8-10 lbs. whole chickens or turkey, OR bones from beef, pork, chicken or turkey
1 bay leaf
1 onion with skin, roughly chopped
4-5 carrots, roughly chopped
1 bulb of garlic, cut in half
2-3 stalks of celery, broken
1 T. salt
1 tsp. thyme
Other possible additions:
Leeks
Zucchini, corn on or off cob, or mixed veggies
Mushrooms, whole or parts
Carrot or celery greens
Bell peppers
Cabbage leaves
Greens like leek leaves, kale, or spinach in small quantities
(For beef)
Red wine vinegar
Diced tomatoes
Sugar
Beef base if needed
Optional flavor additions:
Parsley and Rosemary
pressure cooker or stock pot (*1)
water
If you don’t eat a lot of bone-in meat, you can save bones in a bag in the freezer until you have enough to work with.
This is a low sodium recipe, so you may need to add more salt when you use it.
How much you end up with when you are done will vary, depending on how much you have to cook it down to get the flavor you want. I recommend you always have some store bought broth or a base you can mix with water stashed away in case you need it.
From whole chickens or a turkey:
Break the bird(s) down if needed to fit into the the pressure cooker.
Add veggies, seasonings, and 1 gallon of water.
Put the lid on and seal. Turn the heat on high until the pressure cooker gets up to pressure. Turn the heat to low and let cook for 30 minutes. (Or if your cooker has a gauge, aim to keep the pressure at 15 for 30 minutes).
Turn the heat off and let the pressure drop on its own.
Pour everything out into a colander over a large bowl and let it cool enough to handle.
Pick out all the usable meat.
Put the broth, any usable veggies, and bones back in your pressure cooker or in a stock pot. If you have additional bones saved, add those.
Keep adding water as needed to keep everything covered. Bring to a simmer, and cook until the bones begin to turn white.
Stop adding water and simmer down until you have a flavorful broth. Again, pour out into a colander over a large bowl. Mash everything to get as much out of it as possible as it drains. Discard bones and veggies.
Run your broth through a fine mesh strainer into a heat safe container, to ensure that there are no small bones or bits of cartilage.
Put your broth in the refrigerator overnight, then skim the solidified fat off the top. Move to the containers you plan to store in long term. Use within 5 days or freeze.
Poultry bones and carcasses; small beef or pork bones:
Put bones, along with desired veggies and seasonings, (for pork, you may not need salt) into a stock pot. Add plenty of water to cover.
Keep adding water as needed to keep everything covered. Bring to a simmer, and cook until the bones begin to turn white.
Stop adding water and simmer down until you have flavorful broth. Drain in a colander over a large bowl. Mash everything to get as much out of it as possible as it drains. Discard bones and veggies.
Run your broth through a fine mesh strainer into a heat safe container, to ensure that there are no small bones or bits of cartilage.
Put your broth in the refrigerator overnight, then skim the solidified fat off the top. Move to the containers you plan to store in long term. Use within 5 days or freeze.
Large beef marrow bones+1 lb. poultry bones:
Chicken wings are an excellent choice. If you are using legs or thighs, use more to account for the weight of the meat when you are weighing them out, closer to 2 pounds. Roast them along with the marrow bones, then pull the meat off to use later.
Lay the marrow bones out on an oiled foil lined baking sheet. Roast at 475° for 45 minutes. (If you have a convection roast setting on your oven, use it.) Pull any small bones out and move them to your pot. Rotate everything else and bake another 15 minutes.
Put the marrow bones, poultry bones, the veggies, diced tomatoes, and spices, in a stock pot. Add plenty of water to cover. Bring to a simmer and cook for 4 hours. Add water as needed to keep everything covered. Check frequently. This type of broth can develop a slightly bitter taste as the marrow bones break down. If you see marrow bones cracking or breaking up, remove and discard them.
Add a few splashes of red wine vinegar and a pinch of sugar. Simmer for 1 hour more, continuing to check often.
If you haven't already removed the marrow bones, do it now. Stop adding water. Simmer down until the broth is flavorful.
If your broth does take on a slightly bitter flavor, you can stir in a spoonful of beef base to balance it back out. And keep in mind that you will likely adjust the broth further when you use it.
Drain in a colander over a large bowl. Mash everything to get as much out of it as possible as it drains. Discard poultry bones and veggies.
Run your broth through a fine mesh strainer into a heat safe container, to ensure that there are no small bones or bits of cartilage.
Put your broth in the refrigerator overnight, then skim the solidified fat off the top. Move to the containers you plan to store in long term. Use within 5 days or freeze.
Clarifying:
You may want a clearer broth. For a truly clear broth, you want to make consommé, which I do not have instructions for here. You will lose some broth during this process, and may need to top it off with store bought or more homemade.
After you have skimmed the fat off the top, reheat your broth on low heat. Wet a thin tea towel and drape it over a mesh sieve. Place the sieve over a large bowl. When the broth is hot, use a ladle to pour it through into a clean bowl.
Use within 7 days or freeze.
Condensed:
As a space saver, you can condense the broth down to a base. This process also makes the broth last twice as long as just refrigerating alone. After the fat has been removed, clarify it as explained above, then return it to the pot and simmer until it is reduced to 1/4 what it was.
Be careful as it cooks down really low, not to burn it. Pour into a jar, cool, then cover and refrigerate.
When you are ready to use it, just mix 1/4 broth and 3/4 hot water. Once it is dissolved, taste and adjust if needed.

Use within 10 days.
*1 If you do not have a pressure cooker, you can cook whole chickens or turkeys in a stock pot as you would bones. Just bring it to a low simmer and cook until the meat is falling off the bones.
*What to do with the fat skimmed off the top, and any skin, Rendered Fat.