done using an immersion blender.
It can be messy if you are dealing with a handheld blender or a regular blender, an immersion blender does a perfect job.
That’s not to say that a handheld blender or a regular blender will not do a perfect job. If you know your way around these, you can get an exceptional result also.
Easy Steps to Make Bone Broth At Home
At this point, you already know what you will need as an ingredient and also the equipment. Let’s dive right into how you can make a fantastic homemade bone broth. This is just a guide; you can have your style passed on from your Grandmother, which will be amazing. However, for a newbie, this guide will make you into a pro in a bit.
This will be a step by step guide. Never jump or skip a step; it will affect the result.
• Step 1: Blanch The Bones
As you must have known, it doesn’t matter what type of bone you are using. There’s no specificity as to the exact bone that makes a perfect bone broth. You can even be like some people who combine a variety of bones. This is also ideal if you have the resources.
Pour your bones into a large stockpot, cover with cold water, then bring the boil to high heat. Like you are trying to parboil your rice. Let it simmer for not less than 15 minutes but not more than 20 minutes.
Afterward, drain the water from the stockpot and rinse the bones with cold water.
• Step 2: Roast The Bones (and the Vegetables and Herbs)
Quickly trackback to the point where we recommended the essential ingredients for a bone broth, you will be roasting them alongside the bones.
Why is there a need for roasting? It’s all about the taste, some people skip this step of roasting, but we think you should.
Start by preheating your over to as high as 450 degrees F. Fill the roasting tray with the blanched bones and your vegetables. Never allow one rest on the other, if it’s much, use two roasting pans.
Let it roast for around 30 minutes; you can then toss gently. Allow it roast for another 15 to 30 minutes, and you are done.
• Step 3: Move The Roasted Bones and Vegetables Back to The Stockpot
If you are using the stockpot used in blanching the bones, ensure it’s washed before transferring the bones back.
Then, you can move the roasted bones into the stockpots. There will be bones and vegetables that would have melted into the roasting pan, use a metal spatula to scrape it into the stockpot.
Are they brown and burnt? Not to worry, these will bring in additional flavor into the bone broth mix.
• Step 4: Boiling of The Bones
Your bones and vegetables are ready for boiling. Your vegetables may include but not limited to bay leaves, garlic, fresh turmeric, star anise, peppercorn and all those we listed in the ingredients. Most importantly, never forget the apple cider vinegar, it’s your solvent.
Fill the pot of bones with enough water that the bones are covered. There’s no exact measurement of water, ensure the water fully covers the bones.
You are then free to cover the pot and allow to boil.
• Step 5: Simmering of The Bones
Bring your heat to low and allow the bones to simmer. This could take between 8 to 12 hours, depending on the type of bones involved.
NB: Never leave your bone broth to simmer overnight if you cannot stay awake all through. You can drop from the stovetop and refrigerate till the next day. if you cannot stay away. Never run your stove overnight.
While simmering, leave the pot ajar. You should then skim off excess foams and fat.
• Step 6: Blend the Bone Broth
This is where your immersion blender comes in. This is to ensure you arrive at a smooth texture before straining. This will allow your bone broth to have a creamy feel if well blended.
You can use either an immersion blender, a handheld blender or a regular blender. This must be after simmering and when the bone broth is at a cool state.
• Step 7: Straining The Bones
We’ve already suggested three types of strainer you can use for your bone broth. This will help to separate the meats and vegetables from the bare bones.
Regardless of what you do, there will be particle meats in your bone broth. Of course, you will not allow those go to waste.
• Step 8: Fat Skimming From Your Bone Broth
You already tried to skim both fat and foam from the bone broth earlier. This will be another perfect time to do it again. While this is considered optional, you are also expected to know this process.
You can use a large soup spoon to scoop off the fat.
• Step 9: Store Your Bone Broth
None of this process should be skipped; likewise the equipment recommended.
This is where you will need the glass jars or the ice cube tray, depending on the quantity of the of the bone broth. If it’s a small quantity, store in a refrigerator, it will still be good for five days.
If the quantity is larger, consider freezing. This can be stored for as long as six months.
Pro Tips and Tricks For An Exceptional Bone Broth
We’ve covered the basic, but we want you to go from noob to pro in few trials of a home made bone broth recipe. Try out these tips and tricks to make an exceptional bone broth;
1. Never Make Bone Broth Without Apple Cider Vinegar
This should be the most important ingredients after the bones you’ll be using. The acidity of the apple cider vinegar acts as a solvent that allows the bones to break down easily.
Don’t be worried about the taste of the apple cider vinegar, it won’t even show in the bone broth.
2. Organic and Grass Fed Animals
You have little power to determine this but as much as you can look for grass fed animal bones for your bone broth. In your organic bones, you’ll find more of the minerals, collagen and more that a bone broth is known for.
By using these organic animals, you’ll see your bone broth gelling than what you’ve been getting.
3. A Slow Cooker if Possible
While a slow cooker is often recommended because of the safety aspect, only a few see beyond that. By making homemade bone broth using slow cooker, you are likely to get more from all the bones.
The slow cooker takes it time to boil out the nutrients from the bones.
4. Water Can Be Too Much
While there’s no empirical measurement as to the quantity of water to the weight of the bones, there can be too much water. Follow the rule of thumb of just ensuring the bones are submerged by the water and not more than that.
Yes, you may want to make a sizeable quantity of bone broth but it’s not by adding too much water.
5. Don’t Be Tempted To Add Too Much Stuffs
It’s a bone broth recipe and not vegetable or herb soup. Yes, the herbs and vegetables add a feel and taste to your homemade bone broth, too much of it can also do some damage. No one is saying you should add spices, what we are saying is that it should be at the minimum.
Allow your bones to shine, don’t let it be overtaken by other stuffs.
6. Refrigerate Before Freezing
If you made bone broth in large quantities, you don’t have to freeze immediately. Keep in a fridge around 12 hours. Within this period, you will see the fat floating on the broth. Scoop off the fat, you are then free to keep in a freezer.
Uncommon But Awesome Bone Broth Recipes
There exist numerous claims as to the benefits of the bone broth, which are actually true. You can enjoy your bone broth in a way that benefits both your body and also your taste buds.
This is why we’ll be bringing to you some of the amazing bone broth based recipes that will bless your body.
We are talking about how to combine your bone broth with other stuffs and have an amazing time. This isn’t out from any cookbook anywhere, it’s the combination of the opinions of others, and we think they are amazing.
1. Persian “Matzoh Ball” Bone Broth Recipe
This is straight out of Yummy Supper, a blog by Erin Scott. This is like a comfort food, actually bone broth is a comfort food but this particular bone broth recipe brought a new meaning to “comfort.”
Imagine taking this when the whole family is battling with sniffles, belly aches and/or cough, it makes a whole lot of difference. The major ingredient in the recipe includes; yellow onions, chickpea flour, egg, lemon juice, chicken, and many others.
It’s all based on the bone broth. We think this will be amazing when made with a chicken bone broth.
2. The Healthy Mexican Chicken Bone Broth Recipe
This is straight out of Mexico, and it’s worth all the efforts that it will require to make this happen. If you have a love for avocado, cilantro and cheese, they can serve as the toppings when done.
Let’s warn you, the Mexican Chicken Bone Broth recipe isn’t as easy as it looks, but if you are able to get it right, it’s a winner anyway. According to the Ambitious Kitchen blogger who shared this recipe, the recipe can help you lose weight while you will still be glowing and it can also help you to land a dream husband or wife.
You will need chicken, corn kernel, tomatoes, green bell pepper and many others to score this bone broth recipe.
3. Roasted Kale, Tomato and Sausage Bone Broth Recipe
This is right out of the books of Salt and Wind. We are talking about a combination of fire-roasted tomatoes, Italian-style sausage, and kale. Imagine all of these simmering in a beef bone broth, it will make you feel like heavens.
You don’t have to be a pro to make this amazing Italian styled bone broth. In 40 minutes, it will be ready. Get a neutral oil, yellow onions, crushed red pepper flakes, and roasted tomatoes. These are the base ingredients and more.
Check your grandmother’s cookbook if you have any with Italian origin, you may be lucky to find something related.
4. Crockpot Pork Ramen Noodle Bone Broth Recipe
Don’t let the time invested into making a bone broth go to waste, channel the energy into another super bone broth recipe. According to Half Baked Harvest, the recipe is worth all the efforts.
You’ll feel the melting of both the meat and the bones. Since the meat will be slow cooked, it will get to a melting point. There’s a mixture of both flavors and broth in the noodle bone broth recipe.
Make this bone broth recipe during the cold, the ice, and freezing rains. When there are no sunshine for days, the recipe is ideal.
5. Vietnamese Noodle Bone Broth Recipe
Have you had any Vietnamese meal in the past? If you have, this delicate, simmering and spicy bone broth recipe will make you fall in love with Vietnam. This is best made with a chicken bone broth base.
Vermicelli or rice noodles works best with the noodle bone broth. It goes with a shredded chicken which also blends with the chicken bone broth, a dual combo that leaves you salivating for more.
This bone broth recipe is as described by 3 Chairs. It’s simple and quite easy to make for even beginners.
How To Store Your Bone Broth
There you have it; if you have a love for recipes, you’ll use a bone broth daily. These bone broth recipes will require you to have bone broth stored. Here are three ideal ways to store your bone broth for different bone broth recipes;
• Dehydrating into Powder
You can dehydrate this into powder; it will be made into a bone broth powder. You can start by reducing the bone broth into a thick and consistent syrup. Spread the syrup onto a paraflexx sheet and set into the dehydrator.
The dehydrator should be set to dry for the broth to lose the moisture. You will see it turning into a glass-like and brittle texture. This should be poured into a dry mill of the blender while it turns into a powder. Blend until you have a fine powder.
We’ll recommend using any of these dehydrators.
• Freezing
This is the most popular of the options available. Freezing your bone broth after cooking. Strain with a fine-mesh strainer before freezing. You can then pour into a glass jar or an ice cube tray, depending on the quantity.
When in an ice cube tray, it will be easy to pull out when you are ready to use. However, this will be limited to a smaller quantity. For larger quantities of bone broth, a glass jar is better.
You can freeze for as long as six months.
• Reduce Into a Fine Syrup
What you will have is a thick, fine, and gelatinous syrup. You can reduce about two-quart into one cup of bone broth. This will help you reduce the storage space that it takes in your freezer.
Pour your bone broth into a large enameled cast-iron Dutch oven, that’s what you use in reducing the liquid into a smaller amount.
Final Words…
Here you have it, a comprehensive guide that will help make an ideal bone broth recipe.
It doesn’t end there, and you must have seen what you are doing wrong with your bone broth making process. If you follow this guide religiously, you will become a pro at bone broth.
Do you know any old bone broth soup recipe? Please share with us and others who are in love with bone broth soup recipes.
