Bone broth

Bone broth has been gaining in popularity for its health and economic benefits. How many out there like to make a good pot of winter-satisfying (especially) soup? I have always used it to lighten a week's menu economically and it is great for those cold winter months, especially having four kids to feed...serve it with some warm, crusty bread....yummmm....

     Anywho, all soups potentially start with a broth of sorts which can be pretty pricey, if buying. When the kids were small, I had stopped using boullion cubes because of their salt content, artificial ingredients and added MSG  (which kills brain cells). It wasn't until I had the nest almost empty that I discovered the gift of bone broth. It is what it says,,,broth made from bones. There are different kinds. I have made beef, ham, chicken but mostly turkey. It is quite simple. I started originally with turkey...with a turkey carcass left over from Thanksgiving.  This is where the convenience of owning a roaster-sized crock pot came in handy. (A very large pot will do as well.) So - I put all the bones in the pot, saving any meat still on the bones, eliminating any discarded skin, except using the wings. I fill the pot with water- I use spring water which we can get from a local natural spring. (For myself I always try to use the most pristine ingredients possible when it comes to makingfood.) Add a couple tablespoons of apple cider vinegar and let it "cook" for 12-24 hours on slow ( or let it pot-simmer for 8-12 hours). The longer it goes, the more dense it will get, more dense, more flavorful. I usually let it cool and then strain into mason jars and freeze for future use. I have also started freezing some into large silicone ice cubes for my daugher-in-law to use whenever she wants to add a little extra flavor to something she may be cooking.  A couple of side notes that may be of interest: you may add veggies such as celery, onion, carrots, garlic, whole black peppercorns, etc (be imaginative considering your own taste buds...) while the bones simmer which will enhance the end results, of course. I generally don't salt the broth until actually using it in a soup. The reasoning behind adding the  vinegar is because it softens the bones so they can release their calcium among other minerals, Collagen also becomes an integral part of the broth which is great for the skin plus other benefits. (It may gel when refrigerated because of that collagen-the more gel-like, the more collagen is in it). A cup of this broth alone can warm the bones in the winter, help relieve cold symptoms, take the the edge off the appetite if dieting.  It has an excellent source of nutrients and can do a body good. To do beef, ask a butcher to sell you the bones and roast them first before putting them in the water. (They will have a deeper roasted flavor). Every  time you eat chicken, save the bones and freeze them in a bag and collect them until you save up enough bones to make a broth batch. Don't necessarily take just my word for it - online it, make it,  try it, you might like it. It has become a major source in my life which I encourage everyone to try at least once.  It is good to know just what is in what you are eating because you added it, or not. .It is good because YOU made it!