Why Bother Making Your Own?
Store-bought bone broth is expensive, often watery, and frequently made from low-quality bones. You have the real thing in your freezer. A batch of homemade bone broth costs almost nothing beyond time, and the difference in flavor is not subtle.
Step 1: Roast the Bones First
This step is skipped in most recipes and it’s the biggest mistake. Spread your soup bones on a sheet pan and roast at 400°F for 30–40 minutes until deeply browned. The Maillard reaction on the bone surface adds complexity to the final broth that you simply cannot get from raw bones.
Step 2: The Long Simmer
Transfer roasted bones to a large stockpot. Add 2 quartered onions (skin on — adds color), 3 carrots, 3 celery stalks, 1 whole head of garlic halved across the equator, a tablespoon of black peppercorns, 2 bay leaves, and a splash of apple cider vinegar. The vinegar helps draw minerals from the bones — you won’t taste it in the final product.
Cover with cold water by at least 2 inches. Bring to a bare simmer over medium heat — you want lazy bubbles, not a rolling boil. Skim any foam that rises in the first 20 minutes. Then leave it alone.
Simmer for a minimum of 3 hours. 6–8 hours is better. Overnight in a slow cooker on low is ideal.
Step 3: Strain and Store
Strain through a fine-mesh strainer into a large bowl. Discard the solids. Season with salt. Let cool, then refrigerate overnight. The next day, a layer of fat will have solidified on the surface — skim it off if you want a leaner broth, or leave it if you’ll use the broth for cooking.
Properly made bone broth gels in the refrigerator due to the gelatin extracted from the bones. That gel is the sign of quality. If yours gels, you did it right.
Storage
Refrigerator: 1 week. Freezer: 3–4 months. Freeze in 1-cup or 2-cup portions (muffin tins work perfectly) for easy use in recipes.