Humble Luxury Bone Broth

Bone broth is foundational element from my kitchen. I like to drink a mug of bone broth with breakfast and usually rely pretty heavily on it for quick, nutrient dense dinners and lunches.

Before we dive in, if you’d like to understand more about the unique layout of my ratio based recipes, see Humble Luxury in the Kitchen.

Ingriedients

The Essentials:

• Chicken Bones - backs, necks

• Water

Basic Ratio:

• 1 : 1.5 lbs of bones to quarts of water
  For every 1lb of chicken bones used, you’ll need roughly 1.5 quarts of water. You can use more water if you need to stretch your ingredients, especially if you add anything from the optional add in list. Adding more water without add ins will make your broth less flavorful & not as gelatinous, but it’s totally doable if you need to get more from your pounds of bones.

Optional Add-Ins:

These add ins also build on the ratio above, for every 1 lb of bones used, use roughly the amounts below. Adjust based on how much broth you’re making and what you have in your kitchen. Again, these are rough estimates. If you only have 1 TBSP of vinegar or 1 onion for 6 lbs of bones, it’s okay. You’ll still end up with bone broth, the flavor will just be a bit different.

• 1 chicken wing (the tip boosts collagen, the meat boosts flavor)

• 2 chicken feet (to boost collagen)

• 1/2 TBSP apple cider vinegar and/or

• 1/2 TBSP black vinegar

• 1/2 cup white or yellow onion or onion scraps from cooking throughout the week

• 2 cloves of garlic

• 1 carrot

• 1 celery stalk

• assortment of culinary herbs like thyme, rosemary, bay leaf, sage, etc.

• 1/4 - 1/2 inch fresh turmeric root

• 1/4 inch fresh ginger root

• healthy pinch each of black pepper and salt
  
  A note about medicinal herbs before we continue:
  I’m not an herbalist. I can’t tell you what you should and shouldn’t take. There are a lot of factors that are involved in that level of advice. What I can share is what I use for myself in my kitchen. Please remember our bodies are different, our needs are different, and our access to herbs varies. If you’re interested in knowing more about medicinal herbs for your specific needs, I recommend looking for an herbalists in your area.
  
  If you’re passionate about herbs & access, I recommend supporting Seed, Root, Bloom - an herbal school for and by people who are black, indigenous, and from historically racially oppressed communities.
  
  More optional add-ins:

• 1/4 cup fresh or dried nettle leaf

• 1 fresh burdock root or 1/4 cup dried burdock root

• 1/4 cup astragalus root

When I add herbs & onion to my broth, I also typically increase the water I use by about 1/2 quart.

The Process

• Place bones, feet, and wings (if using) into the appropriate pot (see below).

• Roughly chop up vegetables & herbs if using and add to the bones.

• Top with water.

Stove Top & Crockpot | 12 - 24 hours:

• Cook on low for 12 - 24 hours.
  For stove top: use a medium - large stock pot, depending on the amount of ingredients you use.
  For crockpot: use the included pot.

Instant Pot | 2.5 - 4 hours:

• Place all ingredients into the pot.

• Double check to make sure
  1. everything is below the MAX line
  2. your sealing ring is in place on the lid
  3. the steam release knob is turned to the ‘sealing’ position.

• Lock the lid.

• Press manual button and set to 120 minutes
  *Note: it typically takes 15-30 minutes for the pressure cooker to fully pressurize. The timer will show once the instant pot is at full pressure.

• After the timer goes off, allow the pressure to release naturally. Just like pressurizing in the beginning, this will take about 15-30 minutes. The float valve will fall when the pressure has released.

• Strain broth and serve, or allow the broth to chill & store it as needed (see below).

Storing

Fridge: 1 week
Freezer: 6 months-ish

If you use broth in cooking, consider freezing in ice cube trays or in 1 cup portions. This will allow you to pull a small amount out at a time and will help to avoid waste.

When freezing in glass jars:
Make sure to leave 1.5 - 2 inches of space from the broth to the top of the jar to allow room for expansion. I also recommend letting the broth freeze fully before screwing the lid on. This will keep your glass jars from breaking.
You can use dry erase marker on the lid before freezing to note when the broth was made.

FIND YOUR WAY

Humble Luxury in the Kitchen is all about finding the way that works for you based on your needs, desires, and resources. I encourage you to explore what I’ve offered here and discover what your broth is.
If you make a batch you don’t love, take notes and try something different next time.
Think like your grandmother in the kitchen.
Use your senses—your hands, your ears, your eyes. Let your food sing to you.