Recipe: Beef Bone Broth

If you don't have mason jars, go to the store and buy a case of them. They are cheap and will come in handy more than you think. Otherwise, start saving your salsa and pickle jars people. 

Beef Bone Broth
makes 1 batch or approx. 3- 24oz mason jars

2 marrow bones, approx 2-3lbs
1 yellow onion, cut in half with skin on
3 cloves garlic, crushed
2 celery stalks, with leaves, chopped in half
2 medium carrots, cut in half
2 sprigs fresh rosemary (or 1 tbsp dried)
2 sprigs fresh thyme (or 1 tbsp dried)
2 bay leaves
1 tbsp peppercorns
1 tbsp kosher salt

Throw everything in the crock and fill to the top with water. To make it easier on yourself, don't worry about peeling the onion, garlic or carrot. I would however rinse off the celery. Everything will be strained out later anyway.

Keep crock on high until it starts to boil then reduce heat to low. If you're doing this before work or you won't be home later, just set it to low. Let it cook a minimum of 24 hours. I've made about 8 batches now and the longer it cooks, the better. I usually keep it going for at least 36 hours.

Once it's finished, pull out the bones, you can and should reuse them one more time. Strain broth thru a fine mesh strainer and throw away all cooked veggies and herbs. At this point I usually taste but do NOT adjust for salt. It's easier to adjust the salt (if needed) on demand say per cup, or within a recipe. I don't like to risk over salting, because once you do, there's no going back. Don't ruin 2 days worth of work.

Pour broth into mason jars leaving a little room at the top. Keep the lid off and let them cool for a few hours before putting them in the fridge. Do not skim the fat, this will 'seal' it for refrigeration. You can store the jars in the fridge for a few weeks unopened. Once opened, I would use within the week. And when you open them for use, poke a hole in the fat and pour thru a strainer again. MDA says to save the solid fat to cook with. I've used it once and wasn't terribly crazy about it, but you may like it. I store mine in a jar in the fridge as backup just in case.

If you plan on freezing, pour the broth into plastic containers. If you're like me and have leftover large ricotta or wonton soup containers from the good ole days, they work fine. Again, fill and let cool. This time I would recommend letting them cool in the fridge until the fat solidifies on top, then carefully remove it before freezing. It will save you a lot of messy fatty hassle when you reheat later.

*If you're reusing the bones, and you should, just add fresh veggies and herbs. The second batch is just as good and less fatty.


I found not only is drinking the broth good for you, it's awesome for days you want to IF and need to take the edge off the hunger. Trust me, some days I can go without eating and not even think about it, but other days I can't get thru a few hours and the broth is nice to have at that point.