I am frugal, and I believe in stretching my food dollars as far as they will go. I have an aversion to waste, so I freeze leftovers for later use — most often in casseroles and soups. But it never occurred to me to save beef bones until I read about the health benefits of bone broth. Once I found out that beef bone broth can be fixed in the slow cooker, I was sold on it.
The Paleo crowd especially has been singing the praises of bone broth, which in addition to keeping your gut healthy, boosting your immune system, strengthening your bones and protecting your joints also reportedly can make you look younger thanks to the collagen it contains. It’s almost as if bone broth is a magic elixir.
So I started saving bones. And now whenever I fix a T-bone steak or beef ribs, I toss the leftover bones into a container in the freezer until I have enough to make broth. Sometimes I drink the broth by itself, since a cup a day is said to be good for you. Other times, I use the broth as a base for other recipes.
Slow cooker beef bone broth
Total time
- 2 pounds beef bones
- 1 medium carrot, peeled and chopped
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 1 stalk of celery, chopped
- 3 cloves of garlic, peeled and minced
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1½ teaspoon sea salt
- Water
- Place the beef bones, carrots, onion, celery, garlic, apple cider vinegar and sea salt in a slow cooker.
- Cover with water, filling the slow cooker up to about 1 inch from the top.
- Cover and cook on low for 18 to 24 hours.
- Strain the broth through cheesecloth or a colander and cool. When the broth cools, there will be a layer of fat on the top, which can be removed and used for cooking. Use the broth as a beverage (reheating it, of course) or as a base for recipes.
3.2.2802
That’s also called “stock”
That’s also called “stock”