Posted 9/20/2012 11:49 AM (GMT 0)
The least expensive and delicious way to make broth is to use the chicken/turkey leftover carcass after roasting/eating a bird. Put the bones into a pot large enough to fit a lid on it and add water. How much water? Enough to cover 3/4 of the bones. Put the lid on the pot bring to a boil and then turn heat down so it just simmers not boils.
You can do this in a large crockpot too but it's hard to fit the carcass in.
The idea is to cook the bones and leftover meat which releases the bone goodness (gelatin). I also add celery to mine but not onion, not necessary to add anything really.
I cook mine for 4 hours or so but longer is fine too. Then use a strainer to separate the broth from the bones and meat. Sometimes I use the meat and sometimes I discard it.
Voila you have the finest broth on the planet at minimal price (close to free).
In days gone by this broth always saved the day to help healing. I drank it at breakfast instead of coffee or tea. Now I cook with it to make a sauce when having chicken and of course soup.
Beef bones can be used too but they have really jacked the price up of bones in the grocery store. I like making lamb stew more than beef using bones when I can get lamb on the bone or just with meat. Lamb and mutton broth (really more of a stew) is wonderful.
Chicken broth is still our fave and I keep small containers of it in the freezer at all times.