Make Your Own Broth

I’ve seen a lot of mention of the benefits of bone broths on the various paleo/primal/ancestral websites and blogs that I frequent. Here are just a few references to get you started if you’d like to read more about it and see other recipes…one, two, three.

I suggested to Don that we think about making our own sometime, and he was quick to come up with a recipe using the bones of a recent rabbit harvest – what a great way to really make use of the whole rabbit as much as possible too.

Long and low cooking is the way to go when making broth. Most recipes suggest 24 hours; we let ours stay on the stove for more like 36 hours due to schedules and such.  The extra time certainly can’t hurt the broth.

What We Used: (as usual, Don doesn’t really measure so we are doing our best to give approx quantities)

• bones of 5 rabbits
• 1 whole sweet onion, roughly chopped
• 1/2 red onion, roughly chopped
• 2 green onions
• about 1 and 1/2 tsp minced garlic
• about 1 tsp salt
• about 1 tsp pepper
• about a tbsp dried parsley (fresh that we had dried on our dehydrator)
• enough water to submerge the bones in a large stockpot

We combined all in a large stockpot, covered, placed on the stove on low and let it go.

Just starting out...

About 12 hours in...

After 36 hours, just before straining.

Next, I strained all the bits from the broth.

A very fine mesh strainer is best.

So much good stuff! But it was riddled with tiny bone fragments and there was no saving it.

This is only half of the final broth. It made SO MUCH and smelled amazing.

Next, I ladled the broth into these handy, dandy silicone ice-cube trays. Perfect for this project.

It's a little tricky (messy) at first. I got the hang of it after a bit.

Then, into the freezer!

So pretty.

The next day, I popped those babies out and ladled the rest of the broth into the trays again. Our batch made enough for all four trays to be filled twice, which equates to 2 very full, gallon size plastic bags of cubes in the freezer. I see them lasting us a very long time.

Super concentrated like bouillon cubes, we will use just one or two for a dish.

We also had about a cup and 1/2 left that we used to make a soup that same week. It was excellent. Really doesn’t taste all that different from traditional (canned or dried) chicken broth and yet much more rich in nutrients and completely organic and preservative free. I’m down. Even though we are getting out of the rabbit farming and won’t be doing another batch with rabbit, I can see doing this with chicken bones, or bones from other cuts of meat in the future as well. I encourage you to read more about bone broth and try making your own one day.

Did you ever stop to taste a carrot?  Not just eat it, but taste it?  You can’t taste the beauty and energy of the earth in a Twinkie.
~ Astrid Alauda