ChezCindy: Homemade Chicken Bone Broth

 

I learned how to make soup broth when I was a very young child.  My father made turkey bone broth every Thanksgiving holiday.  Actually, any time we had roast turkey the bones were never discarded but were made into soup.  I never thought it was unusual or special.  It was just our way of life.  In recent times, bone broth is kind of a "hip thing" in the health world offering great nutrition.  To me, it is just the right thing to do.  Think of it as free food, taking a food item that would normally be thrown away, and turning it into food.  

Making bone broth is not difficult, it just takes a bit of planning.  You will need a few hours of time, but it is passive cooking.  Once you have all ingredients in the stock pot, turn the heat down low and let it simmer for hours.  The low simmer extracts all of the goodness turning plain water into a delicious and  nutritious broth.  I start with leftover bones from a roasted chicken.  You can even use a rotisserie chicken bought from the grocery store.    

Once the broth is complete, use it to make soups or stews  in the recipes from these earlier posts.  I like to keep containers of it in the freezer, ready to use for any recipe or to sip on as a plain broth.  Below is the simple process of making bone broth for you to try. 

Homemade Chicken Bone Broth

Bones of 1 4-pound rotisserie chicken, meat removed

8 cups cold tap water

1 medium onion, cut into quarters

1 large carrot, cut into 2-inch pieces

1 celery stalk, cut into 2-inch pieces

3 sprigs fresh parsley

1/2 teaspoon whole peppercorns

Working with a large stock pot over high heat, add the bones of the rotisserie chicken to the stock pot.  Brown the bones for about 10 minutes, stirring a few times for even browning.  Browning the bones before adding the water is somewhat optional, but I recommend it.  Doing so adds flavor and color to the broth.  

Add the 8 cups of tap water, and the remaining ingredients, stirring to combine.  Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low.  Partially cover the pan with the lid, simmer for 2 hours, stirring occasionally.  

Strain out all of the contents, collecting the broth in a large bowl.  Discard the bones and vegetables.  Transfer the broth into containers for use to make soup or stew, using within 2-3 days.  Or freeze for later use, keeping in the freezer for 3-4 months.