If you consume meat (that you’ve purchased from a farmer, butcher shop or a grocery store) you’ve likely paid top dollar for the bones (as well as ) the meat attached to them.
In the photo (above) you can see what a stock pile of bones, looks like.
Most folks (these days) discard the bones as cooking waste and all the nutritional density (which is contained within the marrow) gets chucked out with the trash.
See What I See:
In the photo (above) you can see what approximately 4 litres (or 1 US gallon of freeze dried, bone broth) looks like stored in half of a one litre sealer jar.
Normally, if I was canning that amount, that volume would fill just over 8 pints (or, eight 500 ml sealer jars.)
When I buy meat, I save the bones.
I freeze them and when I have enough (stock piled) I extract the nutrients (by pressure cooking) before I add them to my compost.
You simply cover the bones with water and cook them.
I use a pressure cooker (like an Instant Pot) to speed up the extraction process but you can use a large pot on your stove top and boil them down, as well.
If I pressure cook my bones, that process takes 30 minutes. If I boil them on my stove top, it’s a 3 hour commitment.
This makes bone broth.
Bone both, depending on the type of bones used, is what makes stock or the starter for soups, sauces and gravies.
When I decided to invest in a freeze drying machine I was really stoked about freezing drying in liquid form because that particular application is fascinating to me.
You start with a liquid, freeze it down super cold and then heat it back up again, all while under vacuum pressure.
That process is called sublimation.
It removes all the water and creates a solid that can then be re-hydrated and re-constituted (in a manner of minutes) whenever you want.
Even in a mug...to drink...as you are flying out the door to start your day.
In the photo (above) you can see the freeze dryer machine.
I put my liquid bone broth in and approximately 24 hours later, it was a solid...without any liquid left!
It’s exceptionally light weight.
Just like styrofoam.
Mill-able, even.
When you want to use it, simply add hot water and stir or shake.
In a minute or two, perfect broth, ready to go.
If stored in a tin can or sealed Mylar bag, the broth (in its freeze dried form) is good for 25 years.
25!
Don’t throw your bones, save them. Rebecca