would love to know since it can be so expensive....
Does anyone make your own bone broth? :-) - Thyroid UK
Does anyone make your own bone broth? :-)
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Thyroid2468
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Jaydee1507Administrator
I have done in the past. Best to roast the bones first for better flavour + add herbs to taste. A pressure cooker makes it faster to make.
helvellaAdministrator
There are many sources such as:
bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/bone...
(Not sure if you can access that from the USA?)
I don't make bone broth of that sort. But I do buy ham hocks/houghs and make soup. Cook in my automatic pressure cooker (think Instant Pot) in slow cooker mode for about 3 or 4 hours.
Cool to refrigerator cold so that any fat rises and sets. Remove fat. Remove hock. Make soup adding carrot, onion, potatoes, bay leaves, pepper and loads of washed split lentils and cooking - returning the ham to the soup near the end.
yes! no problem getting the link. printing out now! Your recipe sounds great.
Thank you, also!
RedAppleAdministrator
Isn't this just a fancy name for what so many used to do in 'the olden days'. It's just that we called it soup then!
e.g. Boil up the carcass from your Christmas Turkey, throw in some herbs and leftover veg. delicious and nourishing.
Broth is just the same thing (juices from boiled up bones) but without the lumps of veg and/or meat.
Or am I missing something? 😀
hahahahah. not missing anything. "bone broth" I think became trendy as far as I know. Just like Avocado toast. I mean its just some avocado on toast. lol
🤣 I suppose each generation likes to re-invent the wheel in their own way!
I grew up on this stuff. It's as old as the hills. We used beef bones with marrow, a hunk of beef shank. onions, celery, carrots, *chili peppers (optional), peppercorns, bayleaf, a big hunk of parsley and a few parsley roots (European stuff that looks like skinny parsnips), and celeriac. The meat and bones had to be cooked first and then add the vegetables and spice. It tastes better than plain bone broth. These days I just bung it all into a pressure cooker for an hour because it's faster and doesn't need skimming. All the stuff that would normally be skimmed off the top just settles in the bottom and the broth is clear.
Back in those days the butcher gave the bones for free. These days...... yet another trendy item.... annoying for those of us who make this as a regular menu item.
We would eat it with egg noodles on sunday and monday. Then on Tuesday we'd blend up the vegetables and make a sort of creamy soup (no cream though). Sometimes we'd have enough to last until Wednesday. The other day I made beef bone broth with beef neck that has lots of meat on it. The broth was then used to make a blended soup with carrot, pumpkin, and potato. Delicious.
We always had soup as the first course of the meal. European tradition. We are soup eaters and have at least 100 different soup recipes.
We would put the bone marrow on toast and sprinkle with a bit of salt. Nothing went to waste. I would chew the meat and gristle off the bones when the soup was fresh. Still do.
Right now I am day 5 with Covid and have lost my sense of smell. I hope it's temporary. It kind of negates the enjoyment of food. 😱😱
RegenallotmentAmbassador
I do! I stew chicken legs in the slow cooker all day, with chopped carrot and celery, filled to the top with hot water, bay leaf. Leave it on all day, maybe even 2 days or day and overnight, eventually the gristly bits render down. I’ve also done it with oxtail and lamb shoulder bones, all really good, freeze in portions when cool (it turns to a jelly) then microwave when you want some, or save in a jar/jug in the fridge and eat in a few days. I tend to do it whenever we have a bone in roast of any kind. 💚
Hellvella removes the fat. Do any of you keep a little fat? Or is it best removed for health reasons? Sounds nice to just have something that smells great simmering on the stove!!!!
I like a bit of fat, legs are less fatty than thighs, we eat quite a lot of thighs (cheap and delicious roasted with lemon quarters and coriander seed). I always save all the animal fats in ramekins in the fridge and use like dripping as I can’t enjoy butter and am violently opposed to margarine 🤣
Love the thighs. Try finely grating the lemon rind, with mixed herbs, a generous shake of curry powder, salt , pepper and olive oil. Leave overnight and roast as normal with potatoes, etc
I cook with the fat.
I remove the fat the same way as helvella because there’s so much but there’s always a little left behind and I like that. Improves texture and taste
ll collect it taste it if you like it keep it simps it mite b nice in small doses with other broths soups
A thick layer of ham fat is simply not appealing.
I'm not trying to avoid fat!
I leave some fat. How else to absorb fat soluble vitamins?
I should have said we strain off the liquid with a sieve and eat the veg/meat for a meal with mash. Then when cool the fat can be scooped off the broth (it rises to the top) to use for cooking. 🦋
I’m no expert on such matters but having extracted all the goodness using slow cooking etc I wonder if microwaving maybe kills it a bit?
There's recent been quite a few articles about microwaving and nutrition.
The impression I get is that for a lot of things it makes little difference. Sometimes the short cooking time might leave better levels of some nutrients. Other times some other method might be better.
that’s interesting, I haven’t heard that but would make life a bit easier
Here are a couple of articles:
Ping! How I learned to stop worrying and love the microwave
theguardian.com/food/2022/d...
No ‘nuking it’: 12 chefs’ top tips to get the most out of your microwave
theguardian.com/food/2022/d...
I have now unplugged the microwave when not in use because apparently it sucks a lot of current.
Mine uses a fraction of a watt. As do most that have been sold for a number of years. (The USA requires this usage to be reported and the majority seem to be around 0.3 to 0.5 W. Very few are more than 1 W.) Yes, it does add up but is likely not the worst usage.
A lot of stories in the media have exaggerated how much is used by devices on standby.
However, many TV set top boxes (e.g. for Virgin, Sky, or whatever) are particularly bad. (My TV and its Roku device use a total of close to 44W in use and they get switched off when not being used.)
If you switch the clock display off, it makes a difference. I can't be bothered to move the microwave to reach the switch as it lives in a cupboard... ugly beast but essential!
Now you have got me concerned!
A living microwave! 
🦠🦠🦠🦠
🧫🧫
Yes! A used and abused glorified petri dish..... let's be honest who actually cleans them until something explodes or overflows? Or is that just another of my failings 😩
I wipe out the condensation in the microwave after each use as it helps to preserve the interior. It also stops any residue sticking if I do it immediately, before it's had a chance to evaporate. I keep the kitchen roll or a clean cloth nearby for this purpose as otherwise I wouldn't necessarily do it. I can't see the roof unless I bend down but am sometimes surprised with what the cloth brings down :).
Great articles!... as with most of my kitchen appliances I barely scratch the surface of their usefulness.... it's a bit like constantly saying I'm going to learn another language but apart from some half-hearted attempts before travel it never happens.... I need to find a friend fluent in microwave and all the clever options on my oven, slow cooker, washing machine, dishwasher, bread maker, food processor.... even the vacuum cleaner!🙃
What a second-rate house person I am!! 🤣🤣
But then most people have gadgets that they haven't really got a clue how to work, we are all just blagging it one way or another 😱
I read an article by one person who cannot eat any microwaved food as the microwaves do something that upsets his stomach. It's also been shown in studies that plants do far less well if they are given water that was microwaved. People with pacemakers can't go near them. There's something in those waves that the rest of should probably avoid as much as possible. Best to keep it short. Most food cooked in 'mikey' isn't that tasty anyway.
The pacemaker issue is specifically while they are running. (And the same applies to other sources of electromagnetic fields such as induction hobs.)
Anything that produces a strong electromagnetic field, like an induction hob, can interfere with a pacemaker. But most common household electrical equipment, such as hairdryers and microwave ovens, won't be a problem as long as you use them more than 15cm (6 inches) away from your pacemaker.
The 'plants' bit probably has nothing to do with the microwaves ... plants would also do less well if you gave them water that had previously been heated in a saucepan on the hob ... heating water depletes dissolved oxygen, regardless of how you heat it ..... roots need oxygen, or plant doesn't thrive .
microwave ovens do certainly have their uses , but agreed , they make lousy baked potatoes . in fact the make lousy 'most things' when compared to the taste / texture that is gotten from longer cooking in a real oven.
my dad had a pacemaker and a microwave it's honestly not a problem as long as you lie on top of it when using it. ... and who does that ?
(edited should say "as long as you don't lie on top of it !)
my dad had a pacemaker and a microwave it's honestly not a problem as long as you lie on top of it when using it. ... and who does that ?
🤣🤣🤣 mixed messaging there Tatty!
oops .. i missed the word "don't" ... well spotted Eeyore
I use mine to kill germs in the dishwashing cloth. It only takes 1 minute 10 seconds on high setting. My microwave oven is severely underused.
This is the issue - it's the length of time cooking that brings out flavour; just as marinades should be done overnight in a fridge so as to let the chemical reactions get on with it. There is nothing really wrong with microwave cooking (saves a lot of electricity) as long as there are enough water molecules to heat up the food sufficiently and equally, but with certain things you'll not get the same depth of flavour as with longer cooking in a conventional oven. Microwaved food also cools down more quickly as it's only the water element that gets heated, thus giving the impression that something might not be as tasty as expected. Hence the need to add some to allow an even distribution of the heat throughout the food, & therefore even out the chemical reaction with the heated water + food combination.
All microwaving does is heat up the water molecules in the food, which is why you often need to add a bit to keep it moist, in case the cooking dries the food out too much (can also cause a fire within the oven if no water is left!) If any nutrition is actually considered to leak out in the water, as it may do when in cooking veg (although you only use a little so as to steam them) then I just drink the left over water anyway.
If you visit a good Butcher he will be more than happy to give you a bag of bones FOC ! Ours come from grass fed animals and are dealt with in the slow cooker. Add the veg/herbs already mentioned for extra flavour - yummy soup ! I pop container outside overnight to cool ! I make white cabbage soup daily - with onions garlic herbs or spices - passata some days. Am about to devour some !
If you visit a good Butcher'
Unfortunately, these days actual butcher shops are few and far between in some locations. Everyone buys their meat from supermarkets. Where I lived previously, you had to drive a few miles to find an independent butcher, and the prices were high enough that you only went there for the very special occasional treat.
So maybe an on-line source ? Lots of good Butchers are now on-line. Many supermarkets have a Butchery Department so worth asking ..
can you give us this cabbage soup recipe!!! yes, I am in NYC so will research a butcher near me. We have a store called Whole Foods that sometimes have frozen bones.
Shredded hard white cabbage - diced onions - garlic - Passata - stock/bone broth to cover. Add spices to your liking or herbs. Coconut milk too instead of Passata. You can play around with it - I often add various other bits and pieces before they die in the fridge !
Never thought of passata in bone broth. Thanks for sharing
that sounds wonderful
Sure does. Mmm..I miss tomatoes.
Honestly I keep it simple . When my stomach is behaving I drop the chicken legs with the skin, in the pressure cooker and voila . Only salt for seasoning.
RedAppleAdministrator
Prompted by your question Thyroid2468, I found this Harvard article which discusses collagen and bone broth. hsph.harvard.edu/nutritions...
thank you. good article and makes the whole thing even more confusing. It seems anything we eat can have problems with it! I was hoping bone broth would be better then collagen supplements/powder, but it sounds like the bones can have lead etc. I need to research whether grass fed makes a difference? does anyone know? I guess at the end of the day moderation is key with all.
I do make broth from the bones I have from good additive free meat sources , but I do it to give myself a good base for soups or stews or to drink just for the feeling of some sustenance when my digestion is poor.Roasting the bones and leaving on some fat is better for taste , bashing them a bit before the simmering process also helps release more calcium and marrow.
A pressure cooker , slow cooker process , pan or microwave will all bring similar levels of available nutrients. The preparations involving days of simmering and replenishing does not produce much , if any more , nutrient content than a cooking time between 2-6 hours. Endless cooking seems to be a theory that has been jumped on by manufacturers of the broths to imply that it takes so much time and inconvenience to produce what they do that we all feel it is not worth doing ourselves and the products are worth the money.
Homemade broths can also be frozen in batches so you can make a months worth and just get what you need from the freezer , defrost overnight and bring it to temperature for what you want it for.
Tests of bone broths don't show huge levels of essential nutrients in them above that of a good homemade stock and often a basic chicken soup including the meat will give far more digestible nutrition than a bone broth would. Any research showing substantial change using a bone broth is either funded by interested parties or anecdotal. The improvement that people get to their health from using the broth is more like the placebo effect . It is very seldom that a person choosing to start collagen supplements or bone broth has made this change to their diet or lifestyle alone. More often , people have done a big overhaul of their diet , increasing intake of other proteins and nutrients as well , and often increasing water intake and other vitamin supplements. Water in the broth probably does more to help your metabolism than the levels of nutrients in it.
I have the connective tissue disorder , EDS , which means that I have collagen production issues as part of my illness. I did a lot of research in the hope of boosting my collagen production which is an aim of these conditions for prevention of injuries and symptoms. There is little research but what is out there from small scale , non affiliated study is that collagen supplements make no significant impact to collagen production, and improving intake of other essential amino acids and vitamins via diet and supplements is better.
The active ingredients of collagen supplements or bone broth are broken down into the essential amino acids first then metabolised to be used to produce collagen in the body anyway , a good animal based protein source in the diet does the same.
Animal source proteins also provide more of the right amino acids at large enough quantities than plant based ones . Animal based Vitamin A is also important for collagen , eyes and skin , beta carotene from carrots etc. does not create the same type of B/ C chain required for human need . So , a vegetarian diet can work , very unfortunately, a vegan diet is not suitable if you have a genuine collagen production issue.
Studies looking at improving collagen production and digestion for people with various Connective tissue Disorders suggest it is better to get more glycine , lysine, proline , Coenzyme Q10, Vitamin B 12 , vitamin C , E and K2 either from the diet or ordinary vitamin supplements taken after the appropriate meal or snack if you need to improve collagen biosynthesis.
So , in reality , try your own homemade broth or stock from bones because you enjoy it or it helps when your stomach feels upset but it isn't worth spending excessive time or money in buying the products if you are only doing it in the belief that it can significantly change your health.
Hope that helps , Bee
Bee! Sounds like you have done a lot of research! And it saddens me to think that there aren't more nutrients in a broth. I am curious, since you have a connective tissue disorder and have done research, what sorts of things have you added to your diet, including supplements. I probably have connective tissue issues in addition to my thyroid, osteoporosis, etc, so would love to hear what you do.
😱oh my lord! When I read this question I thought you meant “ your OWN bone broth”!!!!!!!!! 🤣
with my own bones? lol?
yes! 🤣🤣🤣🤣
Loool...I cant! Thank you, this made my morning
I've never eaten it myself but have made it for my elderly pets. It's been really useful when they've been off their food 😊
I've used the slow cooker method and cooked it over a couple of days. Removed the fat and froze the remaining jelly in ice cube trays. Makes me bauk (being a vegetarian!) but the dogs loved it.
Hope your doggies appreciate the sacrifice you’ve made for them 🐶
😊 Ha ha possibly not! But I find it worthwhile when you see how much they enjoy it and relief when they get their appetite back.
TiggerMeAmbassador
Have done but not keen on the house stinking of it! Found a dried version from Honest & Good which is handy when nothing else appeals or I just can't be faffed with food
I used to make my own bone broth in the slow cooker because I can leace it cooking away all day - there are lots of websites about it - can’t remember which one I used but this is similar platingsandpairings.com/slo...
In the U.K. you can buy organic chicken carcasses online from Abel and Cole but I just used regular chicken. I often save and freeze my chicken carcasses and make soup in bulk.
I buy chicken carcasses at the farmers market and also always buy whole chickens and joint them myself so that I have the carcass. Boil for about 3 hours (simmer after it has come to the boil or it turns bitter allegedly). Cook with onions, carrots, celery, leek, bay leaves, juniper berries and some peppercorns. I strip the carcasses of their meat and add them to the soup, with spinach and some pastini or brown lentils. I chill the stock in the fridge overnight to let the fat set and lift it off. This is a weekly routine. It’s a good base for other soups, eg sorrel or mushroom. I’ve got a feeling that chicken broth shouldn’t be cooked for days like a beef broth. Especially if you want to recover and use the meat.
I buy beef bones from the butcher, around 4 kilos, it's really inexpensive. Bring to the boil in water and simmer for 48 hours. I bought a gigantic pot especially to do it in. You can freeze it.
I make bone broth every most weeks. I mainly use chicken bones but also use lamb and beef bones (roasted first)… either pressure cooker or slow cooker adding a spoon of vinegar to help release calcium and minerals. Then render it down by boiling off excess water. Keep some in fridge and freeze some. Great for soup.
Extract from RedApples article ….healthunlocked.com/redirect...
Bone broth, a trending food featured prominently in soup aisles, is promoted as a health food rich in collagen. The process involves simmering animal bones in water and a small amount of vinegar (to help dissolve the bone and release collagen and minerals) anywhere from 4 to 24 hours. However, the amount of amino acids will vary among batches depending on the types of bones used, how long they are cooked, and the amount of processing (e.g., if it is a packaged/canned version).Gelatin is a form of collagen made by boiling animal bones, cartilage, and skin for several hours and then allowing the liquid to cool and set. The breakdown of these connective tissues produces gelatin. Collagen and its derivative, gelatin, are promoted on certain eating plans such as the paleo diet.
In the back of my mind I always wanted to check up on this new age phenomenon “bone broth” as I like a good home made soup. Oh! I have been making bone broth for fifty years and did not know. I am ahead of the curve for once. Anyway loads of great tips here for a bit of variety. Well done boys and girls. This forum …? Great isn’t it?
yes! trendy name for Stock which has been made in every country in the world forever!!!! lol
I use dried shiitake mushrooms and a bit of kombucha as well as organic chicken bones ,
Apple cider vinigar helps break down protein in the the connective tissue and collagen.
Cook over nite in slow cooker .
It might be fashionable now but it’s a nourishing broth ,without doubt
Only thing I'll add to all of the above is that I roast off the bones for 20mins, half an hour first, as it deepens the flavour...then add the bones to the rest of whatever stock/soup I want to make.
Try adding half a teaspoon of dried roasted paprika into the soup/broth. It’s lovely and adds a good flavour to the soup, and stews
Wow! trying to figure out how to copy this! fantastic!!!! And won't get bored!!
Just realised meant KOMBU seaweed . But no harm in kombucha instead of Kombu.
Thanks for asking that question! Going to print the recipe also. 😊
yes! Great ideas! I am happy to have asked too!!!!!!!
I am lucky enough to have a Rayburn. All bits go into a pan and out comes soup! Its magic!
It is actually illegal for a butcher to give away bones, he is supposed to charge. The bones in a vac pack were always the first things to go when I was doing the pigs. If you have a good butcher, ask if you can buy some skirt. Fabulous flavour if cooked slowly. It looks a bit strange but it is a really cheap cut, and cooks down to a wonderful warming dish.
The best bit of the Christmas turkey for me is the dripping sandwiches...
My parents have an aga and preparing broth from the chicken or meat carcass or bones is a dream. I simmer for a good few hours then leave it on the top - not on the cooking bit, just the warm surround - overnight. It always tastes far better than the broth I make at home on a standard ceramic hob. I haven't ever used my slow cooker though - I'll give it a try!
Here’s something for summer. You can poach a whole chicken in a large pan with veg herbs lemon etc. Bring to boil the simmer for half an hour and allow to cool (and finish cooking) in the liquor. Really good for summer and serving cold chicken with salad. Lemon sauce great with it. Can do at any time of year though. Strain off and the veg etc with some liquid makes great soup. Strained liquid can be boiled, with bones if you take all meat off the bone, and reduced. will make great stock for risotto soup or clear broth.
I have tried lamb bones but they were not very tasty so beef and pigs trotters etc good.
helvellaAdministrator
I can't stop putting fennel into soups and stews!
yes! and making my mom a copy
It can be expensive to buy certainly, but that's the same with any convenience food. I do make my own stock, & make the bones last, boil after boil, until the stock is rather insipid looking & tasting. With the 1st 2 goes, I cover the bones, & skin, gristle etc with cold water then gradually bring it to boil then simmer for a bit also putting veg in, herbs, peppercorns etc at the almost boiled stage. Then I let the fat rise, swab it off with a bit of kitchen paper or a light skim with a spoon, strain it, remove the veg & eat it with the stock as soup - don't need any extra meat with the 1st 2 boilings, as it's so tasty. After that, I use it to add to casseroles, anything that needs thinning, & microwaved food/leftovers to keep it all moist & tasty. The thing I'm currently concerned about is the energy cost, now prices are sky high to potentially cook. Must do the maths on that, compared to buying ready made.
Try and buy an organic chicken if poss. When the carcass is left, put it into a large saucepan with an onion, stick celery, perhaps a carrot fill up with water and add some cider vinegar ( about half a tablespoon personally). This is quite important to get all the goodness from the bones. Simmer it for as long as you can on a low heat. Perhaps 4 hours, top up if necc with a little water
. Leave it to cool a little and you might find it gets a bit gelatinous which is all the goodness. Strain into a few freezer bags and freeze flat (make sure the seal is intact)!
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