Make Your Own Bone Stock

Bone Stock is a staple of food traditions all over the world for a number of reasons. For one thing, it is delicious and extremely nutritive. It can add flavor to soups or cooked grains, and it is also a source of easily digestible electrolytes and protein. Because of this, it is also valued as a folk remedy for colds/flu and for people recovering from illness. Even if you’re feeling well, you can add a healthful boost to simple soups and rice by using bone stock instead of water.

Making bone stock is really easy, but it can take a bit of a time commitment, as the stock needs to simmer for a long time. A general rule is 6-8 hours. Some sources will say longer, but do what is realistic for you. For a small batch of chicken bone stock, 4-6 hours may be enough. But the easiest thing is to plan ahead: at the start of a day off at home, throw together a pot in the morning, and just let it go until dinner time. Bones also freeze really well (and that is how ours are sold), so you can keep them in the freezer until you are ready!

Beef Bones and ingredients are prepped and ready to be transformed into Bone Stock!

The Basic Recipe for Bone Stock includes:
3-5lb Beef Bones (or lamb, venison, chicken, etc.)
4-6 Quarts of Water
1/2 cup Vinegar (this helps draw the minerals out of the bones)
3 Onions, coarsely chopped
3 Lg Carrots, coarsely chopped
3 Celery Sticks, coarsely chopped
Spices & Herbs: Garlic, Thyme, Bay Leaves, Salt & Pepper

Use a stock pot or the largest pot you have. A couple of important things to remember: put your ingredients in the pot with cold water to start. This allows the fibers to slowly open up and release their juices (better flavor!). Don't forget the vinegar. You want to maximize the minerals in the finished product. Bring your pot to a boil and then turn down to a simmer for 6-8 hours. Once it is done, let it cool down a bit and then strain the liquid to remove the bones & veggie bits. You may notice that once your stock cools, it has a silky or gelatinous texture - GREAT! That’s the gelatin protein from the bones. If yours does not have that texture, it may be because it didn’t simmer long enough. Don’t fret, your stock is still healthy and nutritious. Store in pint or quart containers and freeze for future use.

Plain bone stock is great to have on hand, but you can personalize the recipe to fit your own needs. For illness recover and support, try adding generous amounts of garlic, chili or cayenne, and ginger root. You could also go heavy on fragrant herbs in the spring: thyme, rosemary, oregano, sage. Get creative, and let us know how your stock turns out!

A quart of homemade chicken bone stock.