15 min
18 hours or overnight. Crockpot: 8-10 hours
about 1.5 gallons
Take the chicken and wash well. Deeply pierce the skin all over with a long serving fork (this is to let the juices deep down in the tissues to release over time), and place in a very large stock pot. Add a little salt then add water till it covers the chicken. Heat on the lowest setting possible and let it sit for at least 18 hours. The water should never boil but should just sort of bubble a little.
Once the chicken has given up all it’s juices, take it out (it will fall apart so you will need to use a tool that can scoop it up) and set aside in a big bowl to cool off. Next add the veggies and let that simmer or bubble for another couple of hours or so. Turn off the heat then remove and discard the veggies.
Cool for a few hours and then pour through a cheese cloth-lined strainer to catch any tidbits still left in the pot. Put thoroughly cooled broth into containers in the fridge. After a day you can take them out and skim off the fat which can be saved in the freezer.
Another helpful tip, you can also buy ice cube trays and freeze individual stock ice cubes, which is really handy if you find yourself needing to make soup for one, but only have containers of stock for 6.
You can store excess broth in the freezer and defrost and consume later.
Bone broth has incredible health benefits that support the gut membrane, the joints, the immune system, hair and skin. The key nutrients in the broth are not easy to get from other food sources and they include collagen, gelatin, hyaluronic acid, chondroitin sulfate, glycosamino glycans, proline, glycine, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium and potassium. These nutrients are considered beauty foods because they help the body with proper structural alignment and beautiful skin and hair.
Bone broth provides the nutritional synergy to calm an overactive immune system while supplying the body with raw materials to rebuild stronger and healthier cells. This is why it is such a great healing food to have when the body is encountering stress from bacterial or viral infections as well as digestive disorders and leaky gut syndrome.
You can find pasture-raised chicken from a local farmer or you can order the bones from US Wellness Meats. Pasture-raised chicken are chickens that were raised on natural grass eating insects and weeds without any grain-feeds. This concentrates essential fats and anti-oxidants into the bones and tissues of the animal.
This is great to drink each day, to use on other dishes or to make for a stew.
Bone broth from organically raised animals is loaded with bone and immune supportive nutrients. Bone broth is loaded with bone marrow where the red and white blood cells that form our blood and immune system are originally formed. It is also rich in collagen peptides which help to improve the integrity of our gut lining, skin and joints.
Bone broth is also rich in conjugated linoleic acid, also called CLA. CLA helps to reduce inflammation and stimulate fat burning. It has also been shown to be a powerful immune stimulating agent that reduces cancer growth in the body.
Ideally you will get pasture-raised chicken bones or grass-fed beef bones as that is the highest quality.
