I don’t like to throw away poultry bones before sucking them dry of all goodness. Bone broth is incredible wholesome and so easy to make, it makes sense to cook the bones before discarding them.
- After a turkey or chicken has been plucked clean of meat put it in a pot.
- Cover the bones with water.
- Simmer, covered, for 12-24 hours on low on a stovetop, or in an instant pot for 2-3 hours.
- Cool the broth to room temperature.
- Strain out the bones with a colander. I usually wrap a Ziploc back around the bas of the colander to catch the broth as I strain. Then I zip up the bag and lay it flat in the freezer.
- The bone broth can be easily thawed by running the bag under hot water.
Uses: Soups, stews, rice, casseroles, any time a can of broth is needed. When we are struggling with illness in our home, I pull out a package of stock, add lots of garlic and some salt, keep it warm in a pot and sip on it all day.
Why make instead of buy?
1) Using the bones is not wasteful. Not being wasteful is a form of gratitude. When we are ungrateful for something, we tend to treat it with disregard, as though it is- easy come and easy go. If we appreciate something, we will not cast it aside easily. There are times in life I am unable to cook up the bones from a bird. It makes me a little sad, because I feel as though I am pouring a half gallon of amazing stock in the trash, but I also know that it is not with ingratitude that I do not cook up bones, so it is okay to move on from those sad thoughts.
2) It is in a way, free broth! One chicken, depending on its size, makes about 4-8 quarts of broth. Making one’s own broth is a sensible way to save money. A can of similar quality broth can run up three dollars and up…if it can even be found.
3) Stock made with bones contains collagen which helps nourish our body’s bones, easing and even preventing arthritis and bone loss. Collagen is good for skin, hair, and nails too. Minerals and collagen found in home-made bone stock are much higher than most store bought versions of stock. A good stock will be so think with collagen, it will gelatinize in the fridge. Very few store-bought stocks can claim that.