If you’ve followed me for long at all you know that I don’t like making broth at all. Bone broth – nope, not for me! In fact, because of a pregnancy issue that I had with Andy, I didn’t make for a LONG time – like over 6 years! I had awful morning sickness (the all-day kind) and the smell of cooking broth made me so sick that it took me YEARS to overcome it.
But something happened that changed my mind… I got mad.
I can get pretty hot over a lot of things, but broth is probably a new one. Why did I get mad about broth? Well, I wanted to incorporate more bone broth into our diet, but when I looked around the shelves, there was sugar in every single bone broth my store carried! Bone broth doesn’t need sugar! What in the world? I had been making broth for years and NEVER added sugar – or even thought about adding sugar. I should add that I’m not anti-sugar… I eat chocolate and dessert on Sundays. So it’s not like I’m totally against sugar.
I just try to stay clear of products that have sugar added for no good reason.
We get enough sugar from our Sunday desserts thank you very much… we don’t need it in our beef broth too. Why couldn’t I find a brand of bone broth that did not have added sugar? This whole “sugar in the broth” experience spurred me to make homemade broth again. And I have to admit, it wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be.
And y’all… with no gagging, nausea and definitely no SUGAR, I made bone broth! And it was easy as pie. Which in my opinion is harder than cake… so let’s just say easy as cake.
First, I cooked my whole chicken in the pressure cooker based on the recipe from Great Food Fast. This is my favorite pressure cooker cookbook and it’s full of simple and delicious recipes. If you have a pressure cooker, I highly recommend you check this cookbook out.
Once the chicken was fully cooked and cooled, I picked off the chicken meat to save for future meals. Then you place the bones, fat, etc. back into the pressure cooker. I added 2 teaspoons of salt and 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar, covered with water and let it all cook down for about 3-3 1/2 hours.
And that’s it – you’ve got bone broth. It’s easy, sugar-free, and y’all… it’s delicious!
You can also do this all in your crock pot and let it cook overnight.I have done that before, but it just takes so much longer. If you have an instant pot or a pressure cooker, this is totally the way to go! Disclaimer though, my house kind of does smell like chicken. But the super exciting, BEST part is that this go around, that smell actually doesn’t bother me!
Have you made bone broth before? If you’ve got thoughts or tips on making broth, please share them below!
So, are you leaving it on low/warm and not pressure cooking it again? And where’s your chicken from? I’m thinking of doing this again too. The season is changing and I can see us wanting to eat it again.
I don’t quite understand your comment. You can cook in a crockpot on low for hours or pressure cook if you want a faster result. I always encourage people to buy the highest quality meat and chicken you can afford. Thanks EV!
Julie, Humorous Homemaking Team
Woo-hoo! Victory! : ) I do the same thing. I usually freeze it for soup night. So much more flavor than what I can buy, and it helps justify the higher prices if whole chickens (which is another frustration point right there!!!).
You want to know what burns me up?!? This one’s been nagging at me ever since you remarked that you’re buying yogurt these days, not having time to make it. OK, so that lovely Aldi organic yogurt?- no LIVE cultures!!! I’m getting mad again, haha (mad, but still smiling)! I tried to use some as starter when I took up Instant Pot yogurt, trusting so much that I didn’t even read the container (I mean, Aldi AND organic??!?). The resulting mess made me do my homework. Nowhere are “live and active cultures” mentioned. What do they think people are eating yogurt FOR?!? Ugh! Never look too closely at your food, right!?
Wow – that’s crazy! I didn’t even think to check yogurt for live cultures. I completely agree that it’s kind of a given that you buy yogurt FOR the cultures. Thanks so much for taking the time to share!
Julie, Humorous Homemaking Team
I actually enjoy slow cooking mine on the stove. It cooks on low for about 48 hours until the bones are soft enough for me to smash between my fingers. I make too much at a time to make it in my pressure cooker or that would be amazing! I like to pressure can it so it will keep for longer if I have a lot.
48 hours – wow. I bet those bones would be soft! Thanks for taking the time to comment, Jessica!
Julie, Humorous Homemaking Team
I never thought about making bone broth but I’m going to try it now!
Let us know how it goes, Jacci!
Julie, Humorous Homemaking Team
Yes I make it and put in the freezer. It’s a staple in soups and many winter dishes. It is SO MUCH faster in the pressure cooker!
Yes – I agree. Having bone broth frozen so you have it easily on hand in the winter months is a huge help! Thanks for sharing, Brandi.
Julie, Humorous Homemaking Team
“Once the chicken was fully cooked and cooled, I picked off the chicken meat to save for future meals. Then you place the bones, fat, etc. back into the pressure cooker. I added 2 teaspoons of salt and 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar and let it all cook down for about 3-3 1/2 hours.”
I am confused. I thought pressure cookers (and broth) require liquid. I don’t see how 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar is going to be enough liquid. Should I assume that you do not clean out the pressure cooker after removing the chicken? I was hoping I could skip cooking the chicken and start with an already cooked rotisserie one. 🙂
You are welcome to use a rotisserie chicken – it should word fine! But to answer your question, the chicken cooks perfectly – no extra liquid needed! There is so much moisture that renders off of the chicken itself as it cooks that there is no issue whatsoever with having enough steam to pressure cook the chicken. And no, I do not clean out the pressure cooker after removing the chicken. Thanks for your comment, Monica!
Julie, Humorous Homemaking Team
What a wonderful idea. I too have been discouraged by all the sugar in things it is not needed in. I have omitted sugar in many things I have found don’t need it or replaced the sugar with raw honey. Thanks for the idea about chicken in the pressure cooker. I have a Power Cooker XL that I absolutely love and never thought to cook a chicken in it. lol. Thanks so much! You are such an inspiration to us all!