By Michelle W.
I get beef bones from a local farmer (grass fed and organic beef) - shin bones, joint bones, and usually a soup bone - anything with lots of marrow. I put about 3 lbs of bones in a large crockpot along with a 1/4 cup of apple cider vinegar (which is supposed to help leach the vitamins and minerals from the bones) and fill it with water. I let it simmer for 20 hours on low. Then I add the following for flavor and simmer for another 10 hours:
Ingredients
1 tsp salt
2 coarsely chopped carrots
3 stalks celery
1.5 large or 2 medium onions
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp basil
So the total time of the bones in the crockpot is at least 30 hours. After the 30 hours or so are up, I strain the broth and give the bones and veggies to my dogs and put the broth in the fridge to cool. Once it's cooled, there is a very thick layer of solid fat on the top (lots of calories!) and the rest turns into a jello type substance. When I reheat the broth it turns liquid again. I add anything from well-cooked vegetables, fish, meatballs, cheese, eggs, etc. to it.