The Simplicity and Goodness of Bone Broth

Ok, you finally bit the bullet and bought a pasture raised whole chicken and cooked it in your instant pot…well done!! Wasn’t it fantastic??!? Now what?!?! Whatever you do….DON’T throw out that carcass!!! What you have in front of you is the makings of liquid gold!

It doesn’t look like much…a little liquid from the cooking process, bits of skin and all the bones from the chicken, but what that can become is amazing! Indulging in the goodness of pasture-raised bone broth not only tantalizes the taste buds but also boasts a myriad of health benefits. Broth made from pasture-raised chicken is loaded with goodness! It’s packed with collagen, amino acids, and essential minerals and is a nourishing powerhouse for the body. Regular consumption of pasture-raised bone broth has been linked to improved joint health, radiant skin, and a boosted immune system. It also supports gut health, promoting digestion and nutrient absorption. You can drink it with a meal or use it as the liquid in rice and soups all winter long….better yet, you can do BOTH!

So, let’s talk about how to make bone broth!! If you cooked your chicken in the instant pot, you can debone it, leave the liquid from cooking in the IP and throw all the bones back in (pictured above). Then, you kinda get to decide what all to put in. The things I always put in are an onion or 2, a Tbls or 2 of minced garlic, salt and pepper. The things that I throw in if I have them on hand are any veggies in the fridge that are about to not get used…a pepper or some carrots are the most likely things for me.

Then, just fill the pot to the fill line with water, put the lid on and set the IP to high pressure for about 3 hours. If you aren’t using an IP, this can be done on the stove or in a crock pot, but it will take 24-48 hours to get the same result and you’ll need to add water a few times as it evaporates some. Both ways are simple and totally doable!

Ok…3 hours later when the pressure cooker has completed its cycle, just let it sit and release pressure naturally. You don’t need to even open it until it cools significantly. The smell when you do open it up is rather intense…everyone in the house will know you just made broth! Look at that deep rich color!! The boxed broth at the grocery store doesn’t even come close!

Now you can strain it. I just put a big pot in the sink, put my strainer in the pot and pour it in. Check out the bones at this point…go ahead, pick it up and squeeze it between your fingers!! Pure mush! What takes a day or 2 in a slow cooker takes 3 hours in an instant pot! Incredible! Our dogs and cats very much love the treat of these chicken bones and they pose no more splintering risk at this stage! Talk about a zero waste chicken!!

Once it’s cooled down, it’s time to store the broth. I usually go ahead and make something for dinner with some of it…soup or rice being the most frequent choices, and leave some in the fridge to drink fresh. Whatever is left, I put in quart bags and freeze it. Isn’t it beautiful!?!? I must say, the Great Value bags aren’t the best choice. I’m all for generic, but these leak, so I won’t make that mistake again! I like to have them flat in the freezer so they store easier, so I usually freeze them on a cookie sheet in case any leak and then once frozen, I stack them.

It’s as easy as that! If you simply don’t have time to do this right when you cook your chicken, you can also toss the carcass into a freezer bag and combine a couple of carcasses to do when you have more time. However, this is a very forgiving process and it can sit in that instant pot on warm until you have time to get to it!

I love that we are getting every bit of goodness out of each and every chicken we eat. I love that I know how and where those chickens were raised. I love that it all tastes so much better than anything we’ve ever gotten from a store. I love that there’s no waste, and I love that we get to support our own local farmer!

Let us know what you think! Have you made bone broth? Do you do it differently? There are lots of variations to my method! We’d love to hear from you! Enjoy!