Gelatinous bone broth that jiggles and bounces when cooled is a sure sign of well-made broth. It indicates that the broth contains plenty of protein. In addition, gelatinous broth has a silky texture that makes your homemade soups absolutely luxurious.
But there’s a trick to making it right. And if you’ve tried batch after batch of homemade broth and are left wondering why it won’t gel, here’s what you need to know.
The gelatinous, stringy substance you find in commercial chicken broth is likely the result of the natural gelatin that forms when bones and connective tissues are simmered during the broth-making process. This substance is called “collagen.”
How to Get the Timing Right
Timing affects the quality of your broth. The amount of time your broth needs depends on both the equipment you’re using and the kind of bones you’re using.
Thin, small bones, such as chicken bones, will take less time than large beef bones, which require more time to extract the collagen. Simmering broth for too long will break down the gelatin.
Where to Find Bones for Broth
We recommend using bones from grass-fed and pasture-raised animals to make bone broth. These animals are raised outdoors on their natural diet, and their meat tends to be more nutritious than conventionally raised.
Gelatinous Bone Broth – Why It Is Important
FAQ
Why is my broth jelly?
Is the gelatin in broth good for you?
What is the jelly in chicken stock?
What is the slimy stuff in chicken broth?
How long does bone broth take to turn into jelly?
After a few hours in the fridge your bone broth should have turned into jelly. It’s really difficult to get rid of ALL the fat but I don’t think you need to, in fact it can be quite healing for the digestive system.
What is chicken broth?
Chicken broth is made by boiling chicken bones or meat in which other ingredients such as herbs, spices and seasonings are added to enrich the taste. As the meat and bones of the chicken are boiled, nutrients from the bones and meat leak out into the water and this makes the broth itself nutritious.
How do you make gelatinous bone broth?
To make gelatinous bone broth, look for recipes that have a ratio of about 1 pound bones to 1 quart of water. This should be enough to cover the bones by about 2 inches of water. Too much water will lead to a thin broth that doesn’t gel.
Is bone broth high in gelatin?
Instead, we want do do what we can to ensure that our bone broth is high in gelatin by selecting the best bones for bone broth and by cooking the bones at the right temperature for the right period of time. In doing so, the bones in our bone broth will release their collagen, and this collagen will turn into gelatin.