Knowing how to can your own meat stock (bone broth) is an important homestead skill! There are undoubtedly many nutritional and healing benefits to stock. Because I am a frugal homesteader and conscientious meat-eater, I want to respect the life of the animals I raise and feed my family by making the most of calories and nutrients they give us. If I’m going to go through the work and effort to can meat stock, I’m going to make it the best stock I can possibly make!
But not all meat stock is created equally.
One year we knew someone who had butchered their pig. Bless their heart… which I think means they did something thoughtful, but I’m going to talk smack about it. But I’m from up north so I may be wrong. Bless their heart, they brought us a big old 5-gallon bucket of meat stock so I could can it.
And then I cracked the lid.
A peek was all it took and I slammed the lid back on begging Bill to get rid of it before it started to stink. (Or the Stock Maker came back to claim the bucket.)
The “stock” was grey… and scummy… and watery.
It was pretty disgusting. I certainly wasn’t going to ever use it, let alone can it. Until then it never occurred to me that there is a wrong way to make stock. Now I’m here to tell you there is!
So what is the “right” way to can meat stock (in my clearly not-so-humble and food-snobby opinion)?
I’ve got some tips and “secret” ingredients to make not just any old meat stock, but a Superior Meat Stock.
Methods for Making Meat Stock
I have used all these methods for making stock…
- Stove Top Stockpot
- Slow Cooker
- Pressure Cooker (Instant Pot)
- Multipurpose Electric Water Bath Canner
- Includes: Electric water bath canner + multi-cooker unit, Tempered glass lid, Steaming/canning jar...
- Large 21-quart capacity; jar capacity: 7 quarts or 8 pints
- One simple dial controls temperature
- Upgrade from duo: Instant Pot Duo plus is the updated duo. Duo plus upgrades include the easyseal...
- Cooks fast and saves time: The Instant Pot Duo plus multi-cooker combines 9 Appliances in one:...
- Consistently delicious: 15 one-touch smart programs put cooking ribs, soups, beans, rice, poultry,...
- Spacious 7 quart manual slow cooker serves 9+ people or fits a 7 pounds; Roast
- Set cooking time to high and get a hot meal in no time or set it on low and tonight’s dinner can...
- Keep food at an ideal serving temperature for as long as you need to with the convenient warm...
Each has its advantages.
The stockpot is a readily available kitchen tool that doesn’t require extra storage space. Since it can cook up a reliably flavorful batch of meat stock in half a day or two, it’s a good choice.
The slow cooker is great because it doesn’t take up stove space. It cooks low and slow enough that you don’t have to worry about all the stock cooking away if you don’t get to can it right away. You can even make it while you sleep. However, I’m not the biggest fan of making stock in a slow cooker because some don’t get hot enough to simmer and bring impurities to the surface. I don’t always get an off-smelling batch of meat stock, but when I do it’s in the slow cooker.
I LOVE making stock in a Pressure Cooker like the Instant Pot! It is lightning fast, making a perfect meat stock in about an hour or so. You can have it cooked and canned before lunch! While I love using it, the drawback to a Pressure Cooker is in quantity. It simply doesn’t have the capacity to make more than a few quarts of stock once you put all the ingredients in the pot. I prefer this method for small batches I won’t be canning.
Right now, my favorite is the last one, the Multipurpose Electric Waterbath Canner.
Most of all, I love using it when I’ll be canning the stock. That 21-quart beast makes a huge batch of stock and the spout strains it beautifully. The temperatures get hot enough to simmer and skimming the impurities that rise to the top is easy. The other thing I love about it is, much like a slow cooker, you can cook stock while you sleep. Whereas I wouldn’t leave a pot of stock going on the stove top overnight. I am forever indebted to Kathie from Homespun Seasonal Living for sharing this method!
Tips for Making Superior Meat Stock
Skim, Baby, Skim
Get yourself one of those little mesh wire skimmers and whenever you notice foamy scum floating to the top, just skim those impurities right off. Your stock will taste better for your efforts.
Cooking Longer isn’t Better
I am not a fan of cooking stock to death or using the same bones over and over until the crumble.
When I first heard about “perpetual broth” I thought it was the best idea ever! Warm stock, when made in the slow cooker, is always on hand and ready to use, no canning! I quickly learned that “perpetual broth” meant perpetually making broth because successive batches get visibly weaker and blander. In fact, after 24 hours I think it starts to smell funky and taste off. If I wanted to keep the stock going, I would have to discard all the ingredients and start over. Personally, I’d rather just make a big batch and can it.
Not-So-Top-Secret Ingredients
Add these secret ingredients to improve flavor, gelatin, color, and nutrition!
1.) Roasted Bones. First of all, you want to roast your bones in the oven until they are dark brown and making your belly growl. Roasting soup bones will add both flavor and a beautiful color.
2.) Feet. Yes, feet. Whether it’s pig trotters or chicken feet, adding feet to your stock will improve the gel and therefore nutrition in your stock.
3.) Skin. No not animal skins! Ugh… that’s totally disgusting. How could you possibly think that’s what I meant?
Oh… cause of the whole feet thing? Ok, sure, I guess that makes sense. Well, I meant onion skins (and why not the garlic skins too for good measure?) Onion skins will naturally dye your stock a deeper, richer color.
4.) An Acid. This could be any acid you have on hand such as vinegar, wines, citrus, citric acid.
I’ll be honest, I usually reach for the apple cider vinegar, cause I’m lazy. But I don’t like the smell of it and it does tend to hang on in my opinion. Rather, wine or lemon juice is a much better choice.
Whatever you choose, the acid will leach more goodness from the bones, improving the nutritional quality.
5.) Make it Medicinal. These “secret” ingredients will take your already superior meat stock to the next level of healing and wellness. I’m talking about adding cayenne pepper, ginger, turmeric (and therefore black pepper which is needed to help you absorb the medicinal properties of turmeric.). Another option is to add immune boosting mushroom varieties like Shiitake, Reishi, Maitake, or Turkey Tail.
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Give it Some Clarity
Finally, clarify your stock. This step is totally optional, but if you skip it, your stock will be a little cloudy. Even if you diligently skimmed it. It’s super cool though and does make for some beautiful stock, free of impurities.
To clarify your stock whisk an egg white together with about ¼ cup of water. Whisk it into the hot, strained stock. Bring it to a boil and then remove it from the heat and let it sit for about 5 minutes or so. Strain it again through a couple layers of butter muslin while jarring it up. (That butter muslin stuff. It sure is handy on the homestead. I buy it by the bolt. True story.)
Canning Meat Stock
Once you learn how to pressure can, canning meat stock is really simple. You jar up the stock and can it for 25 minutes at 11 pounds of pressure. The only problem is, meat stock MUST be pressure canned because the acidity is too low to safely water bath can.
And if you have never pressure canned before, let me encourage you right here, right now to add that to your homestead skills set!
Because it’s one of those things that once you bite the bullet and learn how to safely can, your only regret will be that you didn’t learn it sooner. Seriously. It broadens your canning horizons exponentially! You can can your own dry beans, caramelized onions, potatoes and so much more!
I used to make all kinds of excuses about why I couldn’t pressure can. There isn’t the time to learn or I don’t have the money to buy a pressure canner, but when it came right down to it…
I was afraid.
I was afraid that I would blow myself up or my babies up or some other horror story you hear about. Then I watched At Home Canning for Beginners and Beyond and realized my fears were unfounded. Like anything else, there are precautions you should take for safety, but they’re not hard to do or remember.
Because video made it so simple, it totally shattered my excuse for fear!
And check this out- I’m taking away the excuse that it’s too expensive to get started cause through the end of the month you can use the code below and save a total almost 40% off an All-American Pressure Canner at Lehman’s!
Take 15% OFF Orders of $200+ with code “PJP1099184” at Lehman’s. Valid now through 4/30. Shop now!
Basic Meat Stock Recipe
The following recipes for chicken stock, beef stock, and pork stock are the basis for any meat stock I make. The method is more important than exact measurements. Adjust some of the flavors according to your taste preferences.
You’re awesome, “superior” stock will make your meals taste better. It will make them cook more quickly because it instantly builds flavor. Also, it can be a base for making scratch-made soup in a pinch too. Soups like Chicken Soup with Homemade Spaetzle, Ham Hock & Black-Eyed Pea Soup, or Kielbasa Soup with Kale and White Beans.
And of course, there are the aforementioned immune-boosting, healing and nutritional benefits to stock.
Basic Meat Stock (Recipes for Chicken, Beef, and Pork Stock)
Don't settle for bland stock! Learn how to make SUPERIOR meat stock using these tips and SECRET INGREDIENTS! (Including recipes for chicken stock, beef stock, and pork stock.)
Ingredients
Chicken Stock
- roasted chicken bones
- 5 chicken feet
- 1 onion, quartered, with skins
- 3 carrots, chopped
- 2 stalks celery, snapped in pieces
- 2 parsnips, chopped
- 4-6 cloves garlic, smashed
- juice of 1 lemon
- 3 Tablespoons sea salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- parsley, to taste
Beef Stock
- 2 pounds roasted beef bones
- 3 chicken feet or 1 pig trotter
- 1 onion, quartered, with skins
- 5 cloves garlic, crushed
- 3 stalks celery, snapped in pieces
- 2 carrots, chopped
- ½ cup red wine
- 3 Tablespoons sea salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 bay leaves
Pork Stock
- Pork Bones, roasted if possible
- 1 pig trotter
- 3 stalks celery, snapped into pieces
- 3 carrots, chopped
- 1 onion, quartered, with skins
- 4 cloves garlic, smashed
- ½ cup white wine
- 2 Tablespoons sea salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
To fill a 6-7 Quart vessel, add all of the ingredients and cover with water to the fill line.
Stockpot: Bring the water to a boil over medium-high heat and then reduce the heat low. You want it to just barely simmer. Skim any foam that gathers on the top. Cook the stock. To a point, the longer you cook it the more flavorful it will be. Set a colander inside a large bowl or container and line it with butter muslin. Ladle the stock into the colander and let it strain.
Cooking Time:
- Chicken: 8-12 hours, Up to 24 hours
- Beef: 12-18 hours, Up to 48 hours
- Pork: 12 hours, Up to 24 hours
Slow Cooker: Cover and cook. Set a colander inside a large bowl or container and line it with butter muslin. Ladle the stock into the colander and let it strain.
Cooking Time:
- Chicken: 12-24 hours on low heat, 8-12 hours on high heat
- Beef: 24 hours on low heat, 12-18 hours on high heat
- Pork: 18-24 hours on low heat, 12 hours on high
Pressure Cooker: Seal the vent and set the timer to Manual and the time needed to cook. Allow the steam to release naturally. Set a colander inside a large bowl or container and line it with butter muslin. Ladle the stock into the colander and let it strain.
Cooking Time:
- Chicken: 90 minutes
- Beef: 3 hours (You may need to reset the timer.)
- Pork: 2 hours
Multipurpose Water Bath Canner: Triple the recipe since you'll be make 3 times the amount of stock. Bring the water to a boil over medium-high heat and then reduce the heat low. You want it to just barely simmer. Skim any foam that gathers on the top. Cook the stock. To a point, the longer you cook it the more flavorful it will be. Place a large bowl, vessel, or half gallon mason jar beneath the spout. Outfit your container with either a funnel or colander lined with butter muslin to strain it. Open the valve and empty the canner of the stock, leaving the vegetables behind in the pot.
Cooking Time:
- Chicken: 8-12 hours, Up to 24 hours
- Beef: 24-48 hours
- Pork: 12-24 hours
To Pressure Can Meat Stock: Funnel the hot stock into quart-sized mason jars, leaving 1" headspace. Clean the rims and top with rings and lids. Can in a pressure canner according to manufacturer's directions for 25 minutes at 11 pounds pressure. (Adjusted times for altitude can be found here.)
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Enjoy!
I didn’t see the code for Lehman’s 40% off, did I miss it.
Sorry Nancy! Looks like their graphic broke the rest of the code that followed. I’ve worked around it now so you should be able to see it. Thanks so much for mentioning something was up!
Hello! I am trying to make the pork stock today. How much water would it be to four and a half pounds of pig bones? I have a sixteen quart pot with no fill line and my bones are ready to go! Thank you!!
Sorry I didn’t get to your comment to till today! It’s hard to say how much water to use for “pounds of bones.” If there are trotters and hocks in there you could get away with fewer bones to more water. I think roasted bones would be ok with a lower bones to water ratio too because the roasting adds more flavor too.