Using Bone Broth In Pressure Cookers: Ideas And Recipes

Making homemade bone broth in pressure cooker is fairly straightforward. And when you have the best tools on hand, you can make this type of stock for soups and stews anytime. ¹

What’s so special about this soup, and why should you consider adding it to your meal plan? Read on to learn more about bone broth and how to make your own at home.

What Is Bone Broth Made Of?

Bone broth is a type of stock made from boiled animal bones and connective tissues. Sometimes, aromatics like bay leaves and other herbs and certain vegetables are added to improve flavor. Aside from functioning as a tasty base for soups, stews, and other one-pot recipes, many people drink bone broth on its own for its purported health benefits (more on that in a bit).

In fact, the practice of drinking bone broth for health reasons has been around for centuries. Both early Eastern and Western cultures believed in bone broth’s ability to aid the digestive system. ²

Making bone broth is a good way to use up and harness the nutritional benefits of animal parts that would otherwise have been thrown away. Common base ingredients include:

• The whole carcass of roasted chicken, turkey, and other fowl
• Fish bones
• Marrow bones and other connective tissue from chicken, beef, pork, or even fish

While recipes tend to play fast and loose on what kind of bones you use, one of the most important ingredients often cited is vinegar. This is because vinegar is able to seep out the nutritional value of the bones and ligaments used during the cooking process, resulting in a bone broth infused with not just flavor, but potential nutritious benefits as well. ³

More Than Just Flavor: The Benefits Of Bone Broth

The findings of some small related studies have led many to believe that bone broth could offer some possible health benefits:

• The boiled-down bones and cartilage in bone broth are believed to contain good amounts of gelatin and collagen. These compounds are needed to support healthy joints. ⁴
• Amino acids in bone broth may help support gut health. ^5,6

How To Make Bone Broth: Tips And Tricks

Bone broth requires little else than a bag of bones and a lot of patience, but these tips can help make sure your broth is the best it can be.

• Making bone broth in pressure cookers is a smart way to reduce the long simmering time required to reach the consistency required. Bone broths have a characteristic gel-like consistency compared to thinner stocks, due to the long cooking time and gelatin content. ⁷
• Use quality bones and cartilage from reputable sources. You can opt to store scraps from previous meals in a freezer bag tossed into the freezer until you’re ready to make bone broth, or you can get them fresh and in bulk from butchers.
• Skimp on the water. Fill the pot with just enough water to cover the bones, then simply put the lid on and start simmering.
• Consider adding chicken feet. Many bone broth fans guarantee it makes a flavorful and successful bone broth. ⁸

Basic Bone Broth Recipe

Ingredients

• 3-4 pounds mixed bones and marrow parts
• 2 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
• 1 large onion, peeled and chopped
• 2-3 medium carrots, peeled and chopped
• 2-3 ribs celery, chopped
• 4 medium cloves garlic
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tsp peppercorns (left whole)
• 2 tsp sea salt
• 12-14 cups water

Instructions

• Roast the bones for a deeper flavor. Spread them out on a rimmed baking sheet and place in the oven for 30 minutes.
• Once done, combine with all other ingredients in the pressure cooker. Fill with water a quart at a time, until the bones are just covered.
  Check to make sure you don’t go over the max fill line of your pressure cooker.
• Place the lid or seal the cooker and let your broth cook for 3-4 hours.
• When the bone broth is ready, pass the mixture through a fine-mesh strainer.
• Let your bone broth cool before storing it in sealable jars. The broth should keep for five days in the fridge, or up to three months if frozen. To freeze, consider transferring to an ice cube tray for easy thawing of small portions.
• Make sure to skim the fat off the top of your bone broth before storing it. ⁹

Bonus Recipe: Chicken Noodle Soup With Bone Broth Base

Re-imagine your usual comfort-food soup by subbing in bone broth for your usual chicken or turkey stock.

Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp. avocado oil
• 1 1/3 cup chopped vegetables (celery, onions, and carrots)
• 4 cups bone broth
• 5 oz. roasted chicken breast, shredded
• 5 oz. egg noodles (or try miracle noodles or zucchini noodles for fewer carbs and calories)
• 2 Tbsp. sea salt
• Herbs to taste (oregano and basil are great choices)

Instructions

• On the stove, heat up oil in a medium-sized stockpot. Saute vegetables until soft.
• Add bone broth, chicken, and noodles, and bring to a boil.
• Reduce heat and simmer for about 20 minutes.
• Season to taste and serve warm.

Enjoy Delicious Bone Broth Today

If you’re new to bone broth, these recipes are just the beginning. Aside from the potential nutritional benefits, there’s no denying that its rich flavor makes it a great ingredient for your home-cooked, healthy meals. And with a pressure cooker, you don’t need to wait to enjoy bone broth’s comforting taste — you can come home to a warm cup of bone broth today.

Learn More:

Sources
1 https://www.bonappetit.com/test-kitchen/common-mistakes/article/common-mistakes-bone-broth
2 https://www.shape.com/healthy-eating/cooking-ideas/8-reasons-try-bone-broth
3 https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/bone-broth
4 https://nutritionstudies.org/drinking-bone-broth-is-it-beneficial-or-just-a-fad/
5 https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/323903.php#gut-health
6 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5622680/
7 https://autoimmunewellness.com/pressure-cooker-bone-broth/
8 https://allthenourishingthings.com/tips-bone-broth-that-gels-every-time/
9 https://www.inspiredtaste.net/36510/pressure-cooker-bone-broth-recipe/