- Grass-fed beef bones, chicken carcass or any mixture of bones from wild or pasture-raised, healthy animals
- Purified water
- 1 tablespoon vinegar (apple cider or white)
- Place bones into a large crockpot. You only need a few bones to make broth, but the more you can fit in the crockpot the better.
- Fill with filtered water to cover all the bones completely (it’s okay if there are a few bones poking out of the water a little).
- Add a splash (about 1 tablespoon) of vinegar.
- Set your crockpot on low, and cook for at least 6 hours, preferably longer. Poultry bones can go as long as 24 hours, and beef bones can simmer for up to 48 hours.
- When the crockpot is cool enough to handle, pour the broth through a sieve into a storage container or use tongs to pick the bones out.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste. Use within 5 - 7 days or freeze for later.
There’s a South American Proverb that says, “A good broth can raise the dead.”
But what is it about “soup” that makes it good for us when we’re sick?
Homemade bone broth is one of the most powerful superfoods on the planet.
It’s made by simmering the bones of a (preferably pasture-raised) animal for 10 – 24 hours in a slow-cooker, or 24 – 48 hours for beef bones.
This low, slow cooking draws out the collagen, marrow, and other healing elements from the bones, including amino acids, minerals, glycine, and gelatin—which helps heal the gut and reduce inflammation.
My wife and I pretty much always have a batch of bone broth simmering on the counter. I’ll drink a cup of it in the late morning with a bit of sea salt, or we’ll use it to make soups and stews.
Broth can be a powerful weight-management tool, it keeps your joints lubricated, provides your bones with necessary nutrients, and makes your skin soft and elastic.
Broths are rich in nutrients that are difficult to source elsewhere—incredibly high in vital minerals like calcium, phosphorous, magnesium, and potassium.
You can use the bones (and legs from poultry, which are rich in restorative collagen) from pastured chicken, grass-fed cattle, fish, crustaceans, or anything else that was Recently Alive and Well (R.A.W.). Leftovers work well, too—take the picked-over carcass of a roasted fowl or the leftover bones from a roast or seafood meal. If you’re in a hurry, you can even throw in a whole fish.
Turns out, grandma’s chicken soup is even healthier than we thought. Share on XNot only are bone broths packed with nutrition, they’re an excellent way to save money on your grocery bill because you’re skipping prepared soups and broth. Plus, you’re doing your part to use the whole animal and reduce waste.
Unlike real bone broth, processed soup from a can like Campbell’s or Hormel is packed with sodium, preservatives, corn starch, wheat, artificial flavors, MSG, sugar, and none of the things that make real homemade soup nourishing.
Traditionally, chicken broth is made from slowly simmering a whole chicken for hours along with vegetables and seasonings. Finally, the bones are removed, the chicken stripped off, and chopped vegetables are added.
This is the only prescription I take when I get a cold. Share on XAlyson, bless her heart, always whips me up bone broth soup when I’m under the weather. It takes less than 10 minutes to prepare, but it can cut the duration of your cold in half. It has plenty of bug-fighting goodness that will fix you right up in no time.
How to stop a cold in its tracks: Sleep, water, and bone broth. Share on XWhere To Find Grass-Fed Bones
LocalHarvest.org is a free online resource for finding farms, farmers markets, CSAs and more near you. Just type your zip code into the field at the top of the page, and do a search to see what’s close by.
If you can’t find grass-fed, pasture-raised bones at your local farm or farmer’s market, here are a few of our favorite places to order them online:
Bone Marrow
If you’re using marrow bones in your broth, here’s a little tip for getting to eat the marrow, too…
Make sure any marrow bones are turned sideways in the crockpot and are near the top so they’re easy to find. You don’t want the marrow to fall out into the broth when you pick them out.
Allow the bone broth to cook like normal (per the recipe above), but check on the bones in about 4-5 hours. Use tongs to pull the marrow bones out of the water, salt, and eat the marrow straight from the bone. The longer you wait to check on them, the more likely the marrow may have melted away–but, we’ve been able to get the marrow after about 8 hours in the crockpot.
Return the bones to the crockpot to continue cooking to make broth.
Alternatively, you can make Roasted Bone Marrow (page 278 of The Wild Diet), and then use the leftover bones in your bone broth.
Bone Broth Butter
After cooling your bone broth in the refrigerator overnight, you’ll usually get a thick layer of fat on top. If you’re using healthy bones from wild or pasture-raised animals, this fat is pure gold.
Scoop it into a separate storage container and store it in the refrigerator. Use it for stir-frying veggies, caramelizing onions, cooking eggs, or pan-frying burgers.
Bone Broth Soup
A few hours before serving, add your bone broth back into the crockpot along with a bunch of chopped veggies and spices.
Try adding 1 bunch chopped kale, 1 chopped onion, 4 minced garlic cloves, 3 chopped carrots, 3 chopped celery sticks, 1 cubed sweet potato, along with salt, pepper, onion powder, and a dash of cayenne. Chopped bacon can be a tasty add-in, and kelp is great for adding more nutrients.
Simmer on low until veggies have softened, about 3 hours.
Serve warm.
NOTE: If you can’t find grass-fed/pasture-raised bones from your local farmer, you can order them online from Slanker or US Wellness Meats.
LEARN HOW TO DROP 20 POUNDS IN 40 DAYS WITH REAL FOOD
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How To Get Done-For-You Bone Broth
Don’t have time to make bone broth at home? We like to keep backup broth in the cupboard just in case.
Kettle & Fire Bone Broth is made from 100% grass-fed, organically raised cattle and organic vegetables and spices… and it tastes great right out of the box.
Click here to try Kettle & Fire Bone Broth
How To Get Started with The Wild Diet
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This is our full fat-loss program with a complete 30 day step-by-step meal plan that includes full color photos and shopping lists to make everything really easy for you.
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Did you notice a difference in the way you felt after drinking Bone Broth for a while? Comment below to share your experience making and drinking homemade Bone Broth.
Thank you for sharing this simple yet delicious recipe.. Bone broth has become a stable in my lifestyle after trying this to rid myself of a cold. It’s great to have on hand for many reasons. Thanks again, Fat Burning Man for introducing this wonderful concoction to my life! and many others!
I used bone broth (along with liver and cod liver oil) to heal my teeth.
heal from what? (curious)
Good question, Jose. Bone broth can help heal leaky gut. Check out these two interviews for more information: http://fatburningman.com/dr-perlmutter-brain-maker-fecal-transplants-and-how-to-heal-your-gut-with-real-food/
http://fatburningman.com/dr-tom-obryan-hidden-gluten-in-your-diet-autoimmune-disease-how-to-order-gluten-free-at-a-restaurant/
In what amounts and what frequency did you use bone broth and liver/cod liver oil to heal your teeth. How long did it take to see results?
What teeth issues did you have? How long did it take to heal your teeth and how much did you consume daily? Also how much liver and cod liver oil? I ask because I have terrible teeth that always have cavities no matter how well I brush and floss.
Kristy, Marcie – I’m reading Cure Tooth Decay: Remineralize cavities and repair your teeth naturally with good food by Ramiel Nagel. He recommends 1/4 – 1/2 tsp cod liver oil 3 times a day. He has lots other recipes for dental power, recipes, etc. Flossing isn’t all it’s cracked up to be, especially if you sometimes cut the gum. I got the book from my local library.
This is my daily lunch. I have RA and hope it will not only help to fix gut, but reduce pain and inflammation, so I could in turn reduce pain killers and other RA meds. Abel, can you cite any reference to potential benefits for RA? You mention it helps joints…
By the way, in addition to drinking it, I use bone broth for braising lamb shanks and chicken in place of wine or water, or making a stew – it takes it to the next level. Also, blend it in Vitamix (soup mode) with broccoli, herbs, avocado, grass-fed butter for a quick tasty soup.
Fixing your gut will help with your RA!! You should Google RA and gut health.
Any thoughts on making bone broth in a pressure cooker? Every time I search I see a lot of opinions supporting both sides pro and con.
Pressure cooking temperatures are to high, it destroys the nutrients, rather coax out the goodness with slow cooking.
I would like to see pros and cons on cooking bone broth in a pressure cooker
I have made it in the pressure cooker. The instructions said to cook it for 30 minutes at high pressure and then let the pressure drop. Then you repeat two more times. This is for chicken and turkey. For beef, you cook it two hours on high pressure. The broth turned out delicious
I also made it the same way. Beef Bones in the pressure cooker for two hours, then 24 hours more in slow-cooker. Came out beautiful! Perfect gelatinous texture!
I used to cook it in a slow cooker now I do it a pressure cooker. I’ve used the same bones three times and it is so gelatinous that I can’t pour it in a pan without scooping it out of the mason jar. I personally think the pressure gets more out of the bones. My beef or pork bones are almost soft by the end.
I learned that when you cook at high temperatures you kill the nutrients. When I studied with the Gerson Institute (alternative program for cancer treatment) they strongly recommend maintaining the integrity of the nutrients by not using these pressure cookers.
Temperature in a pressure cooker 250 degrees, temp in a slow cooker 250 degrees
I used to use the slow cooker, but now use a pressure cooker. For beef bones I do the following: The first batch I do two rounds of 90 minutes without a pressure drop (if I’m around when the timer goes off). The second batch (same bones) I do the same. The third batch (same bones) I cook it for four 90 minute rounds, because it is harder to gel at this point when the bones have been cooked that much. After cooling and a few hours in the frig I can turn the mason jar upside down and it doesn’t move. It doesn’t kill nutrients like P Rowley wrote. I believe it actually draws more nutrients out of the bones. I can see pit holes in the bones, and after my last round the bones are falling apart. Mine has more flavor than the slow cooker method that I used to use.
He did not say that,he said the pressure cooker will kill all of the nutrients,you are better off putting it in the slow cooker!!
Temperature in a pressure cooker 250 degrees, temp in a slow cooker 250 degrees
I’ve been cooking mine at a rolling boil for 36 hours are you saying that is not good
I guess I’ll buy a Pressure Cooker. I’m afraid I’ll fall asleep before it’s done. I could also buy a
Crock Pot, as I don’t have either type of cooking method. I just would like to know which would be easier to use for the Bone Broth.
Also, how can I find all the many things, illnesses, or things no one heard of (I have Raynauds
Disease) that this Superfood can fix or at least lesson the pain? The person who fixed her
teeth is really blessed by her approach.
Thank you.
Does it help w/flavor by roasting the bones first or does it affect the nutrients? I have always my own broths by roasting bones with veggies (carrots, onions, leaks, and celery). I then blend the veggies and then the broth for soups.
Many people say that roasting the bones first doesn’t hurt the nutrients. And it can definitely add some yummy flavor to the broth. Your broths sound delicious.
Can you just keep the bone broth constantly simmering in the crock pot instead of putting it in the fridge and can you use a raw whole chicken.
I boil the bones in a slow cooker outside the house (Cooking bone broth smells out the whole house). Once it has cooled I lift off the bone fat and store that separately. I then get the small cheap sandwich bags that you buy for children’s lunches. I fill each bag with enough bone broth for 1 cup (If it is cooked right it should be like a thick jelly) and freeze them. When I need a cup I simply take one frozen bag out of the freezer, remove the frozen broth from the bag and bring it to the temperature for drinking in the microwave.
I used to reheat my bone broth in the micro until I read that it decimates all the lovely nutrients!!! Now bring it up to temp in a pan on the stovetop.
Ok silly question do you just go the meat department in your local store and ask for bones to cook for a broth?
You sure can. The most important thing is that the bones should be from pastured grass fed animals. Try to get some joint bones in the mix if you can. If you are unable to find a good source from a local butcher there are a lot of great online sources too. Dave from Bulletproof Alderspring Ranch as a source. http://www.alderspring.com …… I’ve purchased from them several times and they’re really great, but the shipping was a bit expensive so I switched to US wellness meats. http://www.grasslandbeef.com.
Where do I find the joint bone? lol
We usually get them at farmer’s markets, but many butchers have them behind the counter if you ask.
You can do that! Ask for grass-fed bones. Some Whole Foods carry them (but they’re way overpriced), as do other natural grocery stores.
You’ll have the most success (and best prices) by hitting up your local Farmers Market or nearby farm. Try using LocalHarvest.org to find a farm or farmers market near you.
Or you can always order them online. Here are a couple places we’ve used and like:
http://bit.ly/slankergrassfed
http://bit.ly/uswellmeats
http://whiteoakpastures.com
Hi do you know of any farms or websites in Novia Scotia Canada. Where I might go to get farm organic or grass fed bones?
Let me know if you find out. Obviously it wont be pasture raised? Is that so important? al
ugh …… meant to day Dave from Bulletproof advises Alderspring Ranch
You type like me!! 🙂 Thanks for the reply I’m ordering some now
oh for pete’s sake …. meant to SAY ….. I’m going to stop talking now 🙂
Hello, I haven been making my beef bone broth for about 36 hours now and this morning I woke up to check it and the water was half gone. I added more water to cover the bones. Am I doing this right? Please help.
Thanks so much.
Hi Yoli, thanks for the question. That’s happened to me with slow cookers that don’t have a sealed lid that clamps down. Adding more water should work great, especially if you’re going to keep it cooking for a bit longer–or drink as is, since it should be a nice concentration of nutrients.
I am overweight and all this is new to me. Is bone broth really safe? It sounds like you could get some kind of toxins from the bones. Its a little scary. I want to be healthy, and am trying to follow all this.
If the bones are from healthy, pasture-raised animals, you’ll be extracting minerals, collagen, and tons of beneficial nutrients.
How long can bone broth be stored in the freezer? Does freezing ruin the health benefits?
Nope, freezing should be fine and it lasts for months!
Why is the salt and pepper added at the end? Doesn’t make more sense to season at the beginning to let the flavors marry?
If you add the salt first, when the water evaporates, the salt stays, and the broth can become too salty
I won’t do beef bones but would like to do chicken bone broth made with backs and maybe feet because of the collagen. I can get organic and non GMO from a local farmer. My hesitation Is in handling raw meat and bones. Im a vegetarian so haven’t had to deal with that. I haven’t been able to find out in recipes. Do I wash or not wash? Is there a difference in handling beef from chicken? I’ve read the USDA says not to wash to eliminate bacteria from splashing all over. I don’t want to have to be using bleach to disinfect everything.
I live in Singapore and food are imported here. What if we cannot authenticate the food source? There are suppliers who claim the meat to be grass-fed, but they may not be. Will that defeat the purpose of going on Wild Diet?
I see a lot of people on here asking where they can get bones. There is a company that actually makes it really easy! I’ve been using their kits to make my broth for my cleanses and detoxes and they taste great! Plus my house smells friggin amazing every time I brew a kit. You can get a kit here at http://www.biybb.com. all I had to do was add water and cook. The kit provided everything and all the bones are either grass-fed beef or free-range chicken. And you’re right fatburningman! That top layer of “fat/oil” really is pure gold!!! I save all of mine for cooking everything! Hope this helps you guys looking for bones! Cheers!
Could you tell me specifically how many bones or how many ounces of bones should be used to result in a broth that will provide maximum health benefits?
You can fill your crockpot to the top with bones! That’s how we generally do it. 🙂
Great–thanks!
I just made my first batch of beef broth, simmering it in crock pot for 3 days. It gelled perfectly and I skimmed off the fat and saved it in freezer. How many cups of the gelled broth do you use for making a large pot of veg beef soup? My batch gave me 56 oz of gel.
Can you use venison?
You sure can!
What is the purpose of the vinegar? I’m allergic to sulfites so I will need to omit it. I just want to make sure I do not need to add a substitute ingredient if it performs some type of function vs adding flavor. Thanks!
Cider Vinegar draws the nutrients out of the bones.
Hi Abel!
Just binge watched My Diet is better than yours and saw how powerful the Wild Diet can be. I’m an athlete and train from around March-October. I’m curious how often you think I should consume bone broth? Is it best right after a workout? And if I have many races in one day, how often should I consume it on a daily basis to be making sure I’m refueling my body in the right way? Thanks for all your information, and your very educational website! I’ve been listening to your podcast since Shawn Stevenson had you on the first time, and have been loving it ever since. Thanks for all you do!
Cheers!
My local health food store has lots of good grass fed beef, free range chicken but the only bones it has are pork bones. I am planning to ask the butcher for beef bones, but will pork bones work? I picked up some Pacific brand organic (chicken and turkey) bone broth, that will hopefully work in a pinch. Thanks! Love the Wild Diet. I started this week and have already lost almost 11 lbs!
Is it alright to do bone broth in pressure cooker
Yes.it’s better in a pressure cooker.
http://wellnessmama.com/77757/pressure-cooker-nutrients/
I was wondering I’ve been trying to read a lot on bone broth. I had chronic pain for years knee damaged years back and a neck injury a dr. I went to years recently closed his practice and I haven’t found another dr. He gave me pain mess for years. I would like to see if this would help with my health and stop using pain Medes. Do you think this will help? Thanks for,any comments.
We frequently make bone broth and love it! This is such a great reminder of all the health benefits! One question though, we will also sometimes put some Great Lakes Gelatin in our coffee (the collagen hydrolysate). Would there be any reason not to do this? Thank you!
Is it ok to leave the marrow in the broth?
Yes, although we like to eat it on it’s own because we like the taste of marrow. 🙂
To me is funny to see how bone broth is the next new thing in the health world, while in Europe I grew up with it. I think every nation has its own version. Our flavoring is made with caraway seeds, cloves, whole peppercorns and bay leaves, than we add kohlrabi, carrots, parsnips, potatoes, parsley, but you can also add cabbage, whatever veggies you have on hand, than we finish it up with some pasta of course… As far as the bone marrow goes, we spread it on toasted bread with butter and garlic! It is delicious, one of our staple soup.
Mmmm, that sounds delicious.
How many times a day do you eat the bone broth
my cholesterol recently went up…could it be due to eating beef bone broth daily?
I have lupus and my nutritionist turned me onto bone broth instead of the plain organic broth in a box I was using as a base for most everything…. The added protein is very helpful for me, makes me feel great. Now I’ve read this and am definitely going to make my own. I was a vegetarian for 26 years but did go back to eating meat (beef and chicken and turkey, can’t handle the idea of pork or lamb) but am a stickler for 100% grass fed and humanely raised and slaughtered. And yes I call the ranchers to ask details about how the animals live and die, and the good ones are quite open and willing to talk about it. Anyway my question is about the marrow, I always heard it was so nutritious, so why would you scoop the marrow out of the bones instead of leaving it in as part of the broth? Thanks!
Is it possible to can bone broth in quart jars so you can have when you need time?
Yes!
Meats have to be pressure canned. Or you will risk botulism among other things. Most meat products,meat broth soup are canned for 90 min after a 10 min venting at the beginning (this helps to even the pressure in the canner). I usually will run the canner just before bed time or a time I’m going out of the house for awhile, and allow the canner to cool down on its own. I haven’t had much luck with not breaking jars if I help the canner along in releaseing it’s pressure.
Does it freeze well?
Yes it does! Freezing will help it keep fresh for months – we usually freeze 1-2 servings at a time and simply reheat when we’re ready for a hot cup of broth.
It’s a good idea to leave the lid off the jar and a couple inches of space at the top for the first night in the freezer, since the broth will expand as it freezes. I forgot to do that a few times… it’s not pretty. 🙂
Can I still make bone broth from the bones that I cook with in my chicken soup?? I have a package of organic chicken thighs with bones cooking on low in my crockpot along with celery, carrots and onions, garlic, ginger, water, salt and raw apple cider vinegar. When it is all finished cooking, can I still use the few bones to make a bone broth??? Usually I would get a whole chicken and use the bones from that to make the bone broth, but I was just curious if a few bones would do the job too. Thank you !!!
Can you reuse the bones multiple times? If so how many until they are “done” and need to be replaced? How about Possibly cutting them into smaller pieces to expose more surface area to extract nutrients? Thank you for the suggestion on Bastrop Cattle Company! They are a great ranch to work with.
Yes, some people use bones 2-3 times, although we prefer using them once and letting them go in the crockpot for a couple days.
Question…i just bought pork neck bones, not sure if they are grass fed. Would they be ok to make bone broth with?
I left two pints of chicken bone broth in the fridge for ten days when I went in a trip. I should probably toss? I didn’t sterilize jars because I planned to take them! Duh!n any advise?
I have night blood pressure and cholesterol is this ok got
To do
In one of your cookbooks you have an amazing recipe for a whole chicken cooked on a bed of onion slices. The broth that is produced is phenomenal. Some nights I’ll just drink that. Could I use that as a starter? Once we’ve carved the chicken put the bones back in add some more water and vinegar and cook longer?
I live on a military base in Japan and am very limited. I am making my first batch of beef bone broth. I am uncertain if it is grass-fed, pasteurized, etc. Will it hurt me to drink the broth if the bones are not from grass-fed cows?
I would like to see the video of preparing this soup
Hey Kamal, we actually created a Bone Broth video in our Wild Diet Cooking Class video series. You can check it out here: http://fatburningman.com/cooking/
Thank u all for all the info..gana definitely try it!! ?
Our pleasure, thanks for reading Veronica.
Why can’t you leave the meat in? Say you boil a chicken, device or not, just leave it in like soup.
Hi Racy, you can leave the meat in, but it’ll be done sooner and spoil a bit faster.
Debone not device
Thank you for answering so many questions on this thread! It was all super helpful! Brewing up my first batch now! ????
Woohoo!
Can you cook the broth on the stove top rather than a crock pot or pressure cooker?
I have a high cholesterol.im in no fat diet.is this bone broth is good for me ?
I’ve got the beef bones in the crock pot on low. Your recipe says to get the marrow out of the bones after a few hours. Ok, but now what do I do with it? It’s kind of a gelatinous pile of goo – not very appetizing.
Of course, I saw the part about roasting the bones first and getting the marrow out after they had already been in the crock pot a while,. Looks like roasting would make the marrow a bit tastier.
Roasting is usually a bit tastier. But if we’re short on time, we just toss the bones right in the crockpot and scoop the marrow out after a few hours (after it’s cooked through). You can just scoop the marrow onto little plates, sprinkle with sea salt, and eat with tiny forks.
I eat vegan. I have read that burdock root can be substituted for bones. I have juiced fresh burdock root before. Would juiced burdock root offer the same benefits? What about dried burdock root tea?
No
I made bone broth soup for the first time. After cooling it down the top layer is pure white not what you said pure gold. Why is this and should I even eat this or use this to make other meals?
Thanks,
kim
Hey Kim, by “pure gold” we mean that it’s valuable! Jars of pasture-raised rendered fat can be costly. The actual color of the fat on top is usually white, off-white, or yellowish. It sounds like you have some good fat there!
I make my bone broth with chicken leg bones and feet… gels beautifully… i also add garlic cloves, bay leaves, bundle of fresh thyme, a thumb of fresh ginger for flavor…
You never answered about cholesterol. I have high cholesterol, too, and would really appreciate an answer.
Does anyone know how many calories the gel part (after the fat is removed) of the broth has?
My mom always made bone broth for us when we were growing up and made me eat the marrow because i walked pigeon toed. I hated the marrow but it has been decades and I’m willing to try it again for the health benefits, and I’m hoping my tastes have changed and that i might like it now.
I lost a lot of weight (33% of my weight to now be 124 ponds) by counting calories, and have kept it off for over 10 years, so it is important to me to know the calories so i can work bone broth into my diet.
I think I’m going to answer my own question here.
I did some research and the gel that is left in the water after removing bones, fat, meat, and inedible stuff is basically pure collagen which is pure protein.
So if you start by knowing the weight of raw bones you put in (assuming no other veggies or whatever has been added) and then after cooking you weigh your total product and subtract the cooked bones, fat (which, of course, is reserved for other purposes), meat, and inedibles, you will come up with the amount of collagen in your broth.
If you subtract the collagen from the broth you will have the amount of water after evaporation.
Doing this I was able to determine that my finished pot of broth (gel without all the other stuff) was 1483g or 3.27 pounds had a total of 161 g (5.68 oz) of collagen. If my research was correct and collagen is pretty much pure protein, that would be 161g of protein. Protein has 4 calories per gram so the whole pot was 644 calories. One 8 oz cup ended up being 98 calories.
I’m not sure how much this will vary from pot to pot.
I know a lot of paleo people don’t count calories but that is how I lost so much weight and I’m just transitioning into Paleo at this point so I’m still calorie conscious and thought maybe others may be as well.
Hi Nancy I just read your post. Were you successful in transitioning over to the Paleo diet and did you manage to keep up with the broth at 98 calories per 80z cup. I want to loose a few pounds and want to try using this nourishing broth to improve my nutrition as well as loose some weight.
Are you drinking the broth once a day instead of a meal? Have you kept your wieght steady?
Thanks Jude
Hi, I was wondering if I can use bones from ribs that we have eaten? They were smoked and tasted awesome. Same with chicken bones? Do they have to be raw to make bone broth?
They don’t need to be raw! We have a zip-top bag we keep in the freezer, and when we have chicken legs for dinner the leftover bones go in the bag. Once we have enough saved up, we use them to make broth.
It’s best to use bones from healthy, pasture-raised animals.
Help. Can we cook this to long? I went for like 6 days in a crock pot. Is this still usable or does the broth go bad after a while. What’s the cut of for time with this in a crock pot in warm?? Thank you
Typically, beef bones can go as long as 48 hours slow cooking in the crockpot. I tried cooking a batch as long as 72 hours once, but it starts to get a weird flavor when it’s cooked too long. I think I ended up giving that batch to the dog. 🙂
As for the “keep warm” setting, cooked food can grow bacteria if it’s left at close to room temperature for too long. I’d love to hear others opinions, but I wouldn’t let it go for longer than 6 hours on the “keep warm” setting.
What is the nutritional value for a cup of beef bone broth? Could I drink 2 cups for a meal replacement or would that be too much? Can you drink too much? Hah.
I have turned to Bone Broth in Desperation after i got bitten by a spider (Australia has some of the most venomous creatures on the Planet),and my immune system went haywire! I Developed Grover’s Disease, which causes unbelievabley itchy lesions that cover your back and chest and you cannot sleep or even get comfortable in any position.
See https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lXTJXtWm19Y
I decide to try and rectify this by producing and consuming Bone Broth, and have started my first batch in my new Crock pot, I have been a vegetarian for 50 years and it was a hard thing to do as the smell is an anathema to me!
So hopefully within another 48 hours my immune system is going to be on the mend and according to Abel James – I will be on the way to losing 20 kg and new Vitality!
My crock pot has a low setting of 8-10 hours. After this time, do you just turn it back on to simmer longer (say, 24_48 hours for beef bones)? My second question is, how do you cool the broth to prevent bacterial growth? Please respond asap…can’t wait to try this recipe! Thank you!
Hi Abel,
You mentioned you fill your crockpot with bones. I purchased two beef soup bones and am wondering, do I still fill the crockpot full of water? Thanks!, Lori
Hi Lori – we usually add more bones to make a richer broth, but just having 2 bones in with a crockpot full of water should make a good broth with nutrients being pulled from the bones, and may be a bit thinner than if you put in more bones. Try both ways and see what you think!
My husband and I are both hunters and we process the meat ourselves. I haven’t considered this until now but can I use wild game bones for bone broth. They are all natural and they eat their traditional diet in the forest. We hunt both deer and elk. Any thoughts?
Doesn’t get better than wild-caught!
How much bone broth is recommended for to see results for joint pain? I have reactive arthritis for 2 months now and looking for relief.
I get a fully pastured cow every year from a local farmer, I get as many bones as i can fit in my freezer after the meat is in. I make bone broth at least once a month and freeze it. I also make bone broth from the thanksgiving turkey, same farmer raises pastured turkey and chickens. If you search you can probably find a local, organic, famer and buy fom him/her, it’s much cheeper to get the bulk meat, the problem for most is freezer space, but buying this way you pay for the price of the freezer in one year.
I have successfully reversed my age with this broth. It is powerful stuff. I used to be 39 and now I am only 32. Woah!
I’m excited to try this as we both have Christmas colds and I have gerd and leaky gut plus obesity. I lost 70 lbs since 2013 and have 70 more lbs to go. I cook. I changed my lifestyle after I survived a women’s heart attack and took control of my health and got off all of my heart cholesterol hypertension anti acids except aspirin and thyroid medications after a long rough 1 1/2 year recovery. I am 64, go to chiropractors 2x mo, attend Zumba gold 1x week, 2x week aqua aerobics, beachwalk or board.. was in egoscue, cardiac Wellness rehabilitation, physical therapyou for over doing it injures. I love to cook creatively, sime realty and leasing work but pace my self now, practice spiritualLy daily, learned manage stress techniques, and change my attitude. Thank you
Ok, so I have a bowl of bone broth gelatin in the refrigerator. Am I supposed to add a certain amount to some water to make a tea or something? Outside of adding it to soups how am I supposed to actually drink the bone broth gelatin?
Hi Denise – no need to dilute with water. You can just warm it up in a saucepan, add a bit of salt and pepper, and drink it warm. Or if you don’t like the flavor, adding chopped onion, carrots, garlic, and celery and slow cooking for about an hour (until the vegetables are softened) should give it some yummy flavors. Enjoy!
I got a whole stewing hen and I am slow cooking it in the crockpot for 24 hours to make bone broth. Do I need to remove the skin and meat to get the most nutrients out of the bones?
By the way, love the podcast, Abel
Hi Abel! So when you get the “pure gold” fat after cooking the bones, could you use this for your fatty coffee recipe?
Hi Olivia – you could in theory, but it would probably give your coffee a more savory flavor.
Thank you so much for this article! I have been a hunter all my life, and never had a use for the bones. I decided to try making venison bone broth for a truly free range option. It turned out great, and I’ve been using it in soups and stews religiously. Having a lot of joint bones and letting it cook very slowly at low heat seemed to work, because it was extremely gelled when finished. I wrote about the wild game broth experiment below if anyone else is a hunter or learning to hunt. Thanks again! http://www.zerotohunt.com/venison-bone-broth-experiment/
Thanks Alyson! You were right, it gave the coffee an odd flavor, I think I’ll stick with Kerry gold butter
I made the bone broth using meaty beef marrow bones. I set my crockpot for 20 hours, went off to bed and in the morning all the water had evaporated! You didn’t mention that more water would have to be added and with the setting on low I didn’t think it would evaporate. I added more water to just cover the bones and cooked another 15 hours. Did I do something wrong? Am I suppose to add water periodically? This is the first time I have made it so I’m new at this. Thanks.
How weird! It may be a defect with your slow cooker if steam is escaping. As a temporary fix, adding water like you did is good thinking.
Two batches of broth so far. The taste is great, but nothing gelsl. Will I get the same benefits drinking this? How can I make it more gelatinous? And, finally, is it meant to be used as a meal replacement?
It’s still excellent for you even if it doesn’t gel. Adding chicken feet is one of my favorite ways to get broth to gel. You can often find chicken feet at your local farmer’s market. Or, getting those big beef joint bones should make your broth gel up. You can use it as a meal replacement, sip it like tea in between meals, or add it to soups and stews. Enjoy!
I feel like I have tried everything to get mine to gel and it won’t work. I cook it in a crockpot and I usually add at least 3 chicken feet and one beef knuckle bone to all of the other bones…still no gel. Any suggestions?
Try adding more chicken feet – around 10 – 20, or however many you can fit in the crockpot.
I am also allergic to sulfites so I use fresh lemon juice in the pot to draw out the nutrients. Works great and my broth gels just fine.
How much is too much to pay for bones. I just bought my first ever bones. Paid $6.00 a pound. I am roasting right now then on to crock pot. Can not wait to try. A friend of mine who grew up in Germany said she grew up on bone broth. Only difference in her receipe is that her mom soaked bones over night with a dash of white vinagar. Simmered bones next day in the same water.
$3 – $6 per pound is about average for bones, but you’ll find the best deals by visiting your local farmer. Ask the farmers at your local farmer’s market (the one’s selling beef, chicken, lamb, etc) if they carry bones. They may have some there, or can bring them for you the next week (usually for a lot less than you’d pay elsewhere).
That’s really interesting about your friend from Germany who soaked the bones overnight. Thanks for sharing that with us!
Can the bones be from smoked meat, or just smoked before.
Thankyou
If you use wild deer bones be aware they have eaten on a field of GMO enhanced soybeans and corn. Would not use.
Is apple cider vinegar just as effective as regular white vinegar?
Yep!
I’m going to do my first batch of bones all washed and put in the tblsp. of vinegar started slow cooking today,i am about 30 pounds overweight my man friend who loves my cooking is about 60 or more pounds overweight,i have reflux and am taking protonics and no more tums he is a burper ,sleeps too much of the day away and is on medications of all sorts, his knees hurt, walks with a cane some times,has a headache all the time,he looks like the bazuka bubble gum kid! His shirt rides up in front, can’t get into his clothes unless they are stretchy my poor baby! Well we’re going to do this .He even went and bought the beef gr. fed bones too! I appreciate your support,one tired woman!
I don’t have a crockpot at home, can I use a normal pot and cook it on my regular stove?
I happen to have several pork and ham bones that will be available in the near future… I see chicken and beef suggested in the recipe, would it be okay to use pork instead? Do you have any hesitations about pork?
I can vouch for bone broth’s healing powers. I regularly drink this organic broth from Au Bon Broth and I noticed a tremendous improvement in my health.
This is actually Steve’s wife LeslieAnne ,58, I’m making first batch bone broth now. Heard about this thru Dr.Oz (and all the Classical Lit I read growing up like Austen & Dickens). Doing 4 weight loss, arthritis , joint lube. Also going to share w- our old dogs. Tyvm ?
I am making bone broth using 15 organic chicken drumsticks, weughing 5.75 lbs. Would you still get a good bone broth if I discard the skin?
Bone broth is called ‘Yakhni’ in Urdu language and is commonly drank (like soup) in Winters in Pakistan. From centuries it is thought to be a healthy soup, specially for patients and someone who is recovering from fevers.
Bone broth is lovely; I agree with that and I think we should be wiping out this whole idea of corn fed beef. Does it strike anyone else as odd that we pay more for animals who move onto a feed lot to be fed a food they like in small amounts and can tolerate well in only small amounts? The only happy corn-eating cattle I’ve seen were owned by a trombone playing farmer who went out on Christmas, played his bone for them and then had a box explode with popcorn. They liked that. Feedlots though- look on Google earth. You can see old feedlots for who knows how many years since the soil is heavily poisoned.
But there’s lots of fallacies here- raw food isn’t all great by definition. Cooking can do great things for making nutrients more accessible so don’t make blanket statements without specific data please. Denaturing proteins at greater pressure and a slighter higher temp may easily make the bones more nutritious- and reading this is part of the dogma of Gerson concept which I guarantee would kill me within a week lends credence to the probability there’s no real evidence. Sure- deer may eat GMO corn or corn bred by pulling off tassels and controlled pollination… same thing. It’s breeding. I’m not an apologist for Archer Daniels Midland or any of the large processors; I’m a realist and have years of genetics, microbiology, etc under my belt. Don’t make scary arguments to make scary arguments.
Paleo paleo paleo… neanderthals were the “other” for a long time so how can anyone claim to know much about dietary habits and traditions? Keep in mind they were different in different places … It’s unlikely there were many places a good day or two day boil of bones was going to happen.
How many of you readers went to yesterday’s March for Science?
Hi I have recently started making bone broth and I find it so delicious it is on par with Pizza for total mouth satisfaction. I have scoured the internet for some true macros and find it wildly variant, and I wondered if you have worked out the macros with your sources? Do you think adding some celery butts, celery tops, carrot peelings, cilantro stocks, tumeric root, parsley roots add very much to the carb count? Seems like you can cook that to death with the bones and all the nutrients would not be lost as all the goodness is still contained right there in the broth. I could be wrong and would like some opinions on this. I strain out all contents. New to the Ketogenic way of eating and until I am very experienced and eating intuitively I am trying to track every macro so that I can really explore this diet in depth. I am loving it. Bone broth (with fat included in the reheat) is simply amazing. It seems to be the calories/marcros of an entire meal though. What are your thoughts about this.
Another addition to the mix: tongue broth. I know bone broth has a ton of value, but I’ve found I like tongue broth even better for some reasons.
OF course, it requires you to get over the fact that you are cooking a tongue slowly in order to get the fats etc. to flow out. Either way, the benefit after the drink itself seems to be the delicious tongue tacos 😛
Thanks for explaining but please answer the following.
1- What should be the minimum age to drink bone broth?
2- How much I can drink in a day?
3- Would drinking more will heal my gut faster?
Its a great post! Really informative and interesting!
Thank you for sharing this post, this is really informative and wonderful information about grassfed beef.