I would like to think that I'm not afraid of anything in life, but then again, I've found out recently that I have a bit more than a healthy fear for some things.  One of those things is the thought of actually exploding a fireball in my kitchen as I watch.  By that I mean pressure cooking. 

Now I realize that I am being overly dramatic, but that was the vision I had in my head.  Marc actually had some experience with this, so as my new pressure canner was sitting and gathering dust, he walked me thru the process.

I had several bags of cow bones in my freezer that needed to be dealt with so I decided that beef stock would be my first mission.

So what's the point of having beef broth on hand?  Instead of looking to prepared seasonings and chemicals I like the idea of using flavorful, natural ingredients.  It doesn't hurt that there is a ton of nutrients in this as well.  You can use it in vegetable dishes or bases for soups.

To make beef stock is pretty simple.  I put the bones in a roasting pan and added whatever vegetables I have in the kitchen at that time.  Today it was carrots, onions, celery, garlic, and a few peppers.  I don't worry about thinly dicing, but just cut it into large chunks.

Put it all in the over for a few hours at 350 degrees F.  Stir it around a few times here and there, and remove it when it looks somewhat browned.

Then you start the next process of making the actual broth, or stock.  Put it all in a stock pot and cover with water.  Bring to a boil and then keep at a simmer.  Skim off any of the gross foamy stuff that forms.

Let it simmer for at least 12 hours up to 3 days.  I let this go for almost the full 3 days, and it is really flavorful and rich.  The longer time pulls more of the nutrients and properties from the bones as well.  Don't be surprised to see clumps of gooey, gel-like stuff.... this is where they got gelatin from and that's what you're seeing.

Remove the solids... The ooze-y gelatin stuff will go right thru with the liquid, you want to keep it.   I run it thru strainers until all the bones and pieces of vegetables are gone.  You can then boil it down to concentrate the flavors. 

I also prefer to remove the fat from my stock.  You can either carefully skim it, or chill it and it will solidify and be able to be removed.

You can now freeze or can the stock.  Freezing can be done by boiling it down and then pouring it into an ice cube tray... then you have a handy cube to pull out whenever needed. 

I have more shelf space than freezer right now, so I'm more interested in the canning thing.  Because this is a low-acid product it requires pressure canning.

Good details on canning can be found HERE....

So now my shelves are stocked with beef broth for the winter... I can already taste the French onion soup.....