Restorative, nourishing, and filled with age-defying collagen, Homemade Bone Broth seems to be everywhere these days. Easy and versatile, Learn How to Make Bone Broth with my easy-to-follow instructions, tips, and answers to all your bone broth frequently asked questions.
What is the difference between bone broth and stock?
The short answer- bone broth is essentially the hip and trendy new name for stock.
Totally confused? Let me try to clarify.
- Traditional Stock is more gelatinous when cool. Stock is typically cooked for long periods of time with marrow-rich bones which contribute to the viscous, gelatinous texture when cold.
- Traditional Broth, on the other hand, is typically thinner as it contains much less, if any, collagen. Broth is made from boiling actual meat, and less from marrow-rich bones.
Given that stock is actually the collagen-rich source made from boiling different marrow-rich bones for long periods of time, why then, is it called bone broth? I’m sad to say I have no idea the answer to this.
What is Bone Broth?
Now that we know the difference between bone broth and stock, we know that bone broth can be defined in two ways- the traditional, marrow-free broth and the hip and trendy new age version made with all the marrow bones, which I am talking about today.
In the latter case, Bone Broth is a savory, nutrient-rich liquid made by simmering animal bones with water, and sometimes vegetables, for a long period of time.
Bone broth, like stock, is often graded by its thickness; a thickness which is thanks to the collagen-rich gelatin released from marrow-rich bones and crazy long cooking time.
Bone Broth Benefits
With its sudden rise in popularity, there has been a nonstop buzz all about the miracle health benefits of bone broth. While there is plenty of evidence to suggest these benefits to be true, there is no published research confirming this to be true or false. Full disclosure.
- Vitamins and minerals. This will vary depending on the type of animal source you use, but for this broth recipe, you’ll find loads of calcium, magnesium, potassium, and phosphorus, Vitamin A, K2, and minerals like zinc, iron, boron, manganese, and selenium.
- Glucosamine and chondroitin. Natural compounds found in connective tissue which supports joint health.
- Collagen. And lots of it. This turns into gelatin that, when cooked, yields several important amino acids.
- Helps maintain digestive health. Bone broth is not only easy to digest, but it may also help in the digestion of other food. Gelatin binds to the water in your digestive tract, helping food move through your gut easier. It is also believed to help with a condition called “leaky gut” or other inflammatory bowel diseases.
- Suggested to help fight inflammation. The amino acids glycine and arginine have strong anti-inflammatory effects. Chronic inflammation may lead to a number of serious diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, metabolic syndrome, arthritis, and types of cancer.
- May improve joint health.
Ingredients in homemade bone broth
- beef bones
- carrots
- onions
- celery
- garlic
- bay leaves
- whole black peppercorns
- whole star anise
- cinnamon sticks
- apple cider vinegar
Equipment needed to make stock at home
You don’t need tons of fancy equipment to make homemade bone stock, but you do need a few essential tools.
- Stockpot– you will need at least two 8 quart stockpots.
- Roasting Pans– Because yes, for the best possible broth, you need to roast the bones before you boil them.
- Wire mesh strainer– inexpensive but completely necessary, you need a wire mesh strainer this to strain the delicious broth from the bones and vegetables.
What are the best bones for Bone Broth?
In this particular homemade beef stock recipe, I added a mix of knuckle bones, short ribs, oxtail, and femur bones. If you’re unsure at all, ask your local butcher for the best broth bones and then request that he or she cut them in half.
The result will be a delicious, nutrient-filled, gelatin-rich broth. Promise.
- The best beef bones to use are knuckles, joints, feet, and marrow bones.
- For added flavor incorporate meaty bones like oxtail, shank, and short ribs.
- Chicken feet (not included in this recipe) contain loads of gelatin and are less expensive than other gelatin-rich bones.
- The bones of younger animals contain a lot of cartilage, as it is this cartilage will eventually turn to the bone as the animal ages. For this reason, veal bones are particularly prized for making stock (but I can’t do veal, so no veal bones in this soup).
How to make bone broth
- Blanch the bones. Divide the bones between two large stockpots and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil over high heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes before draining and rinsing the bones with water.
- Roast the bones and the vegetables. Ok, so the bones have been blanched. Now, preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Transfer the bones and vegetables (carrots, onions, garlic, celery) to the roasting pans. Don’t pile them all on top of each other- use two roasting pans. Roast for 30 minutes before gently tossing the bones and vegetables, and roasting for an additional 15-30 minutes more.
- Transfer the bones back to the stockpots. But not before washing the stockpots first. Make sure you wash your pots after the bones were blanched and drained. Transfer the bones back to the stock pots and scrape up any remaining bits and juices remaining in the roasting pan using a metal spatula and a little water, if needed. Transfer to the pot with the bones (don’t worry, all those brown bits are FLAVOR!).
- Boil the bones. With the bones and vegetables divided between the two pots divide the bay leaves, peppercorns, star anise, cinnamon sticks, and apple cider vinegar between the two pots. Fill each pot with approximately 12 cups water, or until bones are fully submerged. Cover the pots and bring to low boil.
- Simmer the bones. Reduce heat to low and simmer, with the lid slightly ajar, skimming any foam or excess fat, occasionally. Simmer for at least 8-12 hours, ideally 24 hours (do not leave the stove running overnight. Simply cool and store in the refrigerator and continue to simmer the next day). Add more water if needed to make sure bones and vegetables remain fully submerged.
- Strain the bones. Once the bones have simmered and your broth is ready, you will need to strain the broth through a fine mesh strainer. Set aside the broth to cool and allow the bones to cool.
- Don’t forget about the meat. Whether you eat the meat still left on the bones in a bowl of soup or in sandwiches, I can almost guarantee that there is a TON of delicious meat waiting to be picked from the bones. Don’t let it go to waste! Discard the meat-free bones and vegetables.
- Skim the fat from your broth (optional). Add a couple handfuls of ice to your broth to expedite cooling and cover with a lid. Transfer broth to the refrigerator and allow broth to cool fully. The result will be a hard, thick layer of fat and a bottom layer that is your bone broth (which should look like gelatinous brown jello). If desired use a fork to scoop off the top layer of fat. This will leave behind the healthy bone broth, minus the fat.
- Store your bone broth. Bone broth stores well in the refrigerator for approximately 5 days. If you make a large batch, I recommend freezing smaller batches in the freezer for up to 6 months (it reheats perfectly!).
Tips and Tricks for making the best homemade stock
- Use a mixture of different beef bones. Not all bones are created equal, as such, try to use 2-3 different types of bones to make your broth.
- Don’t forget to blanch the beef bones before roasting. Guys, this step is SO IMPORTANT. Blanching the bones for 15-20 minutes helps remove all those nasty bits that, well, make your bone broth look and taste kinda gross. These nasty parts won’t hurt you, but in order to achieve the beautiful, clear, rich bone stock, you need to blanch the bones.
- Roast your bones. Roast them high and roast them long. Roasting the beef bones browns and caramelizes them. This translates to more flavor. Who doesn’t want more flavor?
- Avoid the temptation to add too much “other stuff”. You are making bone broth NOT bone/vegetable/herb garden broth. This is not to say that you shouldn’t add any roasted veggies or spices, but keep it at a minimum so that the beef bones can really shine.
- If one stockpot isn’t big enough, use two. Your beef bones want to be fully submerged in water. If your pot isn’t big enough, use two.
- Allow enough time for the bones to simmer. You guys, a few hours is not enough time. I allowed this pot of beef bones to simmer for 14 hours and it turned out just perfect. Patience is key.
- Refrigerate the soup overnight and remove the fat layer from the top. Of course, you don’t have to do this. Or you can do this and leave some of the fat. No matter what you decide, once the broth is reheated, it will all dissolve back into the smooth, beautiful delicious broth you started with.
Some of you may be wondering, I have all this bone broth, now what?
Bone broth, delicious served straight-up in a mug, can also be enjoyed in your favorite soup recipes such as this bok choy soup, Six Onion Soup, or this Pho Recipe. Used in place of water or store-bought stock, this homemade version is delicious cooked in grains such as farro, quinoa, or even rice, and can easily be added to recipes such as this chicken and rice bake or Jambalaya.
How to store bone broth
Before storing your bone broth in the refrigerator or freezer you want to cool it down to room temperature. Ideally, you want to do this as quickly as possible to prevent any chance of contamination. The easiest way to do this is by adding a couple handfuls of ice to the pot, covering, and waiting for the broth to cool. The ice will help expedite this process.
You may store the leftover broth in the stockpot, in mason jars, or in glass storage containers. If you plan to freeze your broth, transfer desired amounts to large ziplock bags with most of the air removed. Lay flat and allow at least 4-6 hours to freeze completely.
Leftover bone broth will stay fresh for up to 5 days in the refrigerator and 6 months in the freezer.
If you try making this Homemade Bone Broth Recipe, please leave me a comment and let me know! I always love to hear your thoughts.
For more super helpful recipes check out,
- Baked Sweet Potato (How to Bake Sweet Potatoes)
- How to Make a Gin and Tonic
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- How to Cook Spaghetti Squash
- Egg Frittata Recipe- How to make a Frittata
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Bone Broth Recipe (How to Make Bone Broth)
Ingredients
- 10 pounds beef bones - preferably a mix of marrow bones (femur bones) and bones with meat on them (oxtail, short ribs, and knuckle bones cut in half)*
- 4 large carrots - chopped into 2-inch pieces
- 2 medium onions - quartered
- 2 whole heads garlic - halved crosswise
- 6 stalks celery - cut into 2-inch pieces
- 4 bay leaves
- 1/4 cup black peppercorns
- 4 whole star anise
- 2 whole cinnamon sticks
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
Instructions
- Blanch the bones. Divide the bones between two large stockpots and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil over high heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes before draining and rinsing the bones with water.
- Roast the bones and the vegetables. Ok, so the bones have been blanched. Now, preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Transfer the bones and vegetables (carrots, onions, garlic, celery) to the roasting pans. Don't pile them all on top of each other- use two roasting pans. Roast for 30 minutes before gently tossing the bones and vegetables, and roasting for an additional 15-30 minutes more.
- Transfer the bones back to the stockpots. But not before washing the stockpots first. Make sure you wash your pots after the bones were blanched and drained. Transfer the bones back to the stock pots and scrape up any remaining bits and juices remaining in the roasting pan using a metal spatula and a little water, if needed. Transfer to the pot with the bones (don't worry, all those brown bits are FLAVOR!).
- Boil the bones. With the bones and vegetables divided between the two pots divide the bay leaves, peppercorns, star anise, cinnamon sticks, and apple cider vinegar between the two pots. Fill each pot with approximately 12 cups water, or until bones are fully submerged. Cover the pots and bring to a low and gently boil.
- Simmer the bones. Reduce heat to low and simmer, with the lid slightly ajar, skimming any foam or excess fat, occasionally. Simmer for at least 8-12 hours, ideally 24 hours (do not leave the stove running overnight. Simply cool and store in the refrigerator and continue to simmer the next day). Add more water if needed to make sure bones and vegetables remain fully submerged.
- Strain the bones. Once the bones have simmered and your broth is ready, you will need to strain the broth through a fine mesh strainer. Set aside the broth to cool and allow the bones to cool.
- Don't forget about the meat. Whether you eat the meat still left on the bones in a bowl of soup or in sandwiches, I can almost guarantee that there is a TON of delicious meat waiting to be picked from the bones. Don't let it go to waste! Discard the meat-free bones and vegetables.
- Skim the fat from your broth (optional). Add a couple handfuls of ice to your beef broth to expedite cooling and cover with a lid. Transfer broth to the refrigerator and allow broth to cool fully. The result will be a hard, thick layer of fat and a bottom layer that is your bone broth (which should look like gelatinous brown jello). If desired use a fork to scoop off the top layer of fat. This will leave behind the healthy bone broth, minus the fat.
- Store your bone broth. Bone broth stores well in the refrigerator for approximately 5 days. If you make a large batch, I recommend freezing smaller batches in the freezer for up to 6 months (it reheats perfectly!).
Notes
- I ended up with way more beef bones than I anticipated. Not really a bad thing, however, please note that this recipe will require two (8+ quart) stockpots and two roasting pans. If this is too much, simply cut the recipe in half.
- You will want to ask your butcher to cut the bones into smaller pieces for you- especially marrow bones.
- You want dark, roasted bones. Nearly to the point where you start to worry that you're over-roasting your bones.
- Please Note- the nutritional information was based on the information that a 1/2-ounce serving of beef bone marrow contains 125.59 calories. Given that I used a mixture of different bones, chilled the broth and removed the fatty top layer, it is likely that this soup much lower in calories. Unfortunately, I lack the tools needed for an exact calculation.
