Bone broth! It’s everywhere. The superfood you should be drinking everyday, according to ‘them’. Whoever ‘they’ are. When I originally tried bone broth, I wasn’t really keen on drinking it, but I would use it in recipes, when making rice, etc just for the health benefits. When I first learned about it, I looked for it at the store and the quality brands were quite expensive. 

Since I’m not a fan of spending more money than I have to, I started making my own. Which, by the way, is basically a free byproduct of things you’re probably already eating in your kitchen. 

Free bone broth?

For the purposes of this recipe, I have to use specific vegetables and herbs. However, please save your vegetable scraps when you are cooking to make broth! Stash a gallon bag in your freezer and when you have carrot peels and ends, onion peels, celery ends, herbs that are going bad, and save them up! Also, do the same with bones – that’s how you can make this for free! Use bones and vegetables that were headed for the trash and make delicious broth instead. 

Chicken Feet

Let’s talk about chicken feet. Yes, they look very unappetizing, however, the way they look is a small price to pay for the added benefits. Unless you live under a rock, you’ve probably heard about the benefits of collagen. I’ll let you dive into that on your own. Instead of buying a collagen powder, why not get it from a less processed source! 

Prior to butchering our own chickens, I purchased chicken feet through Azure Standard. Azure Standard is a great place to bulk order organic food. Before ordering, check with local butchers and farmers. Although chicken feet are utilized in other countries, it really isn’t a coveted piece of the bird in the US so they are probably ending up in the trash! 

Process

I make this recipe in my 8qt Instant Pot, but you could also make it in a crock pot, or even on the stove. Simply add all the ingredients to a crock pot or stove and heat on low for 24 hours. After the broth is done, pour through a fine mesh strainer. Oftentimes I will use the same bones and vegetable scraps twice (definitely do this is if you have a smaller Instant Pot). After straining, I’ll return everything to the Instant Pot, maybe add some additional herbs, 1 tbsp of salt and refill the water for another round. There’s a chance this round is slightly less rich than the first, so I just pour both batches into a large stock pot to mix them together. 

I prefer to make multiple batches at one time and can it for the following 6-12 months. You can also freeze it as well. If you want to pressure can it, you will need to completely cool the broth and skim the fat off the top. Once the fat is skimmed, warm the broth back up, pour in jars, leaving 1” of headspace. Put the lid on the canner and let steam for 10 minutes. Add 10 pounds of pressure and process pints for 20 minutes or quarts for 25 minutes. 

This is the recipe I use for sipping and for cooking. Use it for inspiration, but use what you have on hand.