Beef Bone Broth - less than a gallon

[Brian E]

Hi,

I just took my beef bone broth out of the crock pot.  Because of the size of my crock pot I wasn't able to put 4 quarts of water in with the other ingredients.  I was able to put in about 3.  After the 24 hours of cooking and evaporation I was able to yield about 8 cups of stock.  It looks like it will be closer to 6 3/4 after I skim the fat.

Since I used enough bones and veggies for the full gallon, can I add water to the stock until the total volume reaches a gallon?

thanks! 

[ShannonM816]

Yes. In general, you can use the bones twice, even if you'd gotten the full gallon. The second batch may not gel in the fridge like the first but it's still good. I would use new veggies though, as cooking them longer can make them taste bitter.

If you notice evaporation, you can add more water during cooking as well.

[Brian E]

Thanks.   I already discarded everything...but next time I'll save the ones for round 2!

the stock I currently have - can it be thinned out with water to hit a gallon?  Or will that defeat the purpose of the long simmer?  

[SugarcubeOD]

Sure... it doesnt defeat the purpose of the long simmer, those nutrients are still in there... if you did water it down, each serving will be less concentrated but if you consume the entire amount, you're still getting the same amount of nutrients just over a longer amount of time.. the water doesn't remove the nutrients...