Several pounds of grass-fed beef/pig/lamb bones (saved leftover bones are perfect!)
1/4 c raw apple cider vinegar
Ingredients Below Are All Optional
Onions
Garlic
Carrots
Celery
Leftover swiss chard, kale, or mushroom stems collected throughout the past week
Sea Salt
Fresh herbs – parsely & oregano are my favorite
Preparation
Place bones in a very large stock pot. Just cover with cold, filtered water, and add raw apple cider vinegar. Let sit for half an hour. This step will help soften your bones to maximize nutrient extraction.
Then add more water so bones are covered by 3 inches of water, and turn burner on high until boiling. Once the water starts to boil, check it every 15 minutes for scum. You’ll know it when you see it, but it’s this dirty looking film that forms on the surface of the water. Simply use a strainer or a spoon to scoop it out and discard.
After an hour of this, you’re ready to add any vegetables you like for added nutrients! Any combination of vegetables listed to the right will work beautifully. You really can’t do it wrong!! In the photo above, I used 1 head of garlic cloves, 1 onion, leftover swiss chard stalks, leftover adult spinach stalks, whole beet greens, and one large bunch of parsley. I also added 1 tablespoon of sea salt. Just use whatever leftover vegetables are starting to look lonely in your vegetable drawer!
Once the vegetables are added, return to a boil. Then cover and turn the heat down to very low so that the water is just barely simmering. Let cook like this for at least 12 hours. I have heard of stocks simmering for as long as 3 days. You will need to check back every hour or so to check on the water level. Simply add more filtered water to the pot when necessary. NOTE: If you set your burner to a low enough setting, then water loss should be small.
After 12 hours, remove from heat and let cool to room temperature. Remove all plant matter – this stuff is still highly nutritious and can be consumed in a soup or on its own. Remove all bones and discard. There will still be tiny bits of stuff floating around, so strain into a large glass jar using a cheesecloth and mesh strainer. Place in fridge until ready to use.
A layer of fat will harden on top of the stock. This is excellent tallow that can be used in place of coconut oil or butter when sauteeing.
Stock will keep in refrigerator for one week. Use in soups & stews, or drink straight up any time of day as your multi-vitamin!
Please note that this can also be cooked in a crockpot! Simply follow the instructions above, instead using a crockpot for the stock pot. Set on high and let cook for 12 hours.
