In my last post and earlier this week, I covered the ancient art of sourdough bread making, which has been used for centuries and is still a very relevant survival and self-reliance skill today.
Sourdough, as well as other forms of naturally fermented foods, have become quite trendy recently, although really, they’ve been around as long as known civilization.
Another trendy foodie trend that is a very simple, and useful, skill, is how to make bone broth.
There are many incredibly health benefits of bone broth, which is one of the reasons it is so popular currently.
But for a survivalist, all you need to know is this: it is an incredibly easy, low-tech way to get valuable nutrients and calories out of every part of the animal, namely in this case, the bones.
Whether you are living off animals you kill in the wild or simply wanting to make the most out of the meat you buy in the supermarket, learning how to make a simple bone broth is a fantastic tool to have in your self-reliance arsenal.
First, let’s talk about what you need. It’s very simple, the main ingredient, naturally, is bones. This can be a whole chicken carcass, the bone from a roast, a few choice leg bones from virtually any animal (that you can fit in a pot, at least), you can even use chicken feet. Meaty beef neck bones are ideal, but smaller bones like those from chicken or turkey are easier to use.
The idea, however, is to use what you have! Whatever you can salvage, use that. The other ingredients are entirely optional; you can make a hearty, and caloric, broth from the bones alone.
The recipe that follows is a basic recipe to be used at home, in the kitchen, but bear in mind that wherever you are, slowly simmering bones in water for a prolonged period of time will get you great results.
Ingredients
- Bones
- 1 stalk celery, roughly chopped
- 1 onion, roughly chopped
- 3 carrots, roughly chopped
- 1 clove garlic, smashed
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- Filtered water to cover
Directions
- Gather your ingredients together in a large stock pot, dutch oven, or crock pot.
- Fill pot with enough filtered water to cover your ingredients, and then some.
- If using the stove, bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Let simmer for 12-24 hours.
- If using a crockpot, set to low, and leave for 24-48 hours.
- When your broth has turned into a rich, brown color, or after the desired simmering period (it’s really up to you), remove from heat, let cool to room temperature, and store. You can pour into mason jars and keep in the fridge, or freeze in ice cube trays, then remove and store in zip-lock containers.
Another ancient food art that is still highly relevant today; bone broth could save your life one day!
