Remember this? Well, after we finished our dinner I placed all the bones in a bag and threw them in the freezer. Last night, I roasted 2 more small chickens (there were 4 of us and we wanted leftovers). I took those bones and the ones from the freezer and threw them in my crockpot to make bone broth. Yum!
“So, what’s the big deal about bone broth”, you ask?
According to Dr. Axe,
“Here are the six major bone broth benefits.
Protects Joints. …
Good for the Gut. …
Maintains Healthy Skin. …
Supports Immune System Function. …
Boosts Detoxification. …
Aids the Metabolism and Promotes Anabolism.”
Want to read more? Look here: https://draxe.com/the-healing-power-of-bone-broth-for-digestion-arthritis-and-cellulite/
So next time you’re done with your chicken, throw those bones in a pot! I prefer putting mine into the crockpot, covering it with water, adding 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar (you wont taste it and it’ll help to pull the minerals out of the bones), set it on low and walk away. That’s it. I’ll leave mine to cook for 36 to 48 hours.
I know it’s done when I can mash the biggest bones with my fingers and they crumble. Turn off the crockpot and let it cool enough to be able to handle. Pour the deliciousness though a colander and a sieve and if you like it really clear, use cheesecloth too. From here, I pour off my broth into mason jars, leaving about 1″ of head space at the top. Let it cool enough to place it in the refrigerator and then what I don’t use, I put in the freezer. 
Now if you want your bone broth to congeal, you should add chicken feet. I know. Ewwww! But seriously, they will add more collagen to your broth which is good for your skin and hair, joints, leaky gut, metabolism, teeth and nails and those nasty stretch marks.
There are a lot of recipes out there on the web for bone broth. Pick one you like. I choose to not season flavor mine with veggies, although it does make for a delicious broth. I have plans for the “leftovers” and sometimes those veggies are troublesome.
Now that you’ve made it, how do you use it? You can drink a cup straight up. Like a warm cup of coffee. But I’ll admit, that’s not my favorite way. You can use it most anywhere you might use water; soups, braises, cooking veggies, cooking pastas or rices. It’ll add nutritional value to each of those dishes. My guys really enjoy rice cooked with bone broth instead of water. The nice thing is, since I didn’t season it with other veggies when I fixed it, I can season it however I want as I use it. I could flavor it for an Asian or a Mexican dish. It leaves the choice up to me.
Before you go tossing all those bones, ligaments, bits of meat and skin that you’ve had cooking away into the trash, think about this. This is the reason I didn’t add veggies to my broth, in particular onions. Onions are not good for dogs. I mash up all those “leftovers”. I mean really mash them up. Remember, the bones crumble. They mash up really well with all the other things to make a doggie (or kitty) pate´ of sorts. If I’m short on time, I’ll run it through my food processor in batches until I have a nice smooth paste. Then I feed it to my dogs and cats a little at a time. They love it! I give the dogs about 1/4 a cup a day. I have big dogs! The cats get no more than a tablespoon a day. I could feed this in place of their regular food but I don’t. I choose to supplement it instead because sudden changes in their diets can give them upset tummies. And I don’t need 4 large dogs and 2 inside cats with upset tummies!
So that’s how I make bone broth and some ideas on how to use every bit of your chicken. Now go out and make your own bone broth! It so easy and rewarding and much healthier than the store bought brands.
I love this idea and have been experimenting with it.
My question is – if the bones are cooked until they’re soft enough to mash into a puree and the marrow is exposed anyway, do you still need the apple cider vinegar?
That’s an excellent question and honestly, since I’m no nutritionist or chef, I had to look up an answer. The Nourished Kitchen website tells us, “Adding an acid, like vinegar or wine, to your bones and water will help extract the collagen in the connective tissue that adheres to those bones.” So I think the key word here is “help”. I suppose you would be fine not using it. Hope that helps.