I make a weekly batch of bone broth in our house, but I still find myself buying the box broth at the co-op when I make my favorite Vietnamese Pho soup because I don’t have enough! I had heard of people making broth over the course of a week so I decided to cook my homemade bone broth for a few extra days and make a huge batch that I can freeze to have on hand for future use. So now I frequently make 7-day Bone Broth.
7-Day Bone Broth
When you have extra bones leftover, make this 7-day bone broth to save money and have homemade broth for soups and other recipes. Make a huge batch and freeze to have on hand for future use.
Ingredients
- 1 whole organic, free-range chicken (we get our chicken from Butcher Box)
- Enough filtered water to cover it in a crockpot every day for 7 days
- 4 Tbsp apple cider vinegar (ACV) — very important because it pulls the minerals out of the bones and deposits them into the broth
- Sea salt
- 21 garlic cloves
- 3 sweet onions
- Any spices you desire if you plan to make this a soup base
Instructions
- Place the chicken in a crockpot and cover with water, 2 Tbsp ACV, and salt.
- Start on high until it is boiling, and then turn down to low and keep the crockpot on low until the chicken is done about 5 hours.
- Take the chicken out and clean off the meat.
- Then, place the carcass back into the crockpot, throw back in all the skin and knuckles — everything will cook down to bone broth deliciousness!
- Cover with water and add 1/2 onion, 3 smashed cloves of fresh garlic, 2 Tbsp ACV, and any spices you would like.
- Let this cook for 24 hours.
- Then strain off the broth and pour into a large glass container — I use large mason jars.
- Leave 2 inches of headroom in the jar if you plan on freezing the broth to allow for expansion.
- Put all the chicken parts back into the crockpot, minus the onion.
- Add back in another 1/2 onion, 3 smashed cloves of fresh garlic, 2 Tbsp ACV, and any spices.
- Repeat this daily for one week.
- The broth continues to become even richer and more flavorful as the days go on.
- I made 7 huge jars of 7-day Bone Broth to put into my freezer.
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Considering that those small boxes of broth at the co-op can be about $4.00 per box, if you get the organic stuff without MSG. this is a considerable savings.
Yay for broth with health benefits that also leaves a little jingle in your pocket!
I have gotten many emails and questions about ordering bone broth online! I finally found a resource for that and wanted to include it here: “Kettle and Fire” CLICK HERE
For more information on making your own Traditional Foods at home, I highly suggest picking up a copy of Nourishing Traditions, by Sally Fallon (click the image below to check it out for yourself)
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57 Replies to “Healing and Nourishing 7-Day Bone Broth Recipe”
awesome!! so nourishing and inexpensive.
I’m going to have to try this! I’ve yet to make a bone broth! 🙂
its easy, I make it every week and it has just become part of our routine
I’m not sure why, but when I did this the broth became much more weaker and watery after the initial 24 hours.
Did you leave ALL the parts to cook? I kept the skin, connective tissue, joints, everything (well, I took the actual meat out and ate it). They all cooked down to a rich broth, that got better over time. I have not tried the 7-day broth with only the bones, I only do a 24 hour batch when I am only using bones. Hope this helps…
Hi there – yes, everything. I put the whole chicken (organic free-range) in with the ACV for 8 hours, then pulled the meat off the carcass and put everything else back in to the slow cooker. I added more ACV, onion, garlic and 24 hours later drained the broth (which was delicious and amazing). Filled the pot again with water leaving all meat parts in, more ACV, onion, garlic – 24 hours later drained the broth off and it was very watery and metallic tasting. Not sure where I went wrong.
hmmm, I’m not sure either. Was your chicken from a good source, organic, etc? Our chicken was from a local farm and organic. If it’s from a conventional farm and fed an unnatural diet then it might make different broth. Once I made beef broth with conventional beef bones and my broth was dramatically different. It was amazing!
Use a potato masher periodically I do this regularly & lots of times, I just ladle off what I need, mash & add more water (I use R.O. for everything in the kitchen) & veggie scraps. It is obvious that the chicken feet are the most important ingredient for a good broth. What do you think they use commercially? Plus they probably Pressure cook vs. slow cooker (more breakdown of the connective tissue. I do like to just keep it going in the slow cooker, it is good energy.
Dale-Lin, nursing for 50 years
really, I think you just didn’t have enough heat & adding digestive spices help with break down too. I often don’t use vinegar, did you use enough? I throw my leftover lemon & lime rinds in, you have to have enough of something to leach the minerals out of the bones.
hmmm, I’m not sure either. Was your chicken from a good source, organic, etc? Our chicken was from a local farm and organic. If it’s from a conventional farm and fed an unnatural diet then it might make different broth. Once I made beef broth with conventional beef bones and my broth was dramatically different. It was amazing!
Maybe your cooking pan had a reaction to the ACV? Just a thought.
how much bone do you use in the beef version?
I usually buy one package at my co-op, which contains about 4 bone chunks. Enough to fit in the crock-pot without too much crowding.
So in your initial recipe directions it says: enough filtered water to cover it in a crock-pot every day for 7 days. But in the further recipe it says ( condensed version of it) cook 5 hours then remove stuff and then cook for 24 hours and jar up the broth. Where does the 7 days come in?
never mind… I didn’t catch the “add more part” and do again….stopped too soon when I saw that you were taking it out after the 24 hours. lol I get it now 🙂 Thanks!
Glad you figured it out 🙂
what is a co-op ?????
A Co-op is a local natural foods store.
Hey Kate, just found your page. I didn’t know you could use the bones that many times. I have made broth after cooking the chicken for dinner in the crock and then used the bones for broth. I am going to have to try this. I get quite a bit of broth, but freeze it in zip-lock bags. I’ve had glass break once to often in the freezer, even when leaving the air space. And I measure out two cups when I fill them so they are ready for my cooking recipes.
Kath, that’s a great idea! That way you can freeze the broth flat in bags and stack them in the freezer! I might just have to try it
After 4 days my broth looked very weak and diluted. Maybe I didn’t leave enough of the other tissues in! I left as much as I thought I could, but I am sure some got thrown out. Thanks for the recipe!!
Do you brown your beef bones first? If so, do you brown them on the stovetop or directly in the crockpot. Do you use the meat that falls off the bones?
I have roasted the bones in the oven before, but I don’t always do that. I definitely eat the meat, it’s so tender!
i have no idea how your broth doesn’t get watered down after several days – i’ve been making chicken bone broth for some time and it gets more watery each and every day – my solution is to keep all the jars/bottles in the fridge until i’m done and mix them all together then pour into my freezing containers and freeze
in regards to the metallic taste – it happens to mine sometimes – i’ve read that it’s the onion that does this. don’t quote me on that tho lol
also, i don’t recommend freezing in glass containers as they have a tendency to break even when leaving room for expansion – always freeze in containers made for freezing such as metal or plastic – bpa free of course 🙂
I gave up after two batches! The bones were crumbled, and the second batch smelled and tastes a bit off. I don’t know how you get 7 days – wow!
Do you break down the chicken before putting it in the crock pot?
I tore the carcass apart so it fit and was able to be submerged in water.
Okay, thank you! 🙂
Hmm, bone broth has been part of my life, non-stop, for over 10 yrs now, and I keep everything in but the meat once it’s cooked, but I have never been able to re-use the bones more than once without it going quite watery and tasteless.
I have a really bad onion sensitivity. What would you suggest I substitute for the onion? Or would it be fine without since there is so much garlic?
Just leave the onions out. You can leave everything out except: bones, water and vinegar. The other additions are strictly for flavor.
Thank you! Love your site btw 🙂
I am doing this with venison bones from the deer my husband has hunted…and it’s wonderful! When the broth is done, the bones go to the dog…no more buying chew bones and we have tons of good bone broth!
Thanks awesome! I need to do that, I have deer bones in my freezer right now and hungry neighbor dogs 🙂
Ok, this might be a silly question, but I’m new to the bone broth world. I’ve used an organic chicken carcass a couple times to make soup, but after 8 hours or so, the liquid is so low that I always add more water and keep cooking. I didn’t see instructions to add more water until you remove the first batch of broth, so I just want to make sure that it’s supposed to boil down and that I am not supposed to add extra water. Thanks 🙂
Yes, I should have been more clear about that! Add water back in. As it evaporates, it concentrates so adding water does not harm it.
What is your Pho spices and do you have special freezer jars or does the room you left for expansion make it ok to use any jar? I have the walmart brand canning jars and also some Ball ones.
I actually have my Pho recipe coming out on my blog soon. Stay tuned 🙂 I just use regular mason jars to freeze it, I always leave head room to allow for expansion.
I am about 6 hours into cooking the broth right now. It's boiling on low heat in the crock pot. Should I be cooking it on low for the full 24 hours each day?
If using jars…..what size do you recommend?
I link to them in the post. I prefer to use the large mason jars.
i have a question. i have been making my fourth batch of bone broth and simmer the chicken for 24hr then remove the meat and simmer another 48hrs and the bones were pretty pulverized and when strained my broth has grit at the bottom i suppose from the bones etc. is this too long to cook and is it safe to drink this ?
I have had that grit many times. I try to pour the broth in a container leaving the grit behind.
I have tried this and it actually works. I drank Au Bon Broth’s organic bone broth and it felt like I wasn’t starving myself. I felt full and actually energetic.
Can I just leave it all in the pot and just keep adding water without taking some out every day?…for 7 days
Sure!