Making and consuming bone broth for better health

The "pop" of the lids on the jars as I lifted them out of the pressure cooker was music to my ears. It's always a relief to know that the last of the many steps to "canning" my bone broth is successful. Although if one or two jars don't seal, it really is no big deal. I just use them first or freeze them until needed. Ten pint jars of caribou bone broth stood cooling on the counter in August 2020.

Making and canning bone broth is a rather new endeavor for me. Bone broth came to my attention only after I turned 60, but once I learned about it and understood its contribution to good nutrition and good health, it became very important.

I've gradually developed the habit of consuming an ice cube size portion of bone broth daily, along with ice cube size portions of pureed raw beet, assorted wild berry pulp, and four to five rose hips. Each morning I take these items out of the freezer, put them in various small containers, and line them up on the kitchen counter to consume before day's end. When bedtime comes, if anything remains, and I don't want to eat or drink something that late, I put it in the fridge until the next day. It took some experimenting, but this system works for me.

I grew up in Glennallen in a family where fall hunting was a given. We ate salmon, moose and caribou on a regular basis and other things like Dall sheep, ling cod, and grayling less often. Because of that, I've participated in most all aspects of processing meat and fish, but making bone broth was never one of them.

After our move back to Palmer in 2011, and with my husband, Gary, no longer able to hunt and fish like he did during his younger years, my sister and brother-in-law (who live in Glennallen) generously offered some of their bounty. In 2015, when my sister asked me if I wanted any bones for soup, I thought, "Why not?" The Ziploc bags of meaty bones arrived shortly after I'd read an article about the benefits of bone broth, so I did some research and found a recipe on the internet I liked.

I had to double the recipe to accommodate the 12 pounds of bones, which were to cook at a low simmer for 24 to 72 hours. Using two of my largest stainless steel pots, I turned them off before going to bed and then turned them back on as soon as I got up the next day. Twice. All that for a total of only 24 hours. (Nowadays, I don't simmer the bones even that long.)

Eventually lifting the bones out of the broth, the meat literally fell off. Once cooled, I packaged the tender meat into sandwich bags and froze for convenience food. I pulled all the marrow out, ate some of that delicacy, and packaged it separately. I learned to be careful of the fat, which will make a greasy mess if given half a chance. I never let any go down the drain and, of course, any fat on the rim of the canning jar will prevent a seal. A little ends up in each pint jar. I'm sure the fat has some other good uses, but I have not explored that aspect yet, and may not ever.

Always a big project, it takes two days at the minimum, even if I don't can the broth. I usually cool the broth, put it in the freezer, and then bring it out (sometimes months) later to can. But all that effort is so worthwhile-right up there with canning salmon. Judging from the notes on my recipe, I've make at least six batches of bone broth since 2015. In September 2022, twenty-two pounds of bones resulted in just over six pounds of meat and 18 pint jars of broth.

A pint of canned broth is perfect for soup base. Freezing the broth in ice cube trays creates a perfect daily portion size. Or I grab two bone broth ice cubes whenever I decide to make my version of pho, which is another thing I did not eat until after age 60. My son introduced me to it several years ago when I was visiting him in Denver and came down with a cold. He brought home takeout -broth in one container and other components in another-and combined them in front of me. After all the hype over pho, I was surprised to find that it was just soup. But, what exotic soup! Now, I consider it a convenience food. Once I decide I want pho for a meal, I can have it ready to eat in 10 minutes.

As I look at the bone broth cooling on the kitchen counter, so hot the bubbles are still rising up through the pint jars, I know there will some good eating in my future. I'm glad I learned about bone broth and hope its good nutrition will continue to help keep me healthy. I only wish I'd learned about it earlier. I'm also thankful that I live in Alaska where it is possible to eat bone broth made from moose and caribou, and for family that provides the main ingredients.