If you’ve made a whole chicken in the instant pot, hold up. Don’t throw those bones away just yet! I’ll show you how I make delicious and nutritious bone broth! There’s something more we can do before you toss that chicken carcass!

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Making Bone Broth the Video

What is Bone Broth?

Bone broth is essentially, a broth that is made from cooked bones. We will store pork chop, chicken, and steak bones in the refrigerator until the container is full. That’s when I know it’s time to make bone broth. The apple cider vinegar that we add is used to pull the collagen out of the bones. The slow and low cooking along with the apple cider vinegar is what helps to release the gelatin- which is a broken-down version of collagen- that is in the connective tissues and bones you use. Why is this a good thing? Major important areas of our body (like the lining of our gut and our own connective tissues and joints) are made from collagen- in fact, about 25% of our body is made up of collagen!

What is the history of Bone Broth?

Everything I learned about the entire history of bone broth is here! Food is medicine and this is a quick and easy way to make some tasty medicine. Bone broth may seem all the rage these days but the use of it traces back 2,500 years where it was used in Chinese medicine for supporting kidney and digesting health. From then until now, it has been used for both culinary and medicinal purposes around the world.

Can I freeze Bone Broth?

The answer is yes! I have an entire basement freezer full of jars of Bone Broth. One insider tip to freezing jars of broth is, allow them to completely cool on the counter before putting on a lid and placing it in the freezer. When I was younger and not as wise, I would get excited to get my newly jarred hot broth off of my counter and into the freezer only to find jars cracked and broken in my freezer because of the high-temperature contrast when put into the freezer. Allowing the jars to cool will help reduce cracking and broken jars. I will sometimes jar up and freeze all but the last few cups. Then we’ll be able to enjoy a nice soup like my green bean or potato soup for supper!

I don’t have an Instant Pot, can I still make Bone Broth?

Absolutely. Before I had an Instant Pot, I used my big Dutch oven and my Crock-Pot. I would cook the bone broth for 24-28 hours on my stovetop or in Crock-Pot. If you are not comfortable with leaving this cooking overnight, just remove it from the stove or Crock-Pot and place it in the refrigerator until the next day. Long and slow is the key to drawing out the collagen in the bones. I have gotten used to using my Instant Pot regularly for cooking my Bone Broth as I usually will make a whole chicken for supper and then just start a batch of broth right after supper to save from doing so many dishes/ food transfers.

How do I use Bone Broth?

I use bone broth the same way I use any other soup stock or broth. I love it in our soups, casseroles, rice and our mashed potatoes! There are also plenty of folks I know that will pour themselves a cup of warm bone broth just for sipping. The long-simmering of the broth gives it a complex, rich flavor that is cozy, comforting, and warm. The gelatin in the broth helps promote a restful night’s sleep, which makes it a perfect before-bed drink.

Printable Recipe

Check out our other Instant Pot Recipes!

• Marinated Ham
• Homemade Strawberry Ice Cream Topping
• Juicy Roast Beef
• Instant Pot Butternut Squash
• Instant Pot Applesauce

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