How to Make DELICIOUS Bone Broth! [For Free]

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Bone broth has recently risen in popularity and for good reason! It’s one of the oldest ways people groups from all over the world have used to extract all the good nutrients and flavor the animal has to offer.

Bone broth is super high in nutrients that can be otherwise difficult to get in the daily diet.

Bone broth of course has protein and fat, but it’s also a great source of gelatin, which is a great source of collagen. It contains amino acids, magnesium, potassium, zinc, calcium, and sodium! It’s just good stuff!

Bone broth is an essential part of eating an ancestral diet AND it's a superfood in pregnancy!

While buying bone broth in the grocery store is an ok option, it’s not the best. Pre-packaged bone broth can often have additives, that aren’t great for us, to keep it shelf-stable. Even if it's high-quality bone broth, there are MUCH more cost-efficient ways to make bone broth. Many people opt to buy stew bones and make their own. That’s also a fine option, but making homemade bone broth without spending extra money is the best way!

Here it is!

To make bone broth for free, simply save up your bones from your meat. When you eat a steak, lamb chop, pork chop, ribs, or a chicken wing, save those bones! I keep a ziplock bag in my freezer for these bones. I also like to add in veggie scraps, such as the parts of onion, carrot, garlic, or celery that you would otherwise throw away. Keep those in a separate bag in your freezer. If you have cheese rinds, toss those in the ziplock too. They add excellent flavor! Here are my favorite reusable zip locks. I legitimately use these at home. They're a gallon size, dishwasher safe, and reusable. It saves money and is better for the environment

How to make Bone Broth:

1. Blanch

Once your bag of bones is full, blanch them on the stove. To blanch bones, simply heat up a pot of boiling water, dump your bones in, and cook for about 10 minutes. Blanching bones is not necessary, but it helps remove any impurities from the bones, and the result is a clearer, tastier broth.

2. Roast

Drain off the water from the blanching and place your bones in a baking pan. Throw in an onion or garlic head for extra flavor if you want! Roast your bones on high heat (450 Fahrenheit) for about 15 minutes. This step is not necessary, but adds so much flavor!

3. Simmer

This is the most important step in making bone broth. Cover your bones in water, and place them in an instant pot, crockpot, or stovetop. Add in any frozen veggie scraps you’ve been saving, an onion, garlic, plenty of pepper, a bay leaf, parsley, and any other herbs you like.

The bottom line for bone broth is to cook the bones until they’re soft and can be broken easily with a spoon or your fingers. This is how all the good collagen is extracted.

Pressure cooker: Cover your bones and add any veggies and herbs you want to use. Cook on high for about 2 hours.

Crockpot/Slow Cooker: Cover your bones and add any veggies and herbs you want to use. Cook on low for 2 days! If the bones get soft before then, you’re done, but it honestly takes my broth 2.

Stovetop: Cover your bones and add any veggies and herbs you want to use. Bring your water to a boil, and then lower and let simmer for 10-15 hours. If you’re comfortable, leave your stove on overnight.

Please Note: You'll want to make sure that the water does not evaporate out of the pot as much as possible. Choose a large pot with a lid that keeps moisture inside the pot. This is a great one.

4. Strain and Store

Once your bones are soft, strain them, and put your broth in a large container to store. Bone broth will last 7 days in the refrigerator and up to a year frozen. Instead of throwing away the scraps, I like to give the bone and veggie scraps to our chickens. They love it, and it’s so healthy for them!

And don't throw away the bones! Many bones will be crushed into a paste very easily after being cooked for so long. This paste (or powder if they dried out) makes an EXCELLENT fertilizer for indoor and outdoor plants! See my post here for the full recipe for indoor plant fertilizer.

Hot Tips:

1. Don’t store bone broth in a glass jar in your freezer. It will bust, and then you’ll have broth and glass in your freezer. Here is my favorite container to store broth in. I recommend waiting for the broth to cool before placing it in the plastic container.

2. Don’t be shy about the size pot you use. Use an extra large bowl and strainer for straining!

3. Broth can obviously be enjoyed as a base for soups or stews, but it can also be enjoyed to cook rice or other grain. Cooking rice or other grains can be a great way to add extra flavor and nutrients.

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Want to get more bone broth in your diet? See my post here for 10 Dishes to Sneak Bone Broth Into.

Have you ever made bone broth before? How did it turn out for you? Let me know in the comments!