Making Broth

My last beef purchase from my farm meat supplier included two bags of bones. Encouraged by the farmer to use as much of the animal as possible I agreed lovely rich, thick bone broth would be a comfort in the winter months. So, now we’re heading into winter. Grabbing the bones covered in frost from the freezer, I wonder if bones can even get freezer burn. Getting up earlier than normal I turned on the oven, during peak hydro cost time, to roast them for an hour before putting them into the crock pot to simmer for the day. My vegs were ready to go—celery, garlic, onion, carrot,–salt, pepper and a couple of bay leaves….mmmmm this is going to be so good.

Well, two bags of bones and all my chopped veg fill the crock pot to the brim leaving very little room for water. Break out the cast iron sauce pan, transfer some of the bones and veg to it and voila, two simmering pots for the day.  Late afternoon I’m ready to strain the broth, which is a messy process, but soon fill 7 containers with the nutritious, nurturing liquid, and have them cooled, labelled and stuck in the freezer by early evening.

If I purchased broth from the store at ~$2 each it would cost me $14, no, mess, no fuss, and no hydro, no clean up and no fatigue from having mind and/or body in the kitchen all day.

So why do it? There is a certain satisfaction I find cooking from scratch, and finding ways to use leftovers. I think it’s a holdover from my Mom, who was always so broke (though I never knew it at the time) and she very frugally kept us fed with balanced meals every time she cooked.

Frugal is in my DNA. Others have characterised me as “cheap” but I do think it’s important to not waste. My mom always reminded us, “It’s best before, not rotten after” so use it up!

In this, my 65^th year of life, I worry about how our past habits and thoughtless acts have contributed to the degradation of our home here on earth, I’m okay to make do, rather than make more.