Making Bone Broth Delicious...

[frantastic]

so...this past weekend, I made two batches of bone broth in my crock pot. I am a HUGE fan of stock in general, but I usually make chicken stock only. This time though, I used chicken necks and cow "soup bones" (which, at the Buford Hwy Farmer's market means "knee bones"). I added carrots, celery, parsnips, onions, and garlic, along with a bunch of salt and ton of herbs. I let the broth simmer on low for 24 hours.

 

When it was done, the broth was a GLORIOUS color. Deep and rich looking. I let it cool in the fridge, took off the layer of fat, and admired the thick, jelly-like consistency. I ladled it into the bell freezer jars I had at the ready.

 

Then, I ladled out a mugful and heated it up. It tastes DISGUSTING. And warmed up, it is slightly redolent of feet (and I'm pretty sure there were no feet in there).

 

I am SO disappointed! Who out here is an expert in bone broth? Here's what I would like to know:

 

1) is this just what beefy broth tastes like?

2) if so, is it ok to make bone broth entirely of chicken parts?

3) what have you found to be most successful in creating good flavor in your broth?

4) Do any of you feed bone broth to your dog?

 

Please let me know...thanks!

 

(and yes, I did google the topic and whole 30 first, but didn't get the info I was looking for!!)

 

 

[LisaLulu]

I don't know, every time I try to make broth it turns out disgusting so I just add salt to my soups and dishes and skip the broth. I've tried chicken, beef, turkey.... all turns out nasty. Maybe someone else knows the secret?

[wendelina]

I find beef-based broth hard to drink, honestly.  I can drink chicken-based broth forever, but beef broth feels like I'm taking my medicine, not something enjoyable.

 

I do make all-chicken broth all the time. One of my CSA's has a "soup" package of chicken backs and chicken feet, to get extra collagen / gelatin, which I use sometimes, but just making it with leftover bones from chicken I've eaten works well too.

 

I'm not fancy w/ my broth - just bones and water.

[Tom Denham]

Here is my recipe for bone broth: http://www.wholelifeeating.com/2012/02/pressure-cooker-bone-broth/

 

I like the flavor every time. However, I use more salt and no red chili powder nowadays. 

[ShannonM816]

I don't like beef broth on its own either, although I've used it in recipes and it's been fine. If I want broth to drink, I do all chicken. I even keep separate ziploc bags in my freezer, one labeled "bones for broth - chicken" and the other "bones for broth - not chicken" to be sure there's no contamination. 

[frantastic]

For the chicken-only broth makers - do you use a crock pot and follow generally the same steps as a beef bone broth?

 

Tom - I find the addition of the anchovies to be intriguing. Do they add a salty flavor? I wonder if that mellows out the flavor of the bones.

 

In the meantime, I've been putting a dollop of the jellied broth on my dog's (Callie) food at each meal. I figure the collagen and gelatin are good for her too!

[wendelina]

I use a crock pot (I don't own a pressure cooker - no room for more kitchen appliances at the moment!).  I don't do anything but bones + water for either chicken-only or mixed-bone.  I can't drink mixed-bone on its own _at all_, so I keep thinking I should tinker with adding things to it, but when it comes down to it, I end up just dumping the bones in and moving on to whatever else it is I need to do.

[Guest Andria]

I love my beef stock. I am sure that the key is roasting the bones first.  Broth from raw bones has a sickly, IMO, color to it. After roasting, I just through them in the crockpot with water some spices and the odds and ends of onion, carrot, garlic and celery and let it cook for 30 some odd hours.  Salt after cooking. I do the same with chicken bones. I save up any chicken bones that were previously cooked and the meat eaten off and throw them in the crock with pretty much the same stuff but cook a lot less than the beef broth, maybe 12 hours.

 

Oh, and absolutely give your dog some of the broth (as long as you strain out the onion and garlic, which I am sure you do this step for yourself as well)! 

[frantastic]

If I get brave enough to try a beef broth again, I'll try roasting the bones. That said, I made chicken stock this weekend and was much happier with it. I love that I can get two batches out of the same bones! I used green onions instead of regular onions (the green onions were aging rapidly and I needed to get them used) and that imparted a nice flavor as well.

[Vian]

http://www.nutrientsyoufools.com/brothrules/

 

http://www.nutrientsyoufools.com/simplebeefbrothrecipe/

[LisaLulu]

When I was pregnant I couldn't stand the smell of ANYTHING cooking so I set up my slow cooker in my basement to make meals and that kept the smell mainly out of the main level and upstairs. I wonder if that would work for broth making, we have SO many chicken bones going to waste and we really need to use everything we have. 

[frantastic]

Vian - thanks for the links!!! I know I need to invest in a pressure cooker. Maybe next month...this month I bought (as my non-food-reward-for-good-eating) a new set of stainless steel cookware. Baby steps to an overall healthier kitchen!

 

LisaLuLu - you should ABSOLUTELY make some broth with all those bones. I actually don't like to eat my food on bones (I have some quirks) so I buy chicken necks and backs to make my stock.

[LisaLulu]

I love eating meat off the bone, with my bare hands like an animal! I'm the complete opposite of my vegetarian sister. 

[frantastic]

That's funny - I was a vegetarian for years. It's one of the reasons I think I turned into a bad eater during that time (because French fries and cheese pizza do not contain meat!). My bone exception is ribs. I grew up in Memphis, TN, home of the most delicious ribs on the planet and I get absolutely caveman on those!

[Vian]

This is how I make broth.

 

I take either beef bones with some meat on them and a bunch of cartilage (soup bones, knuckle bones, if there's not enough meat I will actually use a piece of a roast or something, some meat is essential for flavor) and roast the bones for about an hour until golden brown, or take a whole chicken, roast it, pick most of the meat off and take all that's left (skin, bones, and whatever dripping are left in the pan and the scraps of meat that aren't worth picking off) and throw them in a crock pot. I cover the bones with water and turn the crock pot to low for 12 hours. For beef, I do 24 hours. After 12/24 hours, I add celery, carrots, onion (green onions, leeks, whatever), garlic, black peppercorns, and parsley if I have it. Then I simmer it for another 12 hours, then strain it, let it cool, and place into ziplock sandwich bags in 1 cup portions and freeze them.

 

You'll notice I don't add any salt. I salt whatever I'm using the broth in to taste, not the broth itself so that I can control salt content better.

[ladyshanny]

I dislike beef bone broth as well, I find it tastes a bit too....er....gamey?  Boney?  I like chicken broth but I love pork broth even more!  I get properly raised pig leg bones and feet, roast them for about 45 minutes (or not if I'm lazy or pressed for time), throw them into the crock with a splash of ACV, the top of a head of fennel, carrots, celery, sweet onion, rosemary, fennel seed, thyme, a small palmful of coarse salt and the same of peppercorns and I put the crock on low and let it go for 20-50 hours.  Sometimes at the 15 hour mark I'll draw off most of the liquid and put it in a large pot in the fridge and then add more fresh water to the crock, more fresh herbs and spices and let it go the rest of the time.  When it's all done I mix the two batches together and then jar and freeze.  I get more this way and by batching it like this you get the benefit of the longer cooking time and more bone nutrients....and not such killer strong broth.

[ultrarunnergirl]

Beef is a little stronger. I almost always mix bones together for broth. A mix of pork and chicken and beef always turns out well for me.

A few things: I don't salt until it's done. I use whole peppercorns, not ground pepper. I strain it well.

After it's all done, but before I eat it I add salt, pepper, tumeric (not too much), a little ginger, a little cayenne and cinnamon.

 

Hope you find a way to get it palatable! Otherwise, make gingered zucchini soup ala Well Fed 2, or some other soup with it. Lots of onion and flavorful veggies will make it much better than plain.

[ClaudiaR]

I put a few knobs (peeled) of ginger, some garlic and a few star anise pods in my last batch of beef broth and it turned out great. I used roasted bones and cooked in the crock pot for about 24 hours. It has a nice delicate almost pho flavor.