The New Bone Broth Tool That Is Blowing My Mind
Some of you are gonna laugh when I tell you what I recently bought that is totally blowing my mind.
But other people still may not have heard about it, or may be on the fence about it.
I hope this convinces you.
Itâs an Instant Pot.
Basically, the Instant Pot is just a pressure cooker .
The Instant Pot is really easy and safe to use since I bought it on Black Friday, Iâve been using it to cook meats , make quick soups and stews, and of course, make bone broth!
Iâm a single dad who works full time. Iâm busy. But putting real, nutritious food on the table for my kids is a big priority for me. And the Instant Pot is making it so much easier for me lately.
it makes dinner that much easier no defrosting.)
If youâre following a real food diet, an Instant Pot is a kitchen must-have.
Today, I want to share with you not just my recipe for chicken bone broth in the Instant Pot but the actual method I follow all week to make it happen, easily.
Ingredients For Instant Pot Bone Broth:
All you need to make bone broth is bones + water.. seriously. Thats IT.
I use the scraps and bones from my One Hour Whole Roasted Chicken or my Whole 30 Crockpot Lemon Rosemary Whole Chicken. You can also use a turkey carcass. We have a whole post on Turkey Broth here.
You can also add herbs, or veggies that you have to the mix. I like to throw in a few carrots, onion + rosemary for flavor but you can make this with JUST bones and water.
There really is no wrong way to do it its totally up to you!
Time To Make Instant Pot Bone Broth
Makes 8 cups
- 2 tablespoons of Red Boat fish sauce
- 3 dried shiitake mushrooms
Heres how to make the broth:
Dump the leeks and carrots in the pressure cooker or Instant Pot , and toss in your bones .
Then, cover with water and add vinegar.
Add the fish sauce and toss in the dried shiitake mushrooms . Then, cover and lock the lid, and program to the Instant Pot to cook under high pressure for 30-50 minutes . If Im not in a rush, I set my Instant Pot on high pressure for 2 hoursthe broth only gets better with more time.
If youre using a stovetop pressure cooker, place the pot on a burner set on high heat. Once the indicator pops up showing that the contents of the pot have reached high pressure, immediately decrease the temperature to the lowest possible setting to maintain high pressure .
Set the timer for 30 minutes .
When the broth is done cooking in the Instant Pot or stovetop pressure cooker, let the pressure release naturally .
Remove the lid, skim of the scum , and strain the broth. Taste and adjust for seasoning. I keep it on the blander side if I will be cooking with it.
I dont parboil the bones to decrease the scum because Im lazy. Plus, there really isnt that much left after you strain it.
Faster and more flavorful than other methods. Really.
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Instant Pot Bone Broth
So why make bone broth in an Instant Pot?
The naturally occurring nutrients in bone broth boast a host of benefits for hair, skin, and nails, all the way to supporting our gut health.
This gelatin is extracted from beef bones or chicken bones and cooked right into the golden broth, which you can sip on its own or use as a base for cooking.
We know that for bone broth to be the best it can be, it has to be cooked for a long time.
And Instant Pots are specifically meant to be speedy.
So how does that work?
The answer is in the pressure cooking aspect of this awesome machine.
Because the interior of the Instant Pot is heated so rapidly, the steam builds up and actually forces itself through the bones inside, pushing out their goodness far more rapidly than the gentle simmer of your stove top or slow cooker.
Your Instant Pot bone broth will come out in two hours just as rich as your 24-hour stove top bone broth.
After your broth is done, youll notice that the bones in your pot will easily break and crumble, indicating that theyre ready.
Once youve strained out the scraps and refrigerated your broth, youll find the same Jell-O-like goodness in your jars for a fraction of the cook time.
Buy Good Quality Broth
If you don’t want to make your own bone broth, I have a great solution for you. You can get delicious, well-made bone broth from Kettle and Fire right HERE. They use organic bones and the broth is quite delicious and nutritious. They also have a complete keto-friendly soup bundle that you can get HERE.
And if you’re not interested in a bundle but would rather choose your own bone broths, you can get 15% off applied at check out by clicking HERE or use the code “TWOSLEEVERS” at checkout.
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What Are The Best Bones For Bone Broth
I believe the best bones for bone broth are the ones you have! I always make bone broth after roasting a chickenbecause those are the bones I have on hand. Waste not, want not! For the absolute highest collagen content in your broth , youre looking for bones that are full of connective tissue. You want to use necks, feet, backs, joints, and knuckles where possible. I tend to keep some of these on hand in my freezer to add into a batch of bone broth whenever I want to boost the nutrition. Yes, I have a bag of chicken feet in my freezer! Protip: they also make great dog treats.
How To Make Instant Pot Bone Broth:
It might sound intimidating, but bone broth is truly so simple to make in your Instant Pot. Each step is explained in more detail below, but heres the game-plan:
Read Also: Burn On Instant Pot
Can You Freeze Bone Broth
I have a basement freezer that is stocked full of bone broth! Its my favorite way to store it. I prefer to avoid plastic when it comes to my food, so I use wide mouth pint-and-a-half Mason glass jars to freeze my broth. These are the largest Mason jars that are freezer-friendly, and the three-cup measure works really well for all my cooking and sipping needs.
Unfortunately, the pint-and-a-halfs can be hard to track down sometimes, so wide mouth pints are a good alternative. Just fill to the freezer line on the jar, put on a cap, label, and stash it in the freezer until needed. I just pull it out and defrost it overnight in the fridge.
If you dont have room in your freezer , there are a few shelf-stable bone broth brands you can buy at your local grocery store. I personally like the quality and taste of Kettle & Fire Bone Broth, but there are multiple other brands you can test out to find our favorite.
What Is The Different Between Broth Bone Broth And Stock
Bone broth, like its name implies, is made with bones from chicken or beef, and small scraps of meat. Bone broth is very similar to stock, which is also made with bones, the difference is bone broth has a higher concentration essential nutrients because the longer cook time allows the bones and connective tissues to break down and release nutrients, minerals, and collagen into the broth.
Because of the extra collagen released into the bone broth is will often gel as it cools. This is a sign of a good bone broth! It will return to liquid form when heated.
Stock is similar to bone broth but it is cooked for a shorter amount of time so the bones down break down to the same degree. While it is made with the same ingredients as bone broth it has the same consistency as broth and fewer minerals and nutrients than bone broth.
Broth is made with the meat rather than the bones so you dont get the release of minerals and nutrients from the bones. It has the weakest flavor of the three but it is also the quickest to make.
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Best Bones For Bone Broth
- The best beef bones to use are knuckles, joints, feet, and marrow bones.
- For added flavor incorporate meaty bones like oxtail, shank, and short ribs.
- Chicken feet contain loads of gelatin and are less expensive than other gelatin-rich bones.
- The bones of younger animals contain a lot of cartilage, as it is this cartilage that will eventually turn to bone as the animal ages. For this reason, veal bones are particularly prized for making stock.
- If you cant get your hands on any marrow bones, 1-2 whole roasted chicken carcasses will also work. Keep in mind, however, that your broth will contain less collagen.
What bones did I use in this recipe? For this Instant Pot Bone Broth recipe, I added a mix of collagen-rich beef bones as well as chicken feet. If youre unsure at all, ask your local butcher for the best broth bones and then request that he or she cut them in half.
How To Make Keto Bone Broth In Instant Pot
As I have experienced already, I would say, making a bone broth in an Instant Pot is really the easiest, healthiest and fastest way possible. You use one pot for Sauteeing the bones, adding veggies, water and all and cooking it all in mere 2 hours.
There is nothing easier or faster on how to achieve the best gelatinous bone broth, then using your very own Instant Pot. And if you do not own one, I would greatly suggest purchasing one. Because that is one gadget, which helps you to prepare the perfect meals in no time. And as we all need recipes, which are the easiest and fastest to make, Instant Pot is there to help you to get there.
Also Check: Food Burn Warning On Instant Pot
Instant Pot Bone Broth Experiment Conclusions:
- Longer pressure cooking time doesnt always mean the bone broth will turn out better or tastes better.
- Sauteed bones always produce a richer taste & darker broth color than the Non-Sauteed versions.
Weighing the three factors, our desired result in pressure cooking bone broth is Test #5. It produced the best overall flavor, gelatinous texture, and color.
How To Store Bone Broth
So where do I put all that broth, when I make a few gallons in a day? Easy. In my chest freezer! I use pint sized canning jars fitted with reusable plastic lids .
The up front investment in these items certainly pay for themselves in the long run in savings from buying somebody else’s broth. It is EXPENSIVE to buy good, real bone broth. One batch of broth
I do not recommend using plastic bags because in my experience they ALWAYS LEAK when you thaw to use them. It is a huge pain in the patoot to have to find something big enough to fit them in in the fridge while they thaw to catch the leakage.
To make adding the broth to the jars super quick and easy, I also use a wide mouth funnel and a small fine mesh strainer BUT just today I ordered a new product I saw, that is a strainer BUILT-IN to the funnel!! I can’t wait to start using it. And, of course, you need a ladle!
Make several batches of ultra rich broth that gels reliably in an afternoon with your Instant Pot pressure cooker!
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When Your Bone Broth Doesnt Gel
I did all the Googling over time to try to figure out why my bone broth didnt gel. I found it could be due to the following reasons:
- Not enough bones: If you put too much water and too little meat, your stock will not gel. You have to cover your bones with water, thats it.
- Cooked on a too-high heat: You have to be careful to simmer your stock. Boiling it too long breaks up the protein structure.
- Not cooked long enough: It takes time to soften connective tissue and to extract collagen from it. On the stovetop, it is recommended you simmer your broth for around 6-8 hours.
- Cooked too long: Again, the idea is you to avoid breaking the protein structure. Some chefs, like Jamie Oliver, recommend simmering the chicken stock for 3-4 hours.
Why Make Instant Pot Pork Bone Broth
Gone are the days of simmering bones on your stove for 12-24 hours, filling your entire house with the pungent aroma of animal bones.
Also gone are the days of keeping a slow cooker simmering with bones.
Though were making an ancestral food here, we have the benefit of technology on our sides! The Instant Pot makes a quick and hands-off task of bone broth, while cutting hours off the cooking time!
Before electric pressure cookers, it was required to simmer bones on the stove or in a slow cooker for at least 12 hours. This ensured that all of the minerals, amino acids, and gelatin was extracted from the bones and infused into the broth and that the broth would gel once cooled.
I havent made bone broth on the stove or in a slow cooker since getting my Instant Pot! In fact, I got rid of both of my slow cookers because I never found a use for them after getting my Instant Pots .
Not sure if youre ready to give up your slow cooker for broth-making? I have a post that compares the Instant Pot vs. the slow cooker for making broth and why I think the Instant Pot wins!
Another reason why the Instant Pot is awesome for broth-making?
The longer bones simmer in water, the more glutamic acid is released into the cooking water. Glutamate is an excitotory neurotransmitter. In high concentrations, its also an excitotoxin and can cause symptoms like anxiety, brain fog, insomnia, and headaches.
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What If I Don’t Want To Make My Own Bone Broth
What’s the downside of making your own bone broth?
- Smell. Even with the Instant pot, it does make your house smell of meat and bones.
- Quality of bones. You are cooking the heck out of those bones. You really want the best quality bones you can get. I’m not a huge organic and grass-fed insister because not everyone has access or can afford those, but for bone broth, I do think it matters.
- Difficulty in getting bones. I find it near IMPOSSIBLE to get bones from my local grocery store. I ask each time and I get them sometimes. Of course, you can always cook a whole chicken in the Instant Pot and use that for broth but if you want something different, it could be hard.
- Messy and time-consuming. There’s no denying it. It’s an involved and often messy process if you spill while straining, etc. The longer cook times do require some pre-planning.
Tips For Making Broth In The Instant Pot
Really pack in the bones. Get creative and play Tetris with them to get as many as possible in there. Fill in any empty spaces with bones. Be mindful though of the max fill level in the pot!
Use enough water to just cover the bones. You want to use as little water as possible to ensure a thick, rich, gelled broth every time. I only let the water go about half an inch above the bones.
For beef broth: I find that including neck bones with meat attached give me the best quality broth. I also save every bone from every roast, ribs, or steak that I cook. I have a big zip top baggie labeled in the freezer that I add to over time.
For pork broth: There’s nothing like pig’s feet to make the most gelatinous, rich broth! Ask your local farmer for the feet and you may be able to get them for free or dirt cheap, like $1-2 a pound.
Like with beef, I save all the bones from chops, ribs, and roasts and before I know it I’ve got enough for a batch. Of course you can also buy soup bones from your farmer, too!
For poultry broth : SAVE THOSE CARCASSES! Whenever you roast a bird, save all the bones, joints, extra skin, and the frame. I break down the frames before freezing so that it’s easier to cram the bones into the IP.
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How To Prepare Your Bone Broth
For the first part, I just add the bones, water, and salt.You dont want to go all the way up to the fill line because you will be addingthe vegetables later.
Set the pot to cook on HIGH pressure for 2 hours.
After it cooks, let the pressure come down naturally.
Once it is safe to open, open it up and add the vegetables. You may need to add more water to cover. But do not go past the fill line!
Cover and set to pressure cook on HIGH for 1 hour and 15minutes.
Again. Let the pressure come down naturally.
Once the pot is safe to open, you can let it cool a bitbefore you handle the broth.
