Ingredients:
- Use 3-4lb Beef Bones – For 5-6Qt Slow Cooker
- Use 7-8lb Beef Bones – For 10Qt Slow Cooker
Can use any bones, soup, (neck & Rib) knuckles, marrow, oxtail. *Use Rib and Neck and knuckles for the most collagen.
- Pre- heat the oven to 400 degrees. Place bones on a roasting pan with sides and bake uncovered for 45 minutes for thawed and up to an hour if bones are still frozen.
- Remove bones from oven and place them in slow cooker. Cover with water, add ¼ cup apple cider vinegar (optional). ACV helps break down the bones.
- Set slow cooker on low, cover with lid and bring batch to a simmer. This will take a few hours.
- Simmer bones for 36-44 hours adding water as it cooks out to keep bones covered. *Tip- Add the last batch of water at least 8 hours before batch is complete. Too much water will result in a less condensed gel.
- After bones have simmered for approximately 44 hours, turn off. You will know you have cooked all the nutrition out when the bones are brittle and easily broken. Let set for 1-2 hours, until broth has cooled to a safe temp to work with.
- Remove bones from mixture and dispose. ****Do not give cooked bones to pets. Cooked bones are brittle and will splinter and can harm you pet.
- Once all the bones and meat have been removed from the broth, use a ladle to dip broth and strain into a large bowl.
- Once the broth starts to cool, you will be able to see the fat lair on top. To remove the fat, gently place a ladle on top and let the fat run into the ladle. Don’t worry if you don’t get it all. A small fat lair helps protect your broth when frozen ** Strain the melted fat to a metal container or metal bowel using a fine strainer or cheese cloth and set aside.
- Once you have removed the fat, ladle the broth in your freezer containers, straining again with a fine strainer or cheese cloth. Stir broth each time you insert the ladle to keep the fat lair consistent in each container. If you are using plastic freezer containers, be sure the broth has cooled enough to put into the container.
- Let the broth cool before refrigerating. Refrigerate overnight. Once cooled, your broth should gel. The more gel, the more concentrated the collagen. **Don’t worry if it does not get, it is still packed with nutrients and flavor. Many factors can affect the gel. Adding too much water to close to removal will result in a watery consistency. Using soup bones only, may result in less gelatin . Therefore, we recommend adding joint bones such as oxtail or knuckles if you are looking for more collagen. Joint bones and will have more collagen than other bones.
- Store in the refrigerator and use in 3-5 days. Freeze what you will not use in 3-5 days.
- Add broth to dishes when cooking for extra nutrients and flavor. Works well to warm and sip for a soothing, nutritious drink. *Tip – For sipping, try adding ginger to the warm broth to spice up and to enhance flavor. Or 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon pepper per 12oz.