bone broth
 

Has anyone made bone broth? Wondering if 24 hours in crockpot is too short a time. I started it and realize I need to get a good strainer - ack!

I think 24 hours is fine, but you can let it go longer if you like. It's so nice to have the crockpot in the summer--insulated enough that it doesn't heat up the kitchen too much to make the broth, and I like to drink bone broth cold as a refreshing beverage (as long as I've skimmed off the fat--cold fat is yucky!).

I've made good bone broth (gels nicely) after just 3-4 hours in a stockpot. I know a lot of people do longer, but I'm not sure it's necessary. I don't think it hurts anything to go longer, I'm just not convinced that a very long length of time means a better product.

I agree, and longer cook times means wasted cooking fuel. You get full flavor and maximum leaching from the bones in 3-4 hours. There's just no point in cooking it any longer.

I think there's a big difference between the crockpot and cooking it on the stove in a stockpot, though.

I would prefer to get the whole process over with in 3-4 hours in a stockpot and didn't realize that I would get the same benefits. That is much easier for me so thanks for the heads up...I will start doing that. I am finding it hard to get grassfed beef bones though.

During the summer I love the crockpot because it doesn't heat up the kitchen. In winter there's nothing homier than a pot of stock bubbling gently on the stove, and it warms up the kitchen, too.

I don't know how short you can go. The shortest I've tried is two days. Usually I go four days. I think Nourishing Traditions indicates that if using only chicken it can be done faster than if using beef bones as well. I just use a hot plate so I can leave it on the table that long without occupying any normal stove or oven space. Once it's up to temperature it really doesn't take much to keep it at that temperature if there's a towel over the pot (but not near the heating element of course).

I've made it two ways with different results. 1) In crockpot for 8 hrs high, 8 hrs low. Came out great; my fav way of making this. 2) On stove top overnight on lowest it would go. Came out OK, and clearly the bones had given up everything they could but oh it was a big pile of xxx!! I couldn't even strain it.

One thing I did with the larger bones (leg, thigh, etc) was to kind of break them so all the marrow would come out. I highly advise doing this... carefully... just kind of whack away at the same place, use paper towels to hold the piece and break it apart.

I think its better to cook it longer, because you will get more calcium leeched from the bones.

I think the other variable is how much vinegar you use. From many batches I know what the upper limit I can use without it being overpowering, and using a touch extra really seems to help make those bones crumble in your fingers when its done.

Porcupine, have you tried using your plain kombucha in your bone broth instead of vinegar....works wonderfully!