Bones, vegetable matter, herbs, salt, and apple cider vinegar make up the essence of bone broth.

Part of living a sustainable lifestyle includes using (and reusing) as much as you can, and food is no exception.

At our house, we decrease food waste by saving raw vegetable “throw-aways,” such as onion tops, carrot peels, celery stalks, etc., and meat bones. We use those leftover bones and vegetable matter to make bone broth. I store the bones and veggies in bags in the freezer until ready to use. And, while bone broth is currently having its moment in the sun in the world of foodies and health gurus, its use is nothing new.

The nourishing liquid has been around since people started throwing bones into pots to stretch meals “just a little bit farther.” Even my almost 90-year-old grandmother-in-law told me that bone broth was nothing new to her (after I suggested she make some to help the healing process when she had a broken bone).

And, making bone broth is easy — as easy as throwing ingredients in a pot for a day. Plus, when you make bone broth vs. buying it in the store, you can guarantee freshness and ingredient sources. You can make and use bone broth in a day, or you can prepare it now and freeze, or can, for future use. I use an Instant Pot to make my bone broth, but you can use a regular stockpot (just add in a bunch more hours of cooking time).

Check out the steps below to make bone broth in an Instant Pot or other pressure cooker. Read More