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There’s something deeply comforting about a pot of bone broth quietly simmering on the stove. The gentle steam, the rich aroma, the promise of nourishment: it feels like home.
Long before powdered supplements and convenience foods, bone broth was a cornerstone of traditional kitchens. Made slowly from bones, vegetables, and herbs, it transforms humble ingredients into a deeply nourishing food that supports the body from the inside out.
If you’re drawn to slow living, traditional foodways, or simple homestead rhythms, bone broth belongs in your kitchen.
My sourdough was flat and business was slow
When I first started homesteading, my sourdough was dense and flat, my garden struggled, and it seemed like I was scrambling to get people to notice my business, let alone, buy my products. And for a time, I burnt out.
After years of trial and error, analyzing hundreds of businesses from other sectors, and just pure grit...
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What Is Bone Broth?
Bone broth is a slow-simmered stock made by cooking animal bones often with joints, knuckles, and marrow over many hours. This long cooking process extracts collagen, gelatin, amino acids, and minerals, resulting in a rich, flavorful liquid that gels when cooled.
Unlike quick stocks or store-bought broths, true bone broth is cooked low and slow, allowing time for the nutrients to fully release.
Why Traditional Bone Broth Matters
For generations, bone broth was used as both food and medicine. Grandmothers served it to the sick, mothers cooked grains and vegetables in it, and nothing from an animal was ever wasted.
Today, many people are returning to bone broth because it aligns beautifully with:
- Traditional diets like the Weston A. Price approach
- Gut-healing protocols
- Whole-food, ancestral eating
- Simple, from-scratch kitchens
Bone broth isn’t trendy. It’s timeless.
Health Benefits of Bone Broth
Supports Gut Health
Bone broth is rich in gelatin and amino acids like glycine and glutamine, which may help support a healthy gut lining and digestion.
Nourishes Joints, Skin, and Hair
Collagen from bones supports connective tissue, joints, skin elasticity, and hair strength.
Strengthens the Immune System
Minerals and amino acids found in bone broth support immune function, especially during cold and flu season.
Promotes Deep Nourishment
Bone broth is easy to digest and deeply satisfying. It's perfect for children, elders, and anyone healing or slowing down.
The Best Bones for Making Bone Broth
For the richest, most nourishing broth, choose bones with plenty of connective tissue.
Great options include:
- Beef knuckles, marrow bones, oxtail
- Chicken feet, backs, necks, carcasses
- Turkey carcasses
- Lamb shanks or neck bones
Whenever possible, source pasture-raised or grass-fed bones from local farms or butchers.
Getting Gelatinous Broth
Many people believe that the more gelatinous it is, the more collagen is in the broth. But it's important to remember that broth will still be collagen rich even if it's not gelatinous. To make the broth more gelatinous:
- Use enough water just to cover the top of the bones (add more as needed when cooking on the stovetop).
- Use at least 4-5lbs of bones.
- Use a variety of bones.
- Add chicken feet.
- You can always "cheat" and add gelatin if you want.
Ingredients:
4-5 lbs of bones
1 gallon filtered water or enough to cover bones
½ cup apple cider vinegar can substitute with wine
2 chicken feet
1 onion coarsely chopped
1 head of garlic
2 stalks of celery chopped
2 carrots chopped
herbs
1 bunch of parsley
How to Make Bone Broth on the Stove
If your bones aren't already roasted, place them on a greased baking sheet and roast at 350°F for 30 minutes.
Remove the bones from oven and place them in the stock pot. Cover with filtered water and apple cider vinegar. Let it sit for 30 minutes.
After 30 minutes, place your chicken feet into the pot and add your garlic, onion, salt, pepper, and herbs
Bring the broth to a boil then reduce heat to a simmer.
Simmer for 8-12 hours. Occasionally remove the scum that rises to the surface.
Near the last couple hours, add the rest of your veggies and the parsley.
When your broth is finished cooking, remove from heat.
Strain the broth.
How to Make Bone Broth in the Instant Pot
If your bones aren't already roasted, place them on a greased baking sheet and roast at 350°F for 30 minutes.
Remove bones from oven and place them in the instant pot pot. Cover with filtered water and apple cider vinegar. Let it sit for 30 minutes.
After 30 minutes, add the rest of the ingredients.
Set the venting knob to sealing. Then cook at high pressure for 2 hours.
Once the broth is done cooking, let it sit for 10-15 minutes before releasing the pressure.
Open the lid, turn off the instant pot, and remove the inner pot.
Strain the broth.
How to Use Bone Broth in Everyday Cooking
Bone broth is incredibly versatile and fits easily into daily meals.
- Sip warm from a mug in the morning
- Use as a base for soups and stews
- Cook rice, beans, or grains in broth
- Add to sauces and gravies
- Use for sourdough discard soups or stews
It’s one of the simplest ways to add nourishment to ordinary meals.
Bone Broth and Slow Living
Making bone broth teaches patience. It invites you to slow down, to plan ahead, to let the stove do its quiet work while you tend to other parts of home life.
In a world that rushes everything, bone broth reminds us that the best nourishment takes time.
Final Thoughts
Bone broth isn’t complicated. It doesn’t require fancy tools or expensive ingredients: just bones, water, and time.
And yet, it offers something rare: deep nourishment, connection to tradition, and a gentle rhythm that brings warmth back into the kitchen.
If you’re building a slow, intentional home rooted in traditional foodways, bone broth is a beautiful place to begin.
If you make this recipe, be sure to leave me a star rating and a comment below. Share what you made and tag me on Instagram@keepingitholistic! For more simple sourdough recipes & guidance, small-space gardening tips, and cozy, slow living inspiration, subscribe to my newsletter and follow me on YouTube and Instagram!
📖 Recipe
Traditional Bone Broth: Instant Pot and Stovetop Options
Equipment
- pressure cooker or large stock pot
- metal strainer and large pot or bowl to strain the broth into
- baking sheet (optional)
Ingredients
- 4-5 lbs bones (see notes)
- 1 gallon filtered water or enough to cover bones
- ½ cup apple cider vinegar can substitute with wine
- 2 chicken feet
- 1 onion coarsely chopped
- 1 head of garlic
- 2 stalks of celery chopped
- 2 carrots chopped
- salt and pepper to taste
- herbs
- 1 bunch of parsley
Instructions
Stovetop Instructions
- If your bones aren't already roasted, place them on a greased baking sheet and roast at 350°F for 30 minutes.
- Remove bones from oven and place them in the stock pot. Cover with filtered water and apple cider vinegar. Let it sit for 30 minutes.
- After 30 minutes, place your chicken feet into the pot and add your garlic, onion, salt, pepper, and herbs
- Bring the broth to a boil then reduce heat to a simmer.
- Simmer for 8-12 hours. Occasionally remove the scum that rises to the surface.
- Near the last couple hours, add the rest of your veggies and the parsley.
- When your broth is finished cooking, remove from heat.
- Strain the broth.
- Now its ready to sip on, or you can use it for soups, soaking rice, or making gravy.
Instant Pot Instructions
- If your bones aren't already roasted, place them on a greased baking sheet and roast at 350°F for 30 minutes.
- Remove bones from oven and place them in the instant pot pot. Cover with filtered water and apple cider vinegar. Let it sit for 30 minutes.
- After 30 minutes, add the rest of the ingredients.
- Set the venting knob to sealing. Then cook at high pressure for 2 hours.
- Once the broth is done cooking, let it sit for 10-15 minutes before releasing the pressure.
- Open the lid, turn off the instant pot, and remove the inner pot.
- Strain the broth.
- Now its ready to sip on, or you can use it for soups, soaking rice, or making gravy.
Notes
- Use a variety of bones. For beef broth, I use oxtail, knuckle, and ankle bones. For poultry, I use the entire frame. For pork, use neck bones and ham hock bones.
[…] are many things that you can make in the instant pot like yogurt, bone broth, boiled eggs, rotisserie chicken, and you can defrost ground beef from frozen in the instant pot as […]