We sip bone broth all the time and I am always looking for ways to make it more affordable, more gel like of a consistency, and more nutritious. Occasionally I buy pre-made broth from companies including Kettle and Fire or Epic. However due to the amount of broth that we go through, it is more affordable for me to make it. I usually have a pot of it going at least 3 times a week. My go-to bones are pasture raised or organic chicken bones, however I will use any bones that I have leftover from our meals. My 3, most recent, bone broth tips that I am loving are:
- Use chicken necks for better gel-like consistency. Our local coop sells packages of chicken necks for a few dollars a package. I add a package of necks to most batches of my broth and the necks give my broth the best gel-like consistency when cooled. I have been making broth for years but my broth gel has never been consistent, until I started adding the chicken necks. I feel that this is great for our gut health, skin and joints, and it tastes great!
- Use the instant pot. I know that long simmered broth is best, but I have to admit that I make most of our broth in my instant pot. That way, my broth is done is a little over an hour. I know that there are mixed views on this and if I have the time and a clay pot, I would definitely go for the long simmer, but for ease, I use the instant pot and I love it. Our broth still gels and tastes great. This hack enables me to make broth cooking a doable part of our regular routine.
- Add onion, celery, and carrot scraps. I don’t like to waste food, including the odds and ends of our vegetables. I keep a container in my freezer and whenever I have scraps from onion, celery or carrots, I scrape them into the container. Then when I am making a batch of broth, I take a bit of these scraps, add them in, and feel that I am giving my broth a flavor and nutrient boost.
Broth is simple to make, responsible to make (because you are using leftovers that might be thrown away anyways), nourishing and delicious.
Canned Salmon
