How to Make Nourishing Bone Broth at Home

Prep Time: 3 hours
Yield: Serves 4

Ingredients

  • Carcass of 1 (4 to 5 lb) roasted chicken (remove all cooked meat from the bird)

  • 8 cups cold water

  • 1 cup diced celery

  • 1 cup diced carrot

  • 1 cup diced onion

  • 4 whole black peppercorns

  • 1 bay leaf

  • Salt, to taste

Directions

  1. Place cooked chicken carcass and water in a large pot. Bring to a boil.

  2. Skim away any foam that rises to the surface. Reduce heat to a simmer. Cover pot partially with a lid and simmer for 1 1⁄2 hours. Occasionally skim any foam away from the surface.

  3. Add remaining ingredients. Simmer for an additional hour, continuing to remove any foam that rises to the surface.

  4. Remove chicken carcass from pot. Strain broth through a sieve. Discard solids.

  5. This broth can be used as a base for making soups. If not using immediately, cool to room temperature, and skim any fat from the surface. Transfer to storage containers. Broth will last up to 5 days in the refrigerator or up to 3 months in the freezer.

Notes

If you’re new to making bone broth, chicken bone broth is a great place to start. Chicken bones are smaller, making them easier to use, and the flavor will likely be more familiar to your palate. You can start with a whole roasted chicken (reserve the meat for another meal) or save the bones from previous meals and store them in the freezer—chicken, duck, or turkey will all work fine.

*This article originally appeared on TasteForLife.com.

Lindsey Price