Parenting-Furkids

Non Species Specific Furkid Topics => Reaching One Furkid Parent At A Time... => Topic started by: Middle Child on July 10, 2016, 01:42:17 PM

Title: Making bone broth - Look at this largesse!
Post by: Middle Child on July 10, 2016, 01:42:17 PM
All this from one little 1.5 pound Cornish hen, no giblets. (certified organic, non GMO Project Verified)

To the far left in the glass corning cup is meat and bone broth mixed, for Jennie and Queen Eva's supper.  They usually have a prey model beef meal on Sunday, but after smelling the bone broth cooking all weekend they must have this!

In the middle row, back and forward are plain broth.  I am scooping out of those for Mazy cat's meals.  I just put the meat and broth into one of my corning ware glass containers, set it in a dish of hot water and warm it up, then put it on a saucer for Mazy cat.  I hand feed her the meat, then she drinks the broth.

The right row shows another jar of broth (16 ounces) and all the meat.  The broth will be frozen in ice cub trays for single servings, and the meat will be frozen for snacks, whatever is left after Mazy cat no longer needs it for sustenance, that is.

I didn't want to put it in the freezer hot but now that I am thinking about it maybe I better put it in the trays before it gels.  It will be easier to pour into the ice cube trays as liquid.

The baggie behind contains the waste that is to be discarded.
Title: Re: Making bone broth - Look at this largesse!
Post by: Pookie on July 10, 2016, 02:56:42 PM
 DrLisaPiersonWorthy DrLisaPiersonWorthy DrLisaPiersonWorthy DrLisaPiersonWorthy DrLisaPiersonWorthy DrLisaPiersonWorthy DrLisaPiersonWorthy DrLisaPiersonWorthy DrLisaPiersonWorthy DrLisaPiersonWorthy DrLisaPiersonWorthy DrLisaPiersonWorthy

You're right, it probably would be better to put the broth in the ice cube trays before it starts to gel.   :)
Title: Re: Making bone broth - Look at this largesse!
Post by: Middle Child on July 10, 2016, 03:50:06 PM
https://youtu.be/fVbw2i-SGJ4
Title: Re: Making bone broth - Look at this largesse!
Post by: Middle Child on July 10, 2016, 05:06:15 PM
http://catcentric.org/special-features/catcentric-on-facebook/bone-broth-recipe-especially-good-ibd-cats/
Title: Re: Making bone broth - Look at this largesse!
Post by: Lola on July 10, 2016, 09:04:28 PM
Your bone broth is making me hungry.  And making me think that I need to make broth again for my furkid gang.
That is an adorable video.  Mazy is a cutie patootie!! 
Title: Re: Making bone broth - Look at this largesse!
Post by: Middle Child on July 11, 2016, 01:19:36 PM
I found the cheesecloth in the crafts section, thanks for the tip whichever one of you it was who suggested that!  I picked up a small package of it anyway, even though I did manage to strain the broth with the screen strainer.
Title: Re: Making bone broth - Look at this largesse!
Post by: Middle Child on July 12, 2016, 05:22:13 PM
What's left of the Cornish hen bone broth, all ready to freeze! These are 1 tablespoon portions, each has a little meat in them too. I think I'm going to try giving Mazy cat one of these twice a week.
Title: Re: Making bone broth - Look at this largesse!
Post by: Lola on July 12, 2016, 08:03:31 PM
That actually looks yummy!  So you let the broth gel first?  I assume you won't add any vitamins or anything, since it is more of a snack?
Title: Re: Making bone broth - Look at this largesse!
Post by: Pookie on July 12, 2016, 09:54:52 PM
I assume you won't add any vitamins or anything, since it is more of a snack?

Personally, I would consider that more of a supplement.  Lots of vitamins and minerals!   thumbsup1
Title: Re: Making bone broth - Look at this largesse!
Post by: Lola on July 13, 2016, 12:15:47 AM
Personally, I would consider that more of a supplement.  Lots of vitamins and minerals!   thumbsup1

I knew my use of the word "snack" wasn't good, but I couldn't come up with anything better at the time.   Silly7

I'm curious if MC feeds this in addition to their daily meals. 
Title: Re: Making bone broth - Look at this largesse!
Post by: Middle Child on July 13, 2016, 04:50:36 AM
Yes, this will be an addition to Mazy cat's regular diet.  No I won't add anything. There's still about a half cup of broth in the fridge that I forgot about.  I'll give her a tablespoon of that daily until it's gone, then twice a week I'll give her one of these with the meat.

As much as she loves the Cornish hen I am not going to use another to make it again. Those hens are expensive and I need them for her raw meals. Next time I'll use a Coleman organic chicken. I hope she likes it as well.
Title: Re: Making bone broth - Look at this largesse!
Post by: Pookie on July 13, 2016, 10:58:38 AM
Next time I'll use a Coleman organic chicken. I hope she likes it as well.

I'm sure she will!
Title: Re: Making bone broth - Look at this largesse!
Post by: Middle Child on August 27, 2016, 09:34:15 PM
I looked this thread up because I thought it would a quicker way to refresh my memory on the details of the last time I made the bone broth.

First of all I did end up using another one of Mazy cat's Cornish hens.  I hated to sacrifice another one, but ..well I went round and round in my head about using a Coleman's roaster chicken but the bottom line is I do not have the room to make or store that much bone broth at one time.

I have extra bones this time though because I just cut one up for her meals, too.  So instead of saving the bones for my own soup, I am using them for hers.

So it's another one of those round the clock nights unless I decide to put it away and start it back up again in the morning.

I've looked at the slow cookers in Walmart but I hated them all and I have no place to store one anyway.  I looked on Amazon too and of course there's no way to choose from thousands of choices.  So it's still stove stop cooking for me.

Mazy cat is getting the bone broth daily instead of twice a week.  I use the bone broth instead of water for her EZcomplete meal every night.  She LOVES it. She also loves the bits of meat that are in each cube of broth.  I thaw the cube, hand feed her the meat, then she gets her meals.

Actually she is getting it five days a week.  I skip it on her egg yolk days.

PS I am thinking that the next time I make my own stock, I might try for the real bone broth instead of just the 8 hour cook down.
Title: Re: Making bone broth - Look at this largesse!
Post by: Pookie on August 27, 2016, 09:45:33 PM
Mazy cat is getting the bone broth daily instead of twice a week.  I use the bone broth instead of water for her EZcomplete meal every night.  She LOVES it. She also loves the bits of meat that are in each cube of broth.  I thaw the cube, hand feed her the meat, then she gets her meals.

I have to admit, I'm a bit jealous, in a good way.  It is wonderful, that you're giving her the broth, and it's a great way for her to get minerals in an absorbable form, and healing for her system, too.  I wish I could have done for Pookie what you're doing for her.   DrLisaPiersonWorthy DrLisaPiersonWorthy DrLisaPiersonWorthy DrLisaPiersonWorthy DrLisaPiersonWorthy DrLisaPiersonWorthy DrLisaPiersonWorthy DrLisaPiersonWorthy
Title: Re: Making bone broth - Look at this largesse!
Post by: Middle Child on September 17, 2016, 10:10:55 PM
 I want to share an interesting observation: Mazy cat has been on the daily bone broth now for two months and one week.

A little history: even though she's been 100% raw since February (as opposed to canned/raw) she has continued to have the same size stools. Much larger than normal for raw fed cat. I thought they would get smaller when she went all raw, but they stayed just as large as they were when she was canned and raw fed.

(Her poop schedule has not changed wither. Every 36 hours. You could almost set your watch by it. :))

I knew the Vets-Best might be part of the cause but still, she was on the same amount of V-B when it was canned and raw. They SHOULD have gotten smaller and less odorous but they didn't.

Until now. It's only been the last two weeks I've noticed Mazy cat's poops are finally starting to look more like Jennie's and Queen Eva's! (AND no longer smell)

My conclusion is, the bone broth is doing the job of helping her body absorb the nutrients in her food instead of it getting pooped back out. And it took about 6 weeks to get her to that point.

Maybe a reduction in the frequency of regurgitation episodes is next. I never give up hoping, anyway.

Title: Re: Making bone broth - Look at this largesse!
Post by: DeeDee on September 18, 2016, 12:04:17 AM
That's GREAT to hear!

Calcium DOES play a big part of digestion. Maybe that's it. She needed a different source of calcium?
Title: Re: Making bone broth - Look at this largesse!
Post by: Middle Child on September 18, 2016, 12:17:16 AM
That could be part of it Dee.  I do think though a large part is the healing and bonding properties, plugging up any holes in her intestines.  The collagen, which contains l-glutamine, is  very healing to the gut. So I have been told.  Now I am witnessing it. She is most definitely absorbing more nutrients since her poops are half the size they used to be.
Title: Re: Making bone broth - Look at this largesse!
Post by: Pookie on September 18, 2016, 10:03:52 PM
That is WONDERFUL news!  Thank you for sharing!  multistars multistars

Another benefit to the bone broth is that the minerals it contains are more easily absorbed.  So in addition to it helping her body absorb what she's eating, it's also giving her additional nutrients in a very absorbable way.   thumbsup1  Does she like the broth?

Maybe a reduction in the frequency of regurgitation episodes is next. I never give up hoping, anyway.

Never give up.  Always keep hoping.  Crossing paws . . .  fingerscrossed fingerscrossed fingerscrossed
Title: Re: Making bone broth - Look at this largesse!
Post by: Middle Child on October 19, 2016, 08:07:47 PM
I've been meaning to edit these clips into a good video.  Ended up throwing them together tonight for someone in the Raw Feeding for IBD group so here it is.

https://youtu.be/5kRBQ76fHcY

Title: Re: Making bone broth - Look at this largesse!
Post by: Pookie on October 19, 2016, 09:19:53 PM
 DrLisaPiersonWorthy DrLisaPiersonWorthy DrLisaPiersonWorthy DrLisaPiersonWorthy DrLisaPiersonWorthy DrLisaPiersonWorthy DrLisaPiersonWorthy DrLisaPiersonWorthy DrLisaPiersonWorthy DrLisaPiersonWorthy DrLisaPiersonWorthy DrLisaPiersonWorthy DrLisaPiersonWorthy DrLisaPiersonWorthy


Question:  why do you hand feed instead of her eating straight from the bowl?  Is it to keep her from eating too fast?  Just wondered.   :)
Title: Re: Making bone broth - Look at this largesse!
Post by: Middle Child on October 20, 2016, 05:08:59 AM
Thanks Pookie.

Quote
Question:  why do you hand feed instead of her eating straight from the bowl?  Is it to keep her from eating too fast?  Just wondered.

Several reasons.

1st, that's how we started, with the bone broth and meat when she has having the mouth problem last summer and couldn't eat on her own at all.

Second, since she loves being hand fed, and I love doing it, it's become a special bonding ritual each day.

And third, because she doesn't eat any other solid food and I want to control how large of a sliver she takes at each swallow.
Title: Re: Making bone broth - Look at this largesse!
Post by: Lola on October 20, 2016, 06:14:08 PM
I understand loving to hand feed.  With that said.... of my 6, no one has yet to put too big of a piece of meat in his/her mouth at one time.  (knock on wood) That MIGHT be something you don't have to worry about. 

BTW your broth looks DELICIOUS! 
Title: Re: Making bone broth - Look at this largesse!
Post by: Middle Child on October 20, 2016, 07:01:27 PM
I understand loving to hand feed.  With that said.... of my 6, no one has yet to put too big of a piece of meat in his/her mouth at one time.  (knock on wood) That MIGHT be something you don't have to worry about. 

BTW your broth looks DELICIOUS! 

Yes but we are talking about Mazy cat here. :)
Title: Re: Making bone broth - Look at this largesse!
Post by: DeeDee on November 24, 2016, 08:37:19 PM
Turkey carcass is in the crockpot. It's making us all stay hungry.
Title: Re: Making bone broth - Look at this largesse!
Post by: Middle Child on November 25, 2016, 08:05:19 AM
Oh Goody Dee!  I've decided not to use my turkey breast carcass in my next bone broth for myself.  I couldn't find a frozen breast on the bone that wasn't "enhanced".  When roasted in the oven, this isn't too much of a problem.  But since I did it in the slow cooker it kind of marinated in that "solution" for 8 hours.  I don't care for the smell of it, and the taste was too strong also.  I will use the meat anyway, but I don't want a whole batch of soup stock tasking like that stuff.  Bletch.
Title: Re: Making bone broth - Look at this largesse!
Post by: DeeDee on November 25, 2016, 11:09:41 AM
I couldn't find a frozen breast on the bone that wasn't "enhanced". 

Husband has gotten so used to me preaching about GMOs that he actually got a Butterball Premium, so I didn't have a problem keeping the carcass for the boys. I kept all the broth from it and just put the whole of the leftover contents into the crockpot with some apple cider vinegar, a bit of garlic and celery into it for flavoring for them.

24 hours, 12 hours was on high, is long enough, isn't it? Or should I cook it longer?
Title: Re: Making bone broth - Look at this largesse!
Post by: Middle Child on November 25, 2016, 08:11:42 PM
Whole turkeys not enhanced are easy.  I cannot find turkey breast on the bone that is not enhanced.  I cut the rest of the meat off it tonight and I think I will save the bones for my soup after all.  I don't use it for Mazy cat's broth, I only use her Cornish hens for that, I just ordered some more form Rocky Mountain Organic Meats.  I try to time orders with cold weather, but darn it I just checked the weather and of course now it is supposed to be warm next week.  How annoying.  I need them though, it can't be helped.

I cook for 24 hours when making bone broth. Most of the bone has disintegrated by then.  don't forget the ACV!
Title: Re: Making bone broth - Look at this largesse!
Post by: DeeDee on November 25, 2016, 08:40:38 PM


I cook for 24 hours when making bone broth. Most of the bone has disintegrated by then.  don't forget the ACV!

It's been about 27 hours now, and I've just noticed that the bones are starting to be able to crush easily with a spoon. I think I'll let it keep on going until tomorrow.

ACV--first thing I put into the pot!  :D
Title: what went wrong?!
Post by: Middle Child on December 13, 2016, 04:41:02 PM
Why didn't my bone broth gel?  I used the same components: one whole Cornish hen and the bones of another.  I cooked it the same abut of time, at first, then longer when I saw it wasn't thickening up, total almost 30 hours.

I have the same amount to finish up with, so the water added is not more. The bones were cooked to crumbling, many completely disintegrated.

The ONLY difference is, I did it in the slow cooker.  >:( >:( >:(

Thing is, the first time I used the slow cooker I made my own soup.  Since I had the slow cooker I went ahead and let it run for 24 hours.  When I do it stove top and let it run only 8-9 hours I get a really lovely aspic.  My soup, 24 hours in the slow cooker, it did not gel. And there were a LOT of bones.  I shrugged it off thinking I must have used more water than I thought.

But here I am with Mazy cat's Cornish hen broth and it is not aspic at all, AND it is a different color.  Not that lovely white pure stuff from my last batch.  Even the fat is thin and drippy instead of thick and formed on top.

So why does the slow cooker make it come out different?
Title: Re: Making bone broth - Look at this largesse!
Post by: DeeDee on December 13, 2016, 08:30:52 PM

So why does the slow cooker make it come out different?

I have absolutely no clue b/c I used the crockpot to make mine at Thanksgiving.

But there's this. STILL doesn't tell me which of the 3 it is for sure:  http://www.foodrenegade.com/why-your-bone-broth-doesnt-gel/
Title: Re: Making bone broth - Look at this largesse!
Post by: Middle Child on December 14, 2016, 05:10:30 AM
I have absolutely no clue b/c I used the crockpot to make mine at Thanksgiving.

But there's this. STILL doesn't tell me which of the 3 it is for sure:  http://www.foodrenegade.com/why-your-bone-broth-doesnt-gel/

And did it gel, Dee?

Thank you for the link! That was very helpful.  At least I know the good stuff is in there.  It's got to be something to do with the way this slow cooker works.  It doesn't keep the contents at a low simmer.  The stuff has no simmer at all, then suddenly bursts into a boil for a few minutes, then goes back to no simmer at all, over and over. I am not thrilled with that method.

When I cook it on the stove I bring it to a bowl, lower the temp to a simmer and just leave it that way.

Title: Re: Making bone broth - Look at this largesse!
Post by: DeeDee on December 14, 2016, 09:06:00 AM
And did it gel, Dee?





Mine did. I put it in 3/4 cup amounts for a weekly amount for them in ziploc bags and froze it. I've never seen mine cooking the way you describe yours though--boil, simmer, boil, simmer. . .
Title: Re: Making bone broth - Look at this largesse!
Post by: Middle Child on December 14, 2016, 01:00:13 PM
What heat level did you use?  Maybe to avoid that hard boil every few minutes, once I get it to temp I should try the low setting.  I did my soup on medium, because it was the first time I'd used it, and I did Mazy cat's broth on high. 
Title: Re: Making bone broth - Look at this largesse!
Post by: DeeDee on December 14, 2016, 02:22:08 PM
I did it on low. For a LONG time. LOL It was probably about 33 hours.
Title: Re: Making bone broth - Look at this largesse!
Post by: Middle Child on December 14, 2016, 04:14:34 PM
Okay then.  I bet my problem is this (from your link)

Quote
Reason 3: You boiled the bone broth too vigorously.

What you want is a beautiful, rolling simmer that barely moves the surface of the water in the stock pot.

If it boils too forcefully, it will break down the proteins in the gelatin into their constituent amino acids. While that’s not bad, per se, it will certainly prevent your broth from gelling.