Chicken Bone Broth

When I was a child, my grandmother’s refrigerator always contained at least one jar of homemade chicken broth. Every time she boiled chicken for a recipes, she saved the cooking liquid for later use.  I don’t know that I ever really thought much of it; it was just something that grandmothers did,  I thought.

Oh, but I was so wrong.

Broths and stocks are a key component of a good gut healing regimen.  In Gut and Psychology Syndrome, Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride states that,  “meats and fish stocks provide building blocks for the rapidly growing cells of the gut lignin and they have a  soothing effect on any areas of inflammation in the gut.”  Pretty important, right?

Unfortunately none of my children like soup, much less soups made with broth, so I had some work to do  before I could start implementing the GAPS diet in our home. The first step for me was to start making and using stocks and broths on a regular basis. And that I have done. I generally make 1 – 2 gallons of chicken broth each week and we use it up very quickly.  As with anything, the more I serve it, the more my children like it, and they have actually happily eaten my Grandmother’s Gluten Free Chicken Vegetable soup on several occasions. And they asked for seconds!

I typed up this recipe this week per the request of several of my Gluten Free Menu Plan customers. Each week’s menu plan contains one or two whole chickens, so it will only take an additional 10 minutes or so to make a gallon of healing broth for their families. And typing up my bone broth recipe, turned into a new project – The Gluten Free Pantry Basics Cookbook – which I’m writing for my Gluten Free Menu Plan customers and given them updated copies as I add new recipes. So far, we have the recipe below, plus coconut sour cream, homemade taco seasoning, and a homemade enchilada sauce. And I’ve already received requests to add homemade mayo and Ranch dressing to the cookbook too.  If this sounds intriguing and you’re looking for a way to get good gluten free suppers on the table with less angst, then you can find out more about my menu plans and start a free trial, to see if it’s something that will work for your family.

Instructions

• bones from 2 chickens
• the little package of goodies inside the chickens, if included
• chicken feet (optional, but recommended)
• 1 large yellow onion, quartered
• 3 carrot
• 3 celery stalks
• 1 Tbsp. cider vinegar
• water
• parsley

Save the bones from two roasted chickens and, when you’re ready to make stock, put them into a large crockpot, along with the internal organs that you’ve saved and a chicken foot. Wash the carrots and celery and break them into two or three large pieces. Add these and the quartered onion to the pot. Fill the pot with water until all ingredients are covered, or at 1” from the top, whichever happens first. Add the cider vinegar and then cook on low for 24 hours.

Wash and chop ½ bunch of parsley and stir that into the stock while you get your tools out for straining and bottling. I use a large sieve, a small mesh strainer, a large bowl, a smaller spouted bowl, tongs, a ladle, and two half gallon mason jars.

Place the large sieve over the large bowl and use the tongs and/or ladle to move the vegetables and bones into the sieve and then ladle all of the liquid over them. Once all of the liquids have drained through the sieve, pour the stock through the mesh strainer into the smaller spouted bowl. From there carefully pour the liquid into the mason jars, and then cover and refrigerate.

Notes: I do not skim the fat because I use the best chickens that I can find, preferably organic, pastured, no-hormone chickens. I want fat from that kind of animal in our diet, so I leave it in the stock.

Now, if you wish, you may pick through the bones and remove any remaining bits of chicken. Taste a bit first and see if it’s something that you’d want to use as shredded chicken in a recipe. You may also take the bones, add new vegetables and vinegar, and make another batch of bone broth from the sames bones. It won’t be quite as flavorful, but it is still very good. If you have time for neither of these, just throw the bones away.