Snowflake by snowflake, as the snow settles in, life has taken a sweet turn for the slower things. My sourdough starter is bubbling away, crochet needles are once again pulling yarn, and slowly simmering, humbly set aside on the back of my range, is homemade broth that brings comfort and nourishment to every meal.
Yes, in this season, I make a rich and savory batch of broth from bones made up of ligaments, cartilage, meat, collagen, and fat about once a week … sometimes, every other week. Knowing the health benefits that are in a properly prepared batch of homemade broth makes it especially important for me to use it frequently in my cooking, especially to keep up the immunity of my family during this cold and flu season.
For quite some time, I would make a batch of broth, strain it, let it gel in the refrigerator overnight, separate the fat, and then freeze it in 2 cup portions. This process took me a bit of time and frankly, as often as I use broth it seemed almost silly to have to freeze it all the time. I do know quite a few people that can their broth instead of freeze it, but that just seemed like another entire step I wanted to avoid.
I’m not sure when but it was through my local Weston Price Foundation Group that I found out that homemade broth can be preserved for up to 6 months in the refrigerator without having to freeze or can it. When I learned this tip, it revolutionized my kitchen.
How to Keep Homemade Broth Preserved for 6 Months … No Canning or Freezing Required!
Each batch of broth starts with good quality bones and meat from a pastured animal. I’m going to show you how I preserve my broth in the refrigerator for up to 6 months with one of my own backyard chickens.
Besides the eggs, one of the best things that you will get from raising backyard chickens is the abundance of fat that grows within. Since I live in a colder climate, I intentionally buy winter hardy birds that can also be considered dual quality birds, meaning that they can be raised for eggs or meat. My girls get large, beautifully plump, filled with golden fat that keeps them warm during the coldest of winters.
As I explained in my butchering post, poultry fat contains the monounsaturated fatty acid palmitoleic acid, which boosts our immune system. Chicken fat has more palmitoleic acid than most other types of poultry. The main monounsaturated fatty acid in poultry fat is oleic acid, well known for its beneficial effects on cholesterol. To top that off, if your chicken has been pastured on grass and weeds, its fat also has a good amount of omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin d.
Just look at how much fat is carried underneath the skin of my heritage breed winter hardy birds.
It’s this fat, accompanied by aromatics that gives my broth such rich flavors, made deep and golden.
Once your batch of broth is made, in order to preserve it for up to 6 months without canning or freezing, all you have to do is ensure that a good 1/2″ or so of this rendered fat sits atop of each jar or container that you strain your broth into.
If you have good quality pastured meat with a good amount of fat, this is as simple as just straining the broth into the jars and watching the fat float to the top.
Once each jar is filled, place a lid on it and refrigerate it. Once refrigerated, the fat on top will harden and seal the broth below.
The fat on top eliminates any air and will keep your homemade broth preserved in the refrigerator for up to 6 months.
That’s really it. Just make sure that you don’t puncture the fat. Once air is let in, the broth will remain good for a few days in the fridge.
Now, one thing. Once you grab for a jar of broth, make sure to gently remove the fat and save it in another jar. Soon enough you’ll have a jar filled with nourishing fat that you can use to fry up potatoes or roast vegetables.
It’s so, so good … your immune system will thank you and you’ll have the added bonus of omega 3 and vitamin d.
I originally shared this from my instagram account. So many people were interested that I decided to make a blog post about it. If you’d like to keep up with tips like this and other things I’m constantly doing in my kitchen, make sure to follow me on instagram.
(Disclaimer: I personally use my stock quickly. It’s not in my refrigerator for more than 3 weeks. If you’re not going to be using your stock in that amount of time, I would personally encourage you to freeze it. For legality reasons, botulism can occur so proceed at your own risk.)
Looks good!
Wouldn’t it also work to just placed your mason jar upside down in the refrigerator?
I’ve been saving my broth like this for.a while. I figured the fat acted as a seal. My mom used to put a wax seal on her preserves and the fat looked just like her seal. We are all still hale and.hearty, so I’m pretty sure it works. It was good to know I wasn’t alone
I used to use my slow cooker,then my sister regifted.me her instant pot, which I think is probably even better safety wise, due to heat.
Yes, our grandparents survived with cold cold basements and saved broth though not for six months.
You mentioned to “avoid putting a hole in the fat” to avoid air accessing the broth. Sounds obvious perhaps, but it’s worth mentioning to “new cooks” that the broth and fat can simply be reheated till all the fat melts again, then jar it and let it cool PRIOR TO putting it in the fridge again.
Thank you for this tip! It seems obvious now, but I hadn’t thought of that solution to the problem!
Thank you for sharing. I had no idea. I usually make a big pot. Divide it into jars and freeze. When I am almost out, I make another batch. I like the idea of having it in the frig and ready to go. Thanks again.
Me too, Regina. That’s what I like best. That I have it ready to go when I need it 😀
I had no idea! thanks for sharing!! I have a chicken in the crockpot right now!
Great 😀
Thanks for sharing! This is how I prepare my chicken broth but I had no idea it would last 6 months. Good to know! 🙂 I currently use half gallon or quart size jars, but I like that you’re using pints. Seems more practical.
One question though- would the same apply to beef broth?
Yes, Tika. This works the same for beef broth as well 😀
What if you only have half the fat as your batch?
I would make sure the fat doesn’t crack on top. If it does, it isn’t sealed.
Is there as much good things in beef fat as the chicken? I know it is taboo as well, but I left mine in the container when I made my beef bone stock.
Wonderful! This looks like it could revolutionize my broth experience. We also simmer bones a couple times a week. Do you know if it only works with chicken fat or could ghee or lard potentially work? Thanks!
That’s a good question, Lilly. Do you mean that you would add melted ghee or lard to your chicken broth right after you strain it? I don’t see what that wouldn’t work.
I did not get a lot of fat like yours, will it still keep the same ?
Susan, if there’s not a good thick layer of fat, I would freeze the broth to make sure it’s preserved.
We just moved to the Bahamas and there’s no pastured meat available here. Homemade broth from non-pastured chickens is better than no broth right?
Definitely!
Yes. I want more and more people to know this. Not everyone who is keen on eating nutrient-dense foods can afford backyard chickens. But most can afford to buy whole chickens rather than boneless/skinless chicken breasts. And broth made from the conventionally raised birds is better than no broth at all. I teach classes at our local food pantry about foods that heal your body, and I am so delighted when my patrons begin making stock from leftovers that would otherwise be thrown away, just as I am so happy when they make yogurt from milk that might be poured down the drain. Spanning two worlds…WAPF and soup kitchens…this is kind of my thing to mention!
Great wisdom, Barbara! Love it!!
Wait! How do you make yogurt from milk?
You can make yogurt from milk many ways. My favorite easy way is to take a 6 oz-8oz container of my favorite plain yogurt (Greek yogurt works), pour half gallon milk into my crock pot, cover, turn it to low got three hours. I start mine at 3 pm, turn off at 6 pm, then wait three hours then whisk in the plain yogurt. I also add a packet of unflavored gelatin (knox gelatin). Now you can either wrap the crock pot up in a couple of towels, or put it in the oven with the light on, overnight. In the morning, you’ll have yogurt! I like to strain mine with a flour sack towel (not terry cloth with the nubs), for an hour. I used the clear whey in place of water when making bread! I also portion the yogurt out, and place a small piece of plastic wrap directly on the yogurt so it keeps from growing bacteria.
I am SO grateful for this reply! My family cannot afford pastured chickens (and our backyard birds are kept purely for their eggs), but instead I make broth from the bones of antibiotic-free, hormone-free chickens, but still conventionally raised. 🙁
I always assumed it was atleast better than no broth at all, and am glad to have some reassurance! 🙂
Thank you for teaching me this! I can broth, freeze broth, dehydrate broth, and use broth right from the stock pot. So happy to know that I can also use this method to make my crazy brothy life more manageable. 🙂
Barbara, I just learned about dehydrating broth and am excited to try it soon! I had no idea one could make their own “bullion” !!
Wait, what? Where is the post about making your own bouillon? I am new to this site, and would love to know how to do this! I have recently developed a salt sensitivity, and would love to learn how to make bouillon.
http://nourishedkitchen.com/homemade-bouillon-portable-soup/
Which breed of chickens are you raising?
Dawn, these particular birds were Barred Rocks. They are my favorite breed. They are very docile and friendly.
Oh my gosh! Who knew? Well apparently you did. 🙂 This will make life so much easier, I hate having to thaw out chicken broth before I can use. I have a huge turkey, and I can’t wait to try this. Thanks!
Been doing it for years. Thought everyone did. 🙂
Thank you! I’ve been using this technique but had been nervous about storing it for more than a week or so. I never dreamed it would keep for up to 6 months!
No problem!
I have been storing broth in my fridge, covered with the fat, but I was also nervous about using after a week or two. I recently had to make a last minute trip to help my son’s family, and didn’t have time to deal with broth in the fridge, so I threw it out when I got back. Next time I won’t have to. Thank you!
I am wondering why you remove the fat from the broth when you use the broth, isn’t the fat from the broth a good healthy animal fat?
Thanks!
Sheena, yes, the fat is definitely nourishing; however, too much of it in a dish can leave a very greasy feel to the palette. It’s not very appetizing. That’s why you begin a dish with just a couple tablespoons of a certain fat. You don’t want it to be overwhelming. I do use it to begin a quick saute but LOVE to use it to fry up potatoes or roast vegetables. You can also save it to make a confit. That’s what I’m currently doing ;D
Confit! Yum. Can you post your recipe for this? I love duck confit. Was wondering if I could interchange the chicken for duck? Just found your site and I love it. My husband and I (and our friends and family) are trying to buy pasture this coming summer to start homesteading. Your blog has already helped a ton! (We slaughtered our first pigs last night…I am going to try your technique for rendering the lard!) 🙂
Me too, Mary! I’ll have to share a duck or chicken confit recipe in the New Year! We’ll also be starting our homesteading journey this coming summer! I can’t wait 😀
Please share how you store the saved fat for future use. Do you place it back in the refrigerator or do you freeze it. Thank you.
I store it in the fridge and use it within the week. 😀
Excellent idea! My pastured chickens don’t usually have as much fat as what you’ve shown — but I do get a thin layer of fat above the broth that seals it off nicely. Only, broth doesn’t last longer than a week at mt place! Still, I appreciate the pictures you’ve provided. I respect your broth’s ample layers of fat. Very nice.
Thanks for stopping by Jered!
Thanks for this article. I love making bone broth and it is such a pain to have to defrost it when I get it out. I just made some broth, we will be leaving the fat on this time.
Yep. This is what I’ve done, for years now. Although, I think the longest I’ve had it around was maybe two months.
🙂
Just curious – do you butcher your own birds, or take them somewhere – I would love to have dual egg/meat birds, but cannot imagine doing the dirty work myself.
Cynthia, I used to butcher my own birds in the past. Now that we’re doing many more per year, we take them to Amish family who butchers them for us.
Great article, Diana! It is very informative and easy to understand. I thank the Lord for people like you.
Es un placer poder visitar tu pagina web. Eh podido aprender mucho atraves de ella. Incluso, quisiera saber si pudiera comunicarme con usted directamente, ya que estoy siguiendo la dieta GAPS y encuentro un poco dificil explicarle a mi madre los beneficios de el caldo de hueso. Agradeceria su respuesta. Soy fluente en Ingles y Español.
Dios te bendiga!
[email protected]
Hi Luis! Please email me at [email protected]. We’ll chat!
So glad to know people do this! I found out how it seals accidentally after finding a jar of bone broth in my fridge that I knew was about 2 weeks old. I pulled it out, broke the seal, and smelled it and it smelled fine. So I heated it (to boiling) and it tasted fine. We ate it with no ill effects. I figured it was the fat seal that made it ok since there was no air getting at it and the jar was clean and the broth was hot when I jarred it. There is no way it would last 6 months in my house but getting 2 – 3 weeks is good when making a couple batches at once!! Thanks!
Colleen, I know what you mean! It never last my family more than a couple weeks 😀
Hi Diana,
So happy to hear this. I get nervous when my broth is in the frig for a week or more but hate to toss it. I always leave the fat on top so this brings me comfort knowing it won’t go bad. What breed of chicken do you use? We are hoping to get chickens soon and haven’t decided what breed to get.
Hi Gay! Our breeds are winter hardy birds. Mostly Barred Rocks, Wyandottes, Buff Orpingtons, Rhode Island Reds, and Iowa Blue’s. They are a hardy bunch of girls that end up with a copious amount of good fat!
I have tried to search this exact topic online and I came up empty! Have you (personally) tried saving it 6 months? Also, do you have a link to the Weston A. Price post that says that this is healthy? While I definitely think it saves longer than we think it does, I would wonder whether the vitamins and nutrients would break down after that long. For instance, vegetables should be eaten fresh or the nutrients begin to break down. What of broth? I’m fascinated, but I have many questions first 😉
Hi Boholistic Mom, you know this is a great question! I personally have not saved it for up to 6 months. We use it pretty quickly. I honestly don’t know if the nutrients break down. Thinking traditionally, I know people saved their broth and meats like this at room temperature. Think pate, head cheese, and odds and bits after harvesting. They can stay at room temperature underneath rendered fat for quite some time and people used this method as their mainstay to preserve their meats. I think preserving in fat does maintain a lot of nutrients. I think I would start your research their. Just some thoughts ;D Thanks for stopping by!
There are many traditional cultures that preserve meat under fat for months – think confit from the French, the Norwegians and Germans and many more. It’s perfectly safe and the nutrients are preserved underneath the fat. The reason vegetables lose nutrients is because there is nothing preserving them, nothing to keep them in. The layer of fat on top of your meat or broth preserves everything underneath and keeps out bacteria. This has been used as a method of preserving fruits and vegetables in the past as well – it’s no longer recommended as there is some risk in the jarring process of botulism getting in – but people have done this sort of preserving for years.
Yes! My thoughts exactly 😀
I would love to know what you are feeding your chickens to get so much fat! Wonderful!!
Melanie, I feed my chickens a custom blend made up for me at our local feed store. It’s a soy free, gmo free, animal bi-product free natural blend of grains. Besides that, they pasture all over my yard and garden 😀
I love this idea; I always put mine in the freezer, but it’s the plan-ahead thaw-time that always gets me! My Hungarian Grandmother used to make broth or chicken barley soup. She would save and cook with the chicken fat; I remember she kept a jar in the fridge and she would bring it out to make a roux for her spinach recipe. I call it Hungarian spinach, but I think it’s just creamed spinach with lots and lots of garlic, yummm. Would you like to share how you make your broth?
Terry, check out my post on broth here –> http://www.myhumblekitchen.com/2009/10/miracles-of-broth/
So, say we skin our chickens instead of plucking them (meh, we’re lazy).
Can I melt some lard/tallow/coconut oil and pour on the top to the same effect?
TIA.
~Angela
Angela, I’m just not sure. Next time, keep the skin, lol!!
This is BRILLIANT! I wish I’d known this before, but now that I do, I’m going to have to try it! Regarding the chicken fat, I read somewhere else of a lady who mixes the fat (schmaltz) with flour, forms them into balls, and freezes them. When she needs to thicken a soup or stew, she takes as many as she needs out of the freezer and drops them directly into the pot.
I love that, Melody! I’m going to try making some of my own thickener balls 😀
Love this idea too! The fabulous thing about it is that it won’t get lumpy because the fat keeps the flour from clumping, as long as you mix the flour and fat together thoroughly before freezing.
So, not wanting to be the voice of doom, but essentially, this method has a lot in common with canning and botulism could be a concern to some. All canning does, is create an airtight seal so when you use fat to create an airtight seal, you are creating the same environment and the same concerns arise. Canning a low acid food in anything other than a pressure canner, introduces the possibility of botulism. Keeping the canned item in the refrigerator does not ensure that botulism will not develop.
That being said, the only cases of food borne botulism in non-infants, I am aware of came from improperly canned food, one batch of refrigerated pickled eggs and Native Alaskan fermented meat. This process is similar to keeping garlic in oil and while the broth is cooked, unlike the garlic, if there are botulism spores in your broth, they will survive the boiling process.
Sasha, I do thank you for bringing up these concerns. You know, I’m going to put up a disclaimer to only do this for broth that you’ll be using within a few weeks. If it’s truly going to be something that sits longer, you might as well freeze it. In my opinion. Thanks again.
Hi Diana, I’m late to the party but have just made my first batch of bone broth, was very pleased with the result. I used beef bones, celeriac, carrots , onions & garlic as vegetables, half way through the slow cook process. Like yourself, I find it doesn’t last long enough to worry about it going off but i found your article on the fat preserving the broth a logical one indeed.
My question is this:
– If you freeze it how would you need to do that? Is a glass jar with a lid ok? How long would it last in a freezer?
Hey Derek, sorry for the late reply! I allow my broth to cool and freeze it in quart ziplock (bpa free) bags. I used to freeze them in mason jars but found they do get old and will eventually crack in the freezer.
Just wanted to follow up because I did some checking and there were several cases of botulism from non-canned, home prepared food including garlic oil, http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/10/9/03-0745_article.
I know that France has a long tradition of storing meat, particularly confit duck or goose, in fat. I don’t know if they have/had any cases of botulism from those foods.
One of the most knowledgeable prepper/preserving/natural health sources on the internet put things into perspective some time ago for me. After researching botulism cases and approaching it statistically, not only did she discover your chances are MUCH greater of being hit by lightning, the cases of death caused by champagne corks was far greater than the number of people killed by botulism. And in all of the cases, it was due to improper food handling. The majority were with improperly processed baby food. Taking all things into perspective and keeping in mind to always follow food safety rules, my faith goes to how things have been done over the centuries for food preservation over what the nanny state and corporations would have us believe. Much of what we see and hear from “official sources” should be taken partially as opinion and based on food quality rather than safety. Follow food safety guidelines – by all means! But keep in mind the dangers are VASTLY over rated.
Thanks for sharing this fabulous tip! I had no idea! I just finished a large batch for now through Thanksgiving and was thrilled for once not to have to freeze a lot of it. (Because we’ll be using it all up so quickly this time.)
Great post, Diana. I have always stored fat-topped stock in tightly sealed containers in my fridge, but rarely longer than a couple weeks … we use it up almost as quickly as I make it. If there isn’t enough natural fat in the stock to make at least a 1/2″ seal, I top it off with olive oil after the fat has cooled and solidified. To avoid spoilage, it’s very important to get a solid seal (fat sitting tightly against the glass sides of jar), and taller jars therefore work better than short wide ones. If I don’t plan to use the stock within a few days, I strain it to remove all traces of meat, veggies, and herbs, and add new herbs and aromatic veggies according to whatever I’m making. Favorite quickie uses for stock are risotto, polenta, soups/stews/dried beans, and sauces. Have a blessed Thanksgiving!
Just read this one. Do you add enough olive oil to then make it about 1/2 inch? Does the olive oil solidify also? I just made some yesterday and got maybe 1/4 inch fat at the top.
Is the 1/2 inch pretty important? I made some yesterday but I didn’t get very much fat..only about 1/4 inch at most. Would it be a bad idea to try and keep this in the fridge?
I have the same question. I have a jar going on 3 weeks in the fridge with about 1/4 inch. How do I know if it’s bad or God to consume?
*good to consume. 🙂
I’ve just recently delved into the world of homemade broth, so this post was super helpful! Thanks so much. I’ve already started my batch of turkey broth from Thanksgiving!
Hi Diana,
Since it is cold out now I want to start making big pots of soup for lunches to go with salad, but also start making chicken and beef stocks again. I do love the idea of not having to freeze it all, which would encourage me to use it daily for my family to have healthy immune systems. But do you think store bought “natural” whole chickens would produce enough fat to seal the tops? I can buy “organic” store bought, but the “natural” are so much cheaper.
Allie, I’m pretty sure all fat is removed if you buy it commercially.
As I read your article, it ended with a disclaimer that was confusing. My question is will the broth be good for 6 months or 3 weeks due to possible botulism? Thanks
Colleen, it should “technically” be good for up to 6 months. However, with all things real food like fermentation, canning, etc… there is always a chance of butulism. I have to say that to protect myself. My broth doesn’t last that long. If I know I’m not going to consume it within a month or two, I’d freeze it.
LOVED this post!! My husband and I were just (this morning!) discussing a better process for storing our broth… we’ve been freezing it, and it’s been a bit of a hassle since we go through it pretty quickly! We weren’t sure how long it would keep in the fridge, or exactly how to go about that process… I’m so glad I stumbled onto this post from facebook! Thanks 🙂
I’m so glad to hear that, Sarah!
Yes, I do this method as well and have kept it for over a month in the fridge, but have never tried up to 6 months. That long makes me a little queasy to think about!! This method, using olive oil instead, also works to preserve homemade tomato sauce and paste in the fridge.
I forgot to say I prefer to use the hardened fat right in the same dish with the broth. If I need to saute onions as a first step, I use the fat. If I don’t need to saute anything, I just dump the fat in with the broth in soup or whatever. I can’t be bothered to save it up. =) Plus, the remaining broth that is still sticking to it would theoretically go “off” after just a few days, no? So by the time you’ve saved enough fat to fry potatoes (or whatever), there would be some contamination. I guess you have not had problems with that, but it would be a concern of mine.
Oh yes, olive oil certainly does preserve as well 😀 Thanks for stopping by Naomi!
I have a question about the fat you scrape off the top before using the broth. How long can you keep that? Especially if you scrape i off one of the jars of broth you have had in your fridge that is closer to the 6 months?
This is similar to how we preserve our beef broth because we have limited freezer room. When the broth is still hot, I remove the jars I have had sterilizing in the oven at 220 degrees for a minimum of 10 minutes, pour it in the jars to the very top, put on a sterile lid and screw the ring down tight. Once cooled, we then put them in the basement fridge. I have never checked the calendar, but they last until they are gone. You can hear the lids seal just like when you are canning fruit or jams. They snap!
I have a 16-quart stock pot and when my veggie scraps bag becomes so large that it’s taking over the freezer, it’s time. I throw in 6 pounds of beef bones and any chicken and/or turkey carcasses my friends give me which I freeze until ready to use. Also apple cider vinegar. I roast the bones and then cook the broth at a low flame for 4 or 5 days, 24 hours a day. It takes a long time to strain the pot. I hand squeeze the soft stuff. I put the strained broth in large metal bowls and refrigerate for 2 days. This past batch, one of the bowls had a solid inch of fat. Thicker layer of fat than I’ve ever seen. I threw it out. Stupid? Where’s my gel? Was it in that huge fat layer? I put the broth into glass containers and freeze. Every other day I’m pulling another container out of freezer into fridge so there’s always a partly defrosted container which is pourable. Please share thoughts on the gel and the fat.
This is absolutely fantastic. Thank you ever so much for posting this. I was just thinking, since I can source good grassfed beef bones,, would I be able to do the same thing if I chose particularly fatty ones?
Hi Diana, not sure if you already answered this question… once the broth is in the mason jar, do you wait until it’s room temperature before storing in the fridge ? And will the fat expend once cold ? I filled the mason jar up to the twisting part..
thanks
Annie
I make sure it’s about luke warm. Yes, the fat will expand a bit in the fridge.
I think that recommendation is totally inappropriate. You CANNOT guarantee the fat on the top is an airtight seal, which can mean bacteria could still be growing in there. In addition, not all bacteria need air. There are anaerobic bacteria as well, which are bacteria that need no air to survive. All it needs is the right medium. Meat products are known for harboring especially strong bacteria. If this is something that you really want to do, you should have a lab run some tests on the microbiology of the product to research if this really is a safe method. If it is safe, that would be awesome. But I am suspicious.
So, let’s say I make chicken soup..chicken (whole) all the veggies, carrots, onion, celery..spices..
Do you pick the chicken clean then put bones in a big pot with fresh water?
Or, do you just put a whole chicken to simmer in water only?
Angela, with my old layers, I like to use the whole chicken with meat to make my broth. I’ll add celery, carrots, onions, and at the end some parsley. I don’t add salt or spices since I like to add them when I’m making the dishes I use the broth in. Hope that helps!
I made bone broth and canned it using hot water bath. Is that safe or should I throw it out?
Diane, you need to use a pressure canner to can bone broth. Only highly acidic foods can be canned in a hot water bath.
How long do you save the fat? And do you save it in the fridge also or store it in the freezer? Thanks
Diane, I had no idea that I could keep broth this long and I love the way its done. thanks.
Now I would like to ask you where I could purchase poultry that has fat like that? I even ordered some on-line from one of the blogs since it was a farm and I still did not get fat good and rich like yours. Any help on where I can purchase chickens like this? Joanne
Hi, Joanne! My chickens have this much fat because they were my older laying hens. A good way to get some chickens with this much fat is to get in touch with a local family farmer that sells eggs. Ask them when they cull their layers and if they would sell them to you. Usually, farmers will keep their layers for a good 2 years before rotating them out.
I’ve used moose bone stock and chicken stock kept in half gallon masons with a fat cap when it was at least four months old with no problem. In fact, I boiled the whole batch and used what I needed and re-refigeratated the rest and used it within a week after that. We did this growing up ever year, just be sure your jars are sterile, the stock is well boiled and the fat cap is undisturbed. Also it’s good to keep them in the back of the fridge in coldest areas.
Thanks for sharing this with us, Ida!
Is it safe to use broth that has been open kettle sealed and store in fridge. For 6 months?
I’m going to make my own homemade chicken stock this weekend. I’m planning on using a organic, free range chicken carcase after I roast it in Indian spices. Does it matter the kind of way you cook chicken prior to making the stock?
the stock will taste differently depending on how you cooked the chicken. I normally roast my chickens then use the leftovers to make stock and a lemon and garlic roast certainly makes different stock than barbecued chicken (not recommended).
i left a pot of beef bone broth that had some meat on the bones sit outside to cool off overnight for about 16 hrs but the temperature did not go down below 70.
I just put the pot back on the stove to boil it again.
Do you thing it is too long and how could you tell if it spoiled?
Hi there, I can’t tell you if this is safe or not. I can only tell you that I’ve done that same thing numerous times and I’m still ok 😉
My husband is a youth pastor. We just got done with a long summer of crazy events, lock-in’s, summer camp and other fun but sugar and candy-ridden events! We eat Paleo at home but summers are his busiest season which throws our meal planning for a loop! We are starting this week off with a broth detox/sugar fast which we also LOVE to use as a time to really grow closer to Jesus and listen to him. We are restarting our bodies before I go back to school (teacher) and he starts slowing down his pace. This is a great tip for storing the broth we cook!! We have tiny cans to use so we can grab a few and drink them at our allotted times during the day, but I wasn’t sure how to keep them stored for long periods of time… and now I know!
Thank you for sharing your ideas!
No problem, Kaylee!
I have done this for years also. After our meals I gather all the bones (yes those whose meat he just ate) and bag them up in the freezer. After a few meals I have enough to make a good pot of broth. I also save my peels of vegetables as I prepare our meals and also freeze them. There are a lot of vitamins in the peels of veggies. Then I add those also to the bones along with whatever vegetables I want to use.
Also if you are using chickens that are not grass fed or have chemicals added, when your bones start boiling you will see scum bubbling up to the top of your pan. Skim off that foam (scum) a few times and a lot of the chemicals have been removed.
I just made turkey bone broth. The broth was boiling hot and I put it in canning jars with boiled lids. The lids sealed and I put it in the refrigerator. Would you say it’s the same idea for sealing without processing?
Thanks,
Eileen
Thank you for this post and pictures! I didn’t know that there are so many fantastic things in chicken fat. I’m not surprised though, our Maker is so good to us! Too bad they are so many cancer causing chemicals in most affordable chickens that come from the stores. I wouldn’t recommend using this type of chicken fat for frying your foods. It’s fine for using as a seal on top of your broth though.
Hi! i have a simple question….when i cook a chicken and save the broth it sits in…i refrig it…..can i freeze this and use it later??? how long will it be good in the freezer?? thank you!!
Yes, you can for sure freeze the broth! It lasts a good 6-8 months!
Hi, I did this after Christmas, strained the broth and put it into a large jar that was only filled 3/4 of the way but the fat seal is really good according to your specs. My question is will the broth be fine even though the fat seal has another 1/4 of vacuum/air btwn the fat and the top of the jar? It is stable and not punctured in any way in the fridge.
You should be good, but introducing more oxygen is where things can go wrong.
Does this also work for beef bone broth?
Yes!
Unfortunately I do not have chickens of my own, but I do make bone broth from crcasses of those cage free that I purchase. I have been lucky enough to get the gel you speak of and because my freezer is so small I have left it in the fridge. I have always been worried about forgetting a jar in the back of the fridge and finding it after about a month. I check them for off odor and never found one that had gone bad and thought I was just lucky. I always have at least a small layer of fat and had no idea that worked as a seal. I will rest easy now knowing that broth can keep for six months that way. This post is a Godsend. Thank you.
No problem!
Thank you so much! I just emptied 2 quarts of my beef broth because I thought they’d probably gone bad. Thanks for saving the other three!!!
How do you know for sure it is healthy?
Would my stock be preserved if I poured it boiling hot into sterilised glass jars and sealed straight away?
You can definitely get a seal if the stock is hot enough; however, botulism can still occur if it’s not processed correctly.
Hi! Great post! Will definitely do this. But right now, I’m a little skeptical on what I did with my chicken broth before reading this. So I turned off the stove at almost 8pm. Left the pot to cool on the counter overnight then stuck the whole pot in the fridge the next morning. Now, is that safe to consume? I looked at it, & it looks like your jars only giant sized(the size of the pot). Any suggestions on what I should do next to preserve it longer? Or did I screw up & I should toss it out? Oh & I left the chicken bones inside the broth…I didn’t strain it…Yet… any suggestions on what I should do next?
Been there, done that. I’d reheat to a boil and then freeze the broth.
So if I make my favorite chicken soup, which is healthy broth heavy, would I have to strain it and freeze all the meat & veggies?
If I know I’ll eat some of it in the next week or so, could I leave the soup as is (meat and all) in a few jars as long as they get the 1/2″ layer of fat to seal at the top?
I personally wouldn’t. If you know you’re not going to be eating the broth and veg within the next few days, I’d freeze it.
How do you get your bone broth so golden and clear?
One thing I do Beth is to make sure that my broth doesn’t come up to a boil. I let it come to a gentle simmer before covering it and setting my burner to low.
this is great. thanks for the info. however, the fat caps that are saved for roasting potatoes are potential petri dishes for germs or pathogens, are they not? i mean, if they have residue of the bone broth on them, and are exposed to air while being stored for later use, doesn’t it only make sense that they could be growing … whatever? is there a save way to store them? or do you rinse them or something?
I recently made turkey broth but the fat on top stayed soft. That’s not going to preserve it right? I’m guessig it needs to be a hard layer…
Yes, it should definitely be a solid layer of fat.
How do you store the fat once you remove it from the broth?
Irene, I store it in the fridge and like to use it within the week.
Well this means I have thrown away perfectly good broth on bad advice. Will keep it now with the seal of fat.
Hey I have a silly question, I made organic chicken broth broth last week in my crockpot , I haven’t strained it , or punctured the fat yet. I made it less than 7 days ago. Do you think it’s safe to eat it today? It’s been cold in the fridge this whole time. Just needed advice . Thanks
I would say, crack the seal of fat and give it a good smell. If it’s been indeed locked under a good layer of fat, it should be okay.
I know this is quite an oldish post but glad I found it and it’s great news for me! Been searching for this answer for quite a while. I make both beef and and chicken bone broths and have found it hard to clarify how long to keep them in the fridge for. I suspected the fat would protect the broth for longer (I don’t eat the fat or heat it with the broth but instead make bird feed fat balls once I scoop it out). Usually, I end up with at least an inch of fat on top, if not more. I have a two week old jar of broth that I was worried I would have to chuck. Other sites say up to five days or ten days etc. Thanks so much for clearing this up. P.S. Disclaimer acknowledged. 😉
Glad to help!