How to Make Bone Broth That Gels

Bone broth might not sound very appetizing, but it is oh, so healthy for the whole family! Bone broth provides minerals, amino acids, and vitamins we all need, but don’t get enough of. The nutrients in bone broth aid in protein digestion, heal the gut, eradicate wrinkles and cellulite, and provide joints with glucosamine and chondroitin to keep you movin’ and groovin’.

It’s also a fabulous way to stretch your grocery budget since bone broth is high in protein and so inexpensive to make! You can ensure your family gets all the protein they need by supplementing broth along with their meat intake.

If you are new to making bone broth, you may find that yours doesn’t want to gel as people tell you it will. There are a few easy tips and techniques for How to Make Bone Broth That Gels every time!

Now if you are stumbling upon this article in the search for bone broth recipes, here are my recipes: 

• 7-Day Bone Broth 
• Chicken Foot Bone Broth
• Bone Broth Pho Chicken Soup

Some more information about bone broth

• The Health Benefits of Bone Broth
• Is Bone Broth Healthy

If you found this recipe because you already know how to make bone broth, but need some more tips and tricks then here ya go….

How to Make Bone Broth That Gels

• Add an acid to the broth: Always make sure to add apple cider vinegar like this kind to your broth. The acid from the vinegar leaches out more collagen from the bones, which will make your bone broth gel better. It also leaches out more minerals, vitamins and amino acids from the bones, which makes the broth even more nutritious! Lemon juice can be used too
• Heat the broth slowly: I personally don’t have time to stand by the stove all day stirring broth, so I use a crock pot. You can also use a pressure cooker (my new favorite kitchen gadget is THIS pressure cooker! I’m obsessed! You can make bone broth in just 90 minutes using the pressure setting!) — many people love using this tool instead, but a crock pot works very well too, and most people own one (even if it’s covered with dust.) My thought is, if you wait to get the “right tools” (like a pressure cooker) you may never get around to making bone broth, and that would be a real shame. So if you have a crock pot, put it to work! It’s a great tool to ensure your broth heats slowly and evenly

My trusty crockpot has recently been eclipsed by my shiny new Instant Pot (not pictured)

• Include enough joints in the mix: Joints have a high collagen density because they have a lot of connective tissue, which breaks down into gelatin. So to get a hearty gel, you need a good amount of them. Some of the best to use are: chicken heads, feet, necks and backs, cow knuckles and ox tails. To work up a nice jiggly broth make sure to include at least half joints, if not more, just to be safe
• Watch your ratio of water to bones: Some people add too much water and not enough bones, which not only will make it harder for the broth to gel but will also lessen the amount of nutrients that you get from the broth. Your pot should be completely full of bones with just enough water to barely cover them all

Here are some beef bones that I have in my crock, ready to be covered in water

• Use only bones from grass-fed animals: Animals that are fed corn and soy simply don’t produce bones that have enough good stuff in them to 1) make your bone broth gel and 2) give you the health benefits you get from grass-fed bone broth. Using bones from grass-feed animals will make your bone broth gel all the easier
• Chill completely: After cooking, cool the broth completely by putting it in the fridge overnight. Some people skip this step, and this alone can keep your broth from gelling
• Make some additions: If you still aren’t seeing as sturdy of a gel as you would like, you can add collagen powder like this one in for good measure (Bonus: if you buy collagen HERE, use coupon code: REALFOOD for 10% off your entire order!). In fact, some people always use this, just to ensure their broth will turn out just the way they want it, every time

Note: If you do not want to make your own bone broth, you can actually buy it online now! I found a great company that makes a delicious organic bone broth that can be delivered right to your front door. We have ordered it and love it. Learn more about the online bone broth company that I like the best here. 

Just a few more pics, because I think a good gel is beautiful!

Well, did you learn some new tricks to make your own broth even better? Do you have any tips that I did not mention here? I would love to hear about them in the comments below! 

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