How to Make Bone Broth at Home: Simmer, Store and Can It

How to make bone broth: simmer roasted chicken bones and feet about 12 hours, strain, chill it fast, then freeze or pressure can it.

Last updated: October 20, 2026 · Originally published December 29, 2020

Bone broth is stock that took its time. It starts with the same chicken bones and water as any stock, but it simmers long enough, with enough feet and joints in the pot, that it sets up like soft Jell-O once it is cold. That wobble is gelatin, and it is how you know you made the real thing instead of chicken-flavored water.

What Is Bone Broth?

Basically, bone broth is a long-simmered stock that leans on the bony, gristly parts of the bird. The cartilage, tendons and skin in feet, necks and joints break down as they simmer, and that is where the gelatin comes from. (This is also why feet are worth getting over a little squeamishness.) The long cook pulls more flavor out of the bones, too, so a cup of it tastes like a whole roast chicken.

So what if yours pours like water straight out of the fridge? Then you made stock. It is still good, it just is not the same thing, and the fix is in the next two sections.

The Best Bones for Bone Broth

When you keep your own chickens, nothing goes to waste, and the stockpot gets the parts most people throw out. Here is what earns a spot in the pot:

• A roasted carcass. Roasted bones give a deeper, browner broth than raw ones. The bones from last night’s dinner are perfect.
• Feet. They are mostly skin, tendon and cartilage, which is exactly what makes the broth gel.
• Necks, backs and wing tips. Bony, cheap and full of connective tissue.
• Heads and gizzards. Optional. If they turn your stomach, leave them out. A broth you will not eat does nobody any good.

Turkey works the same way after Thanksgiving, and so do deer bones if you hunt. Popular Outdoorsman’s venison guide covers the rest of the deer, and the bones can go right into this pot.

How to Make Bone Broth on the Stovetop

1. Pull the meat off a roasted chicken and put the carcass in a 6-quart stockpot, along with any feet, necks or wings you are using.
2. Add flavor if you want it: a few lemon slices, a sprig of rosemary, thyme or basil, and a pinch of salt.
3. Pour in cold water until everything is covered by about an inch.
4. Stir in 1½ tablespoons of apple cider vinegar. Old-time recipes call for it, and it adds a little brightness. It is optional.
5. Bring the pot to a boil, then turn it down to a bare simmer, just a few lazy bubbles. Skim off the foam that rises in the first hour.
6. Simmer about 12 hours with the lid cracked, until the broth has cooked down by about a third for a lighter broth or about half for a stronger one.
7. Strain it through a fine strainer and throw out the bones and herbs.

Now, notice I said simmer, not boil. A hard boil for 12 hours scorches the bottom and boils away your broth before the bones are done giving. Set it on the back burner and leave it alone (the dog will keep an eye on it for you).

Why Didn’t My Bone Broth Gel?

It is usually one of three things: not enough feet or joints, too much water for the bones in the pot, or not enough time. Next batch, add more feet, use less water and give it the full 12 hours. A broth that never gels is not ruined. It still makes a fine pot of soup.

Cooling and Storing Bone Broth

This is the step people rush, and it is the one that matters most. The USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service says leftovers must be refrigerated within 2 hours of cooking, and tells you to “divide large amounts of food into shallow containers” so they cool faster. A full stockpot is a large amount of food. Split it into a few containers, and do not wait for it to cool on the counter first, since FSIS says “hot food can be placed directly in the refrigerator.”

• Refrigerator: 3 to 4 days. That is FoodSafety.gov’s time for soups and stews, and FSIS gives the same window for leftovers.
• Freezer: 2 to 3 months for best quality, per FoodSafety.gov. FSIS notes that frozen leftovers stay safe indefinitely but lose flavor the longer they sit.
• The fat cap: once it is cold, the fat hardens on top. Lift it off and save it for cooking, or stir it back in. Rendering fat is its own project, and our beef tallow guide walks through it.

Freezing in Mason jars works fine if you leave a couple of inches of space at the top. Broth expands as it freezes, and a jar filled to the rim can crack. When you reheat it, FSIS says to bring soups, sauces and gravies to a rolling boil.

How to Pressure Can Bone Broth

If the freezer is already full of venison, canning puts broth on the pantry shelf. The National Center for Home Food Preservation’s tested process for chicken or turkey stock goes like this:

1. Chill the broth and skim off the fat.
2. Reheat the broth to boiling.
3. Fill hot jars, leaving 1-inch headspace.
4. Wipe the rims with a clean, damp paper towel, then add lids and bands.
5. Process in a pressure canner at the time and pressure below.

Pints process 20 minutes and quarts 25 minutes at every altitude. The pressure is what changes:

Remember, that is a pressure canner, not a boiling-water bath. Broth is low in acid, and a water bath does not get it hot enough. If you are shopping for one, our pressure canner guide compares the common models, our botulism guide explains why the rules are strict, and the home canning time chart has every other food in one place.

How to Use Bone Broth

• Soup. Add noodles, vegetables and the shredded chicken you pulled off the carcass, and you have chicken soup.
• Gravy and sauces. Use it anywhere a recipe calls for chicken broth.
• Rice and grains. Cook them in broth instead of water.
• In a mug. Some folks drink it straight with a little pepper and garlic on a cold morning.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does homemade bone broth last in the fridge?

3 to 4 days. That is FoodSafety.gov’s refrigerator time for soups and stews, and the same window FSIS gives for leftovers.

Can you freeze bone broth?

Yes. FoodSafety.gov lists 2 to 3 months in the freezer for best quality. Leave a couple of inches of space at the top of a jar, because broth expands as it freezes.

How long should bone broth simmer?

About 12 hours at a bare simmer for chicken in this method, until it cooks down by a third to a half. Longer is fine as long as the bones stay covered.

Why is my bone broth not gelling?

Usually not enough feet or joints, too much water, or too little time. Add more feet and less water next time. A broth that does not gel is still good to eat.

Can you can bone broth in a water bath?

No. Broth is a low-acid food, so it goes in a pressure canner. The NCHFP times are 20 minutes for pints and 25 for quarts, at a pressure set by your altitude.

Next time you roast a bird, do not throw the carcass in the trash. Put it in the pot, let it go all day, and enjoy a kitchen that smells like Sunday dinner (and a dog that will not leave the stove).

Sources: National Center for Home Food Preservation, “Chicken or Turkey Stock” (University of Georgia); USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service, “Leftovers and Food Safety”; FoodSafety.gov, “Cold Food Storage Chart”.

James Nicholas

NFA Firearms Manufacturer & Professional Gunsmith The XDMAN has a talent for taking complex firearms subject matter and breaking it down into an easy-to-understand format that all experience levels can relate to. James is an 07/02 NFA Firearms Manufacturer, a Professional Gunsmith with over 20 years of experience, and a Firearms Writer, Photographer and Firearms Expert. Connect with him on Instagram, X, and Facebook as @therealxdman.

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