Chicken Bone Broth

PREP TIME:

10 minutes

PREP NOTES:

Cooking time:

24-48 hours

YIELDS:

8 servings

INGREDIENTS:

• Carcus from 3-5 pound pasture raised or organic chicken

Vegetables – washed and roughly chopped

• 2 onions
• 3 carrots
• 1 sweet potato
• 3 stalks celery
• 6 cloves garlic
• 2 tablespoons Italian seasoning (or fresh herbs)
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 2 bay leaves
• salt to taste (after cooked)
• filtered water

DIRECTIONS:

• Place bones in crock pot and cover completely with filtered water.
• Add apple cider vinegar (helps to release the nutrients from the bones).
• Add remaining ingredients – garlic, veggies, spices and bay leaves.
• Cook on low for 24-48 hours (the longer it simmers, the richer the flavor).
• Add water as needed to keep the bones covered.
• Strain out veggies and bones using a strainer or cheesecloth and discard.  (The nutrients are in the soup.  The remaining vegetables contain fiber, but minimal nutrients, so feel free to use for extra fiber.)
• Spoon into mason jars and freeze or refrigerate. Leave about 1 inch at the top if you plan to freeze.

NOTES:

• The easiest way to remove the fat is to refrigerate and skim off the top.
• Yields about 2.5-3 quarts of broth.
• To prepare in advance, save chicken carcasses and bones in the freezer for future use. Only use chicken bones once for broth.

I love what Sally Fallon of Nourishing Traditions says about the soup – prior to straining:

“You will now have a pot of rather repulsive-looking brown liquid containing globs of gelantinous and fatty material. It doesn’t even smell particularly good. But don’t despair. After straining you will have a delicious and nourishing clear broth that forms the basis for many other recipes.”

CREDIT: