Beef Bone Broth (good for fresh use, canning or freezing)

 

I use marrow bones plus veg/herb scraps I have saved in a freezer bag.  This makes the bone broth very inexpensive.  

Ingredients:

3-6 Marrow beef bones

1 Tablespoon Olive oil

1/4 Cup Apple cider vinegar

6 cups Onion peels (or whole onions cut in half)

1/4 Cup Garlic peels (or 1 whole garlic head)

1 Cups Carrots (can use peels and tops)

2 Cups Celery (can use scraps)

1 bunch parsley stems/scraps

1-3 Bay leaves

5-6 Pepper corns

2 gallons water

Process:

1. Optional:  Blanch bones in boiling water for 10-15 minutes and skim any scum that forms on the top.
2. Heat your oven to 450 degrees.  Place the marrow bones on a baking sheet and rub with olive oil.  Roast for 30 minutes, then toss and roast another 15-20 minutes.
3. Transfer bones to a large stockpot or slow cooker, add the rest of the ingredients.
4. Cook for 12-48 hours on a VERY low flame (stove top should be 12-24 hours, slow cooker can go longer) .  Be sure to check the water level and add more as needed.
5. Strain the solids and save the liquid.
6. Cool the liquid in the refrigerator until the solids form at the top.  Spoon of the tallow (fat).  This can be discarded or saved for cooking or soup making.  
7. Broth can be stored in the refrigerator for 5 days, frozen for 6 months or pressure canned.  Here is the process for pressure canning:  

Roasting the Bones

Everything working its magic in the slow cooker (electric roaster).

The nice color before everything was strained off.