Chicken Bone Broth - Easy Peasy

This is hands down the easiest way to make delicious, nutritious chicken bone broth.  I use this broth in soups, stews, and smoothies, and I even drink it plain.

To begin you will need a 6 to 7 qt. slow cooker.  The broth can also be prepared in a pot over low heat for a 10 hour period, but it will take more presence to stir it and keep it from burning.  Whenever I make a bone broth, which is different from a stock, I prefer to use only organic ingredients, but if nothing else, especially for the bones. The long, slow cooking time is meant to leach all of the nutrients out of the bone. I don't want to be leaching out whatever antibiotics, or steroids the chickens have been fed, or injected with. I get mine from the Healthy Butcher. I also prefer to leave the skin on the onions, garlic and carrots to get the most nutrients out of them.  Plus, onion skins add a deep golden color to the broth.

INGREDIENTS:
Olive oil
3 - 6 pounds organic chicken parts - backs, wings, neck and feet (if you can get them).
2 large onions unpeeled and chopped in two
1 bud of garlic unpeeled and chopped in two
3 stalks celery halved cross wise
2 large carrots, unpeeled and quartered cross wise
6 peppercorns
1 tbls. apple cider vinegar
Enough water to cover

METHOD:
Lightly grease the ceramic crock pot liner with olive oil and add the ingredients to the pot.  For more nutrients, I added a cup each of frozen kale and frozen spinach, but this is optional and will change the flavor of the final product. Add enough water to cover the mixture and fill the pot to a 1/2 inch below the lid rest.  Set the crock pot on low and cook 24 hours.  Be sure to stir the broth just before bed time, and add enough water to replace whatever water has evaporated, but only do this once.

After cooking, remove the vegetables, chicken and bones with a large slotted strainer and discard them.  Be sure to strain any extra broth from the vegetables back into the cooker.  Leaving at least 2 to 3 inches of fabric, to overlap the sides, line a large strainer with two layers of cheese cloth.  Strain the remaining broth through the strainer into a large pot, or bowl, big enough to hold it.  Immediately place on a trivet in the fridge and leave it to cool for at least 3 to 4 hours.

After cooling, skim and discard whatever fat has risen to the top of the broth.  Then divide the broth into 1 or 2 cup portions.  This recipe makes approximately 10 cups.

Enjoy!