AGE APPROPRIATE: 1 meal day +
My favourite broth would have to be chicken broth – the taste is sweet and delicious to drink alone or to add to most foods, its highly nutritious, it’s easy to make AND you can save time by cooking a whole chicken then having dinners/lunches sorted for the week.
Broth is one of the most nourishing foods you can feed yourself and your child! It’s easily digestible, nutrient dense and an incredible rich source of minerals – boosting immunity and lining our digestive tract. It is especially valuable as it contains gelatine which enables food to be digested more easily – which is why it is perfect to add to everything! I like to cook my grains in chicken broth also (quinoa/rice/polenta/couscous for added flavour and digestion).
Chicken Bone Broth
Equipment
- Large pot or slow cooker
- Ladle or large spoon
- Knife
- Cutting board
- Strainer or fine-mesh sieve
- Airtight containers or ice cube trays
Ingredients
- 1 chicken preferably organic
- 1 bag chicken feet/necks
- 2 carrots chopped
- 2 sticks celery chopped
- 1 brown onion chopped
- herbs (I used the celery stalks, parsley, thyme, sage and bay leaves)
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- black peppercorns
Instructions
- Add all ingredients to a large pot or slow cooker and fill with water until covering.
- Bring to just below boiling point then reduce to a simmer. Cook for 2 hours then remove chicken (check that it is cooked through) - remove meat from the chicken and place the carcass back into the pot. The meat can then be eaten or stored in the fridge for 3 days.
- Simmer for 12-24 hours (you may have to top up the water a few times as it evaporates, if you don’t the broth will be more gelatinous but you will have less of it).4. Strain the stock and discard solids.
- Cool to room temp then place in airtight containers/ice cubes.
Making this for my peanut as her first food right now… Tastes yummy but still have 8 hours of simmering to go.. thank you <3
This looks so delicious and I just listened to your interview on the Australian Birth Stories postpartum series- so helpful! Just wondering how long this would keep once frozen and how long it would keep in the fridge?
So good to hear! If its stored correctly (in a sealed glass jar) it should last a week in the fridge. In the freezer it will last 6 months x
How much can a 7 month old have? She drinking it straight but I don’t want to overdo it
Like any food, everything in moderation but there is not necessarily a right or wrong amount. The more important thing at that age is that the broth isn’t displacing breastmilk or formula feeds! So we don’t want her to fill up on broth and then not drink enough breastmilk or formula.
Random question – do you think it is ok to use an organic bone broth concentrate (powder) & if yes, are there any additives (eg herbs) I should steer clear of? I love the thought of all the nutrients in this but I can’t stomach making it! x
I like this brand: https://au.gevityrx.com/products/natural-bone-broth-body-glue
or this brand (I also have a discount code BOOBTOFOOD for 15% off):
https://nutraorganics.com.au/collections/broths/products/chicken-bone-broth-homestyle-original-sachet
Do I put the lid on if using slow cooker?
Is there a salt limit in bone broth for a 6 month old.. Harris farm has organic certified bone broth but it has some sodium in the ingredients.
Thanks!!
If I’m using a slow cooker, what setting would i cook it on?
Food safety question: I accidentally left my homemade chicken stock with carcass only (no chicken) on simmer on the stovetop overnight (12 hours). The lid was on and everything was still covered in water, but I didn’t top it up. Broth hot enough to burn my mouth, tastes and smells okay- do we think it’s safe for baby?!
totally fine! that is how I make mine every night! 🙂
Can you use gelatin instead of chicken feet/necks? And if so how much would you use?
you could – you would need to use a lot though, generally you work with about 1 TBSP per 200ml to make a gelatinous broth!
Have you ever used a pressure cooker for making bone broth?
How long can the broth be frozen for?
Do the necks/feet need to be organic too?
Came here to ask this too
I made the broth and it finished late last night and I left it out to cook overnight. I just realised I probably shouldn’t have done that. Will it still be okay to use after being out for 8+ hours at room temp?
What a wonderful recipe! I’m grateful for the animals for feeding us and nourishing our bodies. I look forward to making this.
Hi, would you wait to introduce this until you’d introduced all the elements separately? Or does it not matter?
Waiting for your book to come, Can’t wait!!
Thanks
No you can do all these ingredients together that’s fine – unless your baby has been known to be sensitive to any through breastmilk or family history of any allergies to any of these foods!
It doesn’t matter unless your baby has shown a sensitivity to that food through your breastmilk or a family history of any allergies to those foods
Hi could you use other meat bones instead for bubba’s?
absolutely
My question is. If you slow cook this. At what point do you remove the chicken… like 4/8/12 hours in. I would prefer a slow cook over stove top
I never use a slow cooker but I imagine it would take around 6 hours?
Really looking forward to trying this. I have asked my local butcher for Chicken feet and neck. How much do I need for this recipe? Thank you.
People have mentioned the smell of bone broth cooking isn’t pleasant?
How would you describe it? ☺️
Hi Gemma!
Kate here (Boob to Food Naturopath & Nutritionist) – I guess it can smell a bit meaty/animal-y… and it depends if you add some vinegar as well. The smell isn’t REALLY strong, but I can understand why some people may find it unpleasant, especially as it is best to cook for quite a few hours so can tend to waft into all areas of the house! I did have a client who was banned from making it inside the house and had to take her slow cooker into the garage to make it there I personally don’t find it THAT bad, but some people definitely do. Have you tried making it?
Hi there, when you freeze the stock in cubes and then add it to recipes, can you freeze those meals? Or do you have to eat them fresh so the stock isn’t frozen, thawed then frozen again? Thanks! Felicity
Hi Felicity, as long as the broth has been cooked in the meal (not just mixed in) then it is absolutely fine to freeze those meals x
Can you use the carrot from the broth to puree for baby?
I take that back. I just tasted them and they don’t have any flavor anymore.
Regarding the apple cider vinegar, can you use raw/unpasteurized apple cider vinegar with mother?
Yes this is the best option 🙂
Hi there,
Can I please check if the feet / neck / wing tips need to be organic? Or just the whole chicken?
If yes, do you know where these could be sourced from
Thank you x
If you’re able to access organic that is amazing, but if not whatever chicken you can access is absolutely fine. I would chat to your local butcher or see if you can connect with a local farm depending on where you live?