If you’ve been following along on Instagram, you’ve probably seen me brewing up some of my favorite “liquid gold”—homemade bone broth. While I’ve been making stock and broth for years, it wasn’t until the bone broth craze hit the internet that I started wondering—was I missing something all along?
Turns out, I wasn’t. Let’s talk about why bone broth isn’t some fancy new trend, but a tried-and-true kitchen staple (that just got a trendy rebrand).
Bone Broth vs Stock vs Broth: What’s the Difference?
Spoiler alert: Bone broth is stock—just with a glossier name and often a heftier price tag at the store, and for good reason. A good bone broth can take days to make and is packed full of goodness your average broth just doesn’t have. Here is a quick break down on the difference between them:
- Bone Broth is made from roasted bones (rich in connective tissue) simmered low and slow—usually 24-48 hours—with aromatic vegetables (mirepoix). The result? A deeply flavorful, nutrient-packed liquid filled with collagen, protein, and minerals.
- Stock is nearly identical, traditionally made the same way but not always cooked as long or with as much connective tissue. Still, some of the same benefits.
- Broth is lighter, made with meat and bones (sometimes unroasted), simmered with herbs and mirepoix for just a few hours. It’s often used in soups, gravies, and even to replace water in side dishes like rice or mashed potatoes.
The Best Bones for Bone Broth
Not all bones are the same and when it comes to bones for bone broth, you want the ones that give you the most gelatin, flavor, and nutrients:
- Shank
- Knuckle bones
- Neck bones
- Ribs
- Marrow bones
- whole chickens
I only use organic bones, and I highly recommend that whenever possible you do as well. A great way to do this is to get to know your local farmer, and butcher! Butcher shops are a great place to source bones, not just meat and don’t worry if you can’t make broth right away—just freeze the bones until you’re ready.
Mirepoix & Scrap Savers: Flavor Boosters
What is a Mirepoix? Well A mirepoix is a fundamental French culinary concept. It’s a mixture of diced vegetables, typically onions, celery, and carrots that are used to enhance the flavor of dishes like stocks, soups and stews.
Mirepoix (onions, carrots, celery) is the holy trinity of broth making. But you can get creative:
- Add leeks, fennel tops, parsley stems, scallions, basil, or oregano.
- Save kitchen scraps in a freezer bag—onion peels, carrot tops, celery ends.
Avoid: potatoes, beets, broccoli, cabbage, kale, and asparagus—these can turn your broth bitter or cloudy. Whenever I am cutting up onions, carrots or celery, I will save all the ends and carrot peel by placing them in a freezer bag and keeping them in my freezer until I have enough or am making bone broth and need them. This allows me to reduce kitchen scrape waste and ensure I always have them ready when I go to make bone broth.
How to Make Bone Broth: Step-by-Step
Ingredients
Bone Broth Stock
- 1 chicken carcass or 4 beef femur marrowbones
- 1 teaspoon coarse salt
- ½ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
- 4 tablespoons oil of your choice
- 3 cups of mirepoix scraps
- 2 cloves of garlic optional
- 2 bay leaves optional
- handful of fresh parsley optional
- ½ handful of fresh thyme optional
- 4 springs of oregano optional
- 4 gallons of cold water adjust to the size of your pot.
Instructions
- Preheat oven or turn on electric roaster to 450 °F
- Place carcass or bones in a roasting pan. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast bones for 30 minutes or until they are a deep brown color but not burnt or scorched. Watch them closely during this step.
- If using the oven to roast:Take roasting pan out of the oven when done. Turn the oven off. Add the bones to a large stock pot. Take 1/4 cup of warm water and scrape the bottom of the roasting pan to remove any baked-on drippings and scrape them into the stock pot.If using an electric roaster:When bones are brown, add 1/4 cup of warm water and scrape the bottom of the roasting pan to remove any baked-on drippings.
- Add your mirepoix, garlic, bay leaves, parsley, thyme, oregano, and lemon juice to the bones. Mix well to distribute evenly through the pot or electric roaster.
- Cover the contents of the stockpot or roasting pan with cold water. Turn your burner or electric roaster to medium heat and bring to a boil. Once boiling set a time for 5 minutes before reducing the heat and simmering. Simmer undisturbed for 12 hours minimum up to 36 hours. If you are using your stove top, DO NOT LEAVE IT UNATTENDED DURING THIS TIME. While simmering, feel free to skim off any foam and discard, but do not disturb the stock, this means no stirring.
- After the 12 hours of simmering, it's time to turn off your stove or electric roasting pan. Using a spotted spoon, scoop out as many bones as you can. Let the stock cool for an hour before you strain it.
- Once cooled but still warm strain your stock using a fine mesh strain lined with a cheese cloth. Strain your broth into another large pot or bowl. Repeat the straining process until you are satisfied with the stock appearance and there is little to no debris.
- Ladle the warm stock into glass jars to be pressure canned leaving 1 inch of headspace. If you are not pressure canning you can leave the jars in your fridge to use or ladle into containers or freezer bags to be frozen. Be sure to leave room for expansion when freezing.
- For pressure canning:Wipe the rim of each jar with a wash cloth dipped in white vinegar. Place the lid and ring on each jar to finger-tip tight. Add 1 inch of water to your pressure canner and place jars in the pressure canning pot and lock the lid.
- Turn stove top burner on high. Let the pressure canner vent for 10 minutes. Add the weight and continue to heat to 11 PSI for a dial gauge or 10 PSI for a weight. Process jars for 25 minutes. (Confirm PSI based on your altitude.)
- Once done pressure canning turn off burner and allow the pressure canner to return to zero before removing the weight. Let the pressure canner rest for a minimum of 1 hour before removing the lid.
Notes
Why I Love My Electric Roaster for Making Bone Broth
As a busy mom and someone who always has work to do in the kitchen, I just can’t have a big pot taking up valuable space on my stove top or demanding my attention for hours. Using my electric roaster has been a total game-changer for me:
- Large Batches: I can make double the broth in one go.
- Hands-Off Cooking: Set it and forget it. It simmers overnight while I sleep.
- Less Mess: Roast the bones and make the broth in the same pan—no transferring needed.
Buying an electric roasting pans isn’t cheap. This is why I searched for months before I found my at a local thrift store. Another option if buying one new isn’t in your budget would be to borrow one from a friend, or go splits on one with someone else.
Storage Tips: How to Preserve Bone Broth
- Pressure Canning: Shelf-stable, ready to go. My top choice.
- Freezing: Use freezer-safe containers or silicone molds. Good for up to 6 months.
- Refrigerating: Use within 10 days.
Ready to Try It?
Want the full recipe and my step-by-step guide? Click here for the full recipe
Bone broth has become a weekly staple here at Outrange Homestead—it nourishes, saves money, and adds unmatched flavor to staple dishes like rice, soups, stews and even just enjoying it as a hot tea when someone is not feeling well. Its a great way to add extra nutrients and protein, not just flavor.
Don’t let those bones go to waste. Make liquid gold instead.