Traditional Chicken Bone Broth for the Crock Pot!

Getting a really bad case of mono (EBV) as a young adult taught me two things: (a) I am not invincible (this was an affliction for me during my final semester of undergraduate nursing school, and I barely scraped through) and (b) bone broths saved my life and helped me survive the acute viral infection.  Lets face it.  Autoimmune processes & viral infections particularly suck hard since there is such limited actual treatment for them.  Having suffered through a bunch of this, and now stuck with acute bronchitis atop an already taxed and hyper-vigilant self-destroying immune system, I have decided it is time to bring back my famous Chicken Bone Broth.  This is some traditional-level old-timey broth that will save you during viral times of woe.

Ingredients:

• 1-2 Cooked rotisserie chickens (I only used one, and got it ready-to-go for two reasons: a. chicken scraped off the bone is then ready to throw in the finished broth and b. I was sick and tired, and was looking to make a real broth in the most low-key way possible.)  One large rotisserie chicken has just under approx 1 lb. of chicken bones
• 1/2 Tbsp Apple cider vinegar (to get the most out of the bones, I use 1/2 TBSP for 1 lb. of chicken bones, and 1 TBSP for 2 lbs. of chicken bones, and so forth)
• 1 small turnip cut in half - optional, if you have it around, unpeeled!
• 1 small to medium parsnip cut in half- optional, if you have it around, unpeeled!
• 2 medium yellow onions cut in half or quarters with skin on- unpeeled!
• 1 Bay leaf
• A bunch of Dill
• A bunch of Parsley
• A bunch of Thyme
• 1-2 medium to large carrots cut in half- unpeeled!
• 1-2 medium to large celery stalks cut in half- may keep leaves on!
• 8-10 cups of water given size of your crock pot (I only had room for 1 rotisserie chicken-worth and 8-9 cups of water!)

Instructions:

First, pick off the cooked meat from the rotisserie chicken and put in a container to save for using for the soup later.  Pick off as much actual meat as you can, only leaving the carcass/skeleton/bones with some cartilage and fat/some skin on what was a whole rotisserie chicken.  Throw the carcass and non-chicken-meat bits n' bones into your crock pot.  Now, put the Apple cider vinegar over the bones to assure getting as much nutrition you can out of them.  Prepare the broth veggies/herbs as listed above (leave skins of the vegetables on- it is more nutritious, and makes this process 5,000 easier).  Put said veggies, herbs, and bay leaf into crock pot.  Pour in those 8-10 cups of water, based on what your crock pot can handle (I would also use more cups of water, 10-12 per se, for 2 lbs of chicken bones in a bigger crock pot, for instance).  Turn the crock pot on low, and cook on low for at least 12 hrs (this is particularly convenient for preparing in the evening before it cooks overnight, and you deal with it in the morning).

The chicken meat you picked off the carcass, to be put in the broth when ready:

The ingredients all together in the crock pot prior to cooking:

Once done cooking, use a large strainer over the collection container to strain the large veggies/carcass out as you collect your home made bone broth:

*If there is a lot of fat on top of the broth even after straining, refrigerate it for an hour or so, and take a spoon to lift/skim the obvious accumulated fat off of the broth*

Add that chicken meat back in, and any other cooked veggies (ie carrots/parsnips/herbs/etc) to the actual soup, or simply save the broth as it is- this will remain good in the fridge for a few days to a week, and will last longer in the freezer for up to several months!

*I add my salt and pepper in at the very last step to avoid over-salting the broth, and only adding what is necessary for one's particular taste!*

YAY! Now you have what it takes to stay healthy and/or get better!

Have fun and stay well! :D