The bone broth saga continues...

[HungryinTN]

I've been a broth-making machine lately trying to pack out the freezer for the semester.  I still haven't gotten my broth to gel, so I tried increasing the amount of bones and using oxtails.  Still no gel.  Oh well.  For the first time today I tried to "drink" the broth straight.  Either I'm doing something wrong or I inherited my mother's squeamishness about meat.  I haven't had a problem with it cooked into stuff, but by itself it was just TOO much.  I dumped it back out into a pot and added some diced tomato, zucchini, olive oil, and spices. Is there any health benefit to drinking the broth on its own?  Is it important for me to learn to do that or is it fine to just use it for soups and seasonings? 

[Jan in Key West]

To 'our little broth making machine'....you did great! It doesn't matter how you ingest it, whether alone or in a soup, the point is to get it in your digestive system where it will do the most good.


Most likely, the reason my broth gels is that I use a large representation of a variety of bones, cartilage, toes, joints, organs, and lots of other cool stuff that my butcher saves me.....which I then crack open to expose the interiors.....helps break it down faster.  Also, I simmer for a minimum of 72 hours....and by that time, it's fairly concentrated.

[Barbara from New Jersey]

Hungry,


I always add lots of veggies (celery, carrots, onions, whole peppercorns, bay leaves), etc. to the broth while it is cooking.  I also save egg shells and add them too. I stick any veggie scraps in a bag in the freezer, like celery tops or leftovers and add them.  Jan is quite correct about using the animal parts that have a lot of gelatin in them.  The only problem with using a crock pot is the size since they are small, you have to limit the amount of stuff you can add, especially using many bones  Add salt to taste at the end of your cooking so it doesn't condense and make the broth too salty. You can strain everything several times until you get the broth the way you like it.  I then throw the veggies and bones out, but some people use their blender and then emulsify it and add it to their garden.


I use the broth mainly for soups or sauces.  Summer soups like zucchini watercress are my favorite in warm weather.  Like you, I do not really want to eat or drink it plain.  Love adding leftover scraps of meat or veggies for a quick meal. Italian Wedding Soup is the broth with meatballs and a chopped up green veggie.  I almost always  slowly  sauté the veggies and onions in olive oil until the either "sweat" or are turning brown and then add them to the broth for my soup.  Your kitchen will smell wonderful! Remember, the idea is nutrition and clean food.  Commercial broths all have undesirable ingredients added.  The broth you are making will add the nutrients your gut needs....just like Jan is saying.

[Rita]

I have to make soup out of it too.   Can't drink it alone.  But I haven't had luck getting it to gel either.  Maybe Jan has a certain bone in there that gives it more gel??

[Barbara from New Jersey]

Rita,


Knuckles, oxtails, neck, joints and the like all have lots of gelatin in them.  Ask your butcher for advice.  I'm seeing lots of bones even in the supermarkets now.  Much more than before.  Greater variety too.  Used to see them in starting in November for the holidays. 


I found a source for pastured bones.  Next broth I make will be made with them and I'm eager to see the difference.  And of course, letting it simmer for 72 hours! 


Has anyone tried those konjac noodles in soup?  Like chicken soup?

[Rita]

good to know.  Thanks Barbara.

[HungryinTN]

If I get the oxtails again I'll try letting it simmer a little longer (last attempt was about 2.5 days).  How do you crack the bones open, Jan?

[Jan in Key West]

Hungry....chicken bones are easy to crack open since they are more fragile/porous...... you can either use a mallet or a hammer on a firm cutting board in the kitchen and that will do the trick.  Beef bones, especially large ones, on the other hand are a different story (due to their density) and they take some work! I put them in a heavy-duty industrial grade plastic bag, take them out to the driveway and using a sledgehammer or hammer, pound away! I once tried driving over them in the car, but that didn't work too well.


The gelatinous outcome may be due to variety of circumstances....too much water added during the process.....the type of bones/knuckles/parts & pieces used.....not adding vinegar.  I use a 20 qt. stockpot (filled to the brim) and usually end up with approximately 18 to 20 pts.

[HungryinTN]

I could be adding too much water.  If that's the case, then I should still be getting the same amount of nutrients per pot, I would think, just not per serving.  So if I'm eating it all the time, then I'm still getting the nutrition, right?  Also, when I try to render the fat, it seems no matter how many times I strain it there are always particles of meat in it.  Is that okay? 

[Barbara from New Jersey]

Jan,


Do you keep your pot covered?  No lid?  Do you add more liquid or do you let it condense?  Do your bones and things fill 1/2 the pot?  More?  Less?  Seems that you are getting a half pot of broth (40 pts = 20 qts).  Thats pretty good!

[Jan in Key West]

Barbara & Hungry.....My 20 qt. stock pot has a slotted insert which I fill about 2/3 full of roasted bones & other treasures....I pour enough filtered (RO) water to almost reach the top of the entire pot, add vinegar.....put the lid on tight and bring to a boil, then reduce heat to slightly simmering, 'cock' the lid a little so steam can escape....I may add a few pints or so of water throughout the process, but the point is to reduce the liquid so the broth will be more gelatinous. p.s. this usually makes around 18 pts...not qts....I found that the pint jars are easier to stack in my freezer. When ready to drink, I just put the amount I want in a coffee cup and add hot water to heat...along with some sea salt.

[Jan in Key West]

I do keep some of the fat on the top before freezing as that helps keep the broth intact.....I strain through a small wire mesh, but still get particles/fragments in the broth which are fine to consume...I even add the remaining sand-like bone filaments I find in the bottom of the pot back into my jars. I remove most of the meat before beginning the process and concentrate on the bones.....but I doubt there is only one way to make bone broth....and all attempts are nutritionally advantageous!

[HungryinTN]

I think I'll try roasting first and removing the meat next time (I should probably get that started today as a matter of fact...).  On a side note, I bought my boyfriend some pork belly the other day which he cooked up at my place last night and saved the fat from it.  I used the fat to add back a little moisture to some reheated fritatta this morning and it was pretty yummy.  I tried a piece of the bacon and wasn't particularly impressed (he said it was some of the best he's ever had - so it wasn't the bacon's fault).  So far my journey from vegetarian to meat-eater has stopped short of actually eating meat, but at least with the bone broth and animal fat for cooking I'm starting to get new nutrients, I guess. 

[Suzhookem]

When I made broth it smelled really bad. It had lumps in it and tasted just like it smelled. I used grass fed beef bones. Yuck. Never again. And I know I need to be drinking it but it was just such a bad experience.

[Rita]

I made chicken tortilla soup tonight ( without the tortillas ) out of the beef bone broth.  Tasty.

[HungryinTN]

I've just been reading that bone cooked at too high of a temperature (constant boiling) creates MSG, and I'm afraid that the "low" setting on my crockpot is too high because it keeps the broth at a constant rolling boil.  I am going to try to get a good stock pot (hopefully with an insert) ASAP, but in the meantime, do you think the "keep warm" setting would be warm enough, if I bring it to a brief boil first and then turn the temp down and leave it to simmer?  I worry about bacteria growth. 

[Barbara from New Jersey]

Hi Hungry,


The only way to know the temperature is to stick a thermometer into the broth.  Any kind of food thermometer will do.  The ideal temperature is about 140-150* for it to simmer properly if I am remembering properly. 


If you think that you will be making broth on a regular basis, then consider purchasing the Nesco Induction Cooktop.  You would have to make sure your pot is induction ready (a magnet sticks to the bottom).  Uses very little electricity and you can leave it on for the long time period at low temps needed.  This is a discussion about this somewhere on this blog, perhaps under crockpot or bone broth heading.  It is important to check if the cooktop has a timer that would automatically shut off after 3 or so hours.  Most important is that your kitchen does not get hot and the cooktop is portable for easy storage. 


Check these out on line.  Inexpensive and in my opinion, worth the $.  I cook on a Jenn Air Downdraft cooktop that takes forever  to heat up and temps are not well controlled.  Am on my third induction burner: dropped something on my first one and broke the glass, second one was "borrowed" . 

[Jan in Key West]

I posted a question on the Wellness Meat site (we have ordered from them in the past) regarding the length of time they simmer the broth they market and they just posted an answer.....24 hours. Another questioned whether the broth was gelatinous.....and they answered, "there is a minimal amount of gelatin - we use only the center cut marrow bones (no feet or head meat). If you are looking for gelatin, we recommend using the knuckle bones."

[Rita]

If you are looking for gelatin, we recommend using the knuckle bones.

Ah ha!  Mystery solved.   Thanks for checking on that Jan.

[Bea]

Hungry....chicken bones are easy to crack open since they are more fragile/porous...... you can either use a mallet or a hammer on a firm cutting board in the kitchen and that will do the trick.  Beef bones, especially large ones, on the other hand are a different story (due to their density) and they take some work! I put them in a heavy-duty industrial grade plastic bag, take them out to the driveway and using a sledgehammer or hammer, pound away! I once tried driving over them in the car, but that didn't work too well.

Amongst the many old kitchen tools I have are two small hacksaws - which I use to cut through bones. They belonged to my parents - so there at least 60 years old! The blades last for ages - but can be replaced quite easily. Very hand for lamb shanks as well as cutting large bones for soups ans stews.

Recently I've been cooking chicken wings or legs and freezing them so I have cold "meat" for lunch on hand. The broth that is left after cooking them gels easily, so I am experimenting with some old fashioned recipes for salads in aspic - including Grated carrots, sliced cucumbers, asparagus and so on. Cream cheese etc.

Bea

[Linda R]

Dr. Mercola has now posted an article on bone broth and how he prepares this awesome food element.


http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/12/16/bone-broth-benefits.aspx

[Jan in Key West]

Bone broth rocks! Over the week end, my husband (now 72) won the men's doubles at a local charity tennis tournament.....he told everyone it was because he drinks bone broth before he plays......so now I'm getting inquiring phone calls and text messages......

[VibeRadiant]

I bookmarked a site for bone broth today, so I guess I am making baby steps towards consuming it - eventually.

[HungryinTN]

It's been a while since I've had time to make any broth.  I've had bones sitting in the freezer for weeks (they'll still be okay, right?) and invested in a fancy new stock pot ages ago but my schedule just did not allow it.  But with the sub-zero wind chills today, I'm staying at home to watch my broth simmer!  Wish me luck! 

[Loanne]

My question is:  When the water boils down (after 24 hours), does one keep adding more?  I've boiled bones in my new crockpot, but the water boils down some, so was just wondering.  I'm thinking I'll try it again.  It didn't appeal to me at all in the beginning, but I've been reading of its benefits.  So...here goes!

[HungryinTN]

Apparently you can do either way.  If you don't then you get a more nutrient-dense and richer broth.  If you do then it's just more watered-down.  I think Jan said something about it above somewhere...

[Jan in Key West]

If you are after a more 'gelatinous' broth, then adding cartilage makes the difference. When making beef bone broth, which I do over 72 hours, I do add a bit more filtered water, but not much.  The trick is to keep your temp below 200 degrees.....165 works best and keeps your liquid from boiling away. I've tried a multitude of ways.....bought several different crock pots (low heat was too high).....induction burner (internal timer kept going off on me)......gas stove top (worked ok)..... Pressure cooker (Sally Fallon wrote and said high heat kills the good stuff).....and then I hit on the Proctor-silex turkey roaster which for 50 bucks works great!  Keeps the temp below 200....and I can make large batches. I do zero carb bone broth.....adding nothing else but the bones etc.

[HungryinTN]

I need some tips on thawing my broth.  To save time last time I stored a lot of it in one big bowl.  I started to thaw it out a few weeks ago but after almost two days in the fridge it was frozen solid.  Could I just put it directly into the stock pot and thaw it on the stove?  I plan to bring it to a boil to kill micro-organisms anyway.  Would it hurt anything? 

[Barbara from New Jersey]

Hungry,


Put the entire amount in the pot and heat it up slowly.  Microwaves are not the best for preserving minerals/enzymes and healthy bacteria. 

[HungryinTN]

Tossed out the microwave a while back, but I'll go ahead with the stovetop prep.  Thanks!