The broth that makes itself while you get on with life

This is the least demanding recipe in the whole library. Bones, water, a splash of vinegar, and a slow cooker doing all the work while you sleep. That's it. Every generation before ours knew that the bones were where the flavour lived — the stockpot sat at the back of the stove and dinner got built out of it all week. The slow cooker is just the modern version of that back burner. Ten minutes of effort tonight, and tomorrow you've got litres of golden lamb broth ready to start soups, gravies and better pots of rice.

12 hrs 15 mins About 2 litres (8 servings) Prep 15 minsCook 12 hrsSoupAustralian

Ingredients

  • 1kg Your Farmer lamb bones
  • 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • 1 brown onion, halved (skin on)
  • 2 carrots, roughly chopped
  • 2 sticks celery, roughly chopped
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 tsp black peppercorns
  • Cold water to cover (about 2.5 litres)
  • Sea salt, to season when serving

Instructions

Put the bones in the slow cooker, add the vinegar and cover with cold water. Let them sit for 30 minutes while you chop the vegetables (optional, but it helps the extraction along).

1kg lamb bones2 tbsp apple cider vinegar

Add the onion, carrots, celery, bay leaves and peppercorns, topping up with water if anything is poking out.

1 onion2 carrots2 sticks celery2 bay leaves

Put the lid on and cook on LOW for 12 hours. If you're home, skim any foam in the first hour — and if you're not, don't lose sleep over it. Up to 24 hours is fine if you want to keep it going (optional).

Strain the broth through a fine sieve into a large bowl or jug and discard the solids.

Cool, then refrigerate. Once cold, the fat sets in a cap on top — lift it off and keep it for roasting potatoes (optional).

Season only when you serve it: a hot mugful with a pinch of sea salt, or straight into any soup, gravy, braise or pot of rice that calls for stock.

sea salt

Appears in

Your Farmer CSA grass-fed lamb share — Pack B selection of pasture-raised lamb cuts, vacuum-sealed, NSW & ACT delivery
CSA Pastured Lamb Share
From $183.33

Why Bones Make the Best Broth

The bag of lamb bones you can add to your share is the best-value flavour in your freezer. As the bones simmer, the connective tissue slowly melts into gelatine, which is what gives a proper broth its silky body — and why a well-made batch sets to a soft jelly in the fridge. That wobble is the traditional sign you've done it right, not something going wrong. The splash of vinegar helps the process along, and you won't taste it in the finished broth. One more old rule worth keeping: a lazy, barely-there simmer keeps broth clear and sweet, while a hard boil turns it cloudy. The slow cooker's LOW setting holds that gentle temperature better than most stovetops can, which is exactly why this recipe asks so little of you.

Swaps and Variations

The same method works with our beef bones — the most nourishing thing in your freezer walks through the roasted beef version, which trades this recipe's set-and-forget ease for a deeper colour. Vegetable-wise, use what's in the crisper: leek tops, parsnip ends and parsley stalks all belong in a broth pot. A thumb of ginger and a spring onion turn it towards an Asian-style broth for noodle soups. And if you want more colour without the oven, brown the onion halves cut-side down in a dry pan first.

Storage and Leftovers

Kept under its fat cap, the broth holds in the fridge for up to 5 days; without the cap, use it within 4. It freezes beautifully for up to 6 months — portion it into 1-cup and 2-cup containers so you never have to thaw more than dinner needs, and freeze a tray of broth ice cubes for pan sauces. Short on freezer space? Simmer the strained broth down by half and freeze it double-strength, then top it back up with water when you use it. Waste nothing: that's the whole tradition this pot comes from.

The bones ride along with every box of our pasture-raised lamb share if you tick the add-on — the easiest yes in the order form.

Frequently asked questions

Why do I add vinegar to bone broth?

A couple of tablespoons of acid helps draw flavour and gelatine out of the bones as they simmer. You won't taste it in the finished broth.

My broth didn't set to jelly in the fridge. Did I fail?

Not at all — it's still full of flavour and works everywhere stock does. Next time simmer longer, use slightly less water, or reduce the strained broth by a third to concentrate it.

Can I leave the slow cooker running longer than 12 hours?

Yes. Anywhere from 12 to 24 hours on LOW works; longer generally means a richer, more gelatinous broth. Just check the bones stay covered and top up with a little water if needed.

Should I salt the broth while it cooks?

No — leave it unseasoned. You'll often reduce the broth later in soups and sauces, and salt concentrates as liquid cooks off. Season each dish at the end instead.

Can I run the bones through a second batch?

You can. The second run (the old cooks called it remouillage) is lighter, so use it for cooking rice, grains or vegetables rather than as the backbone of a soup.

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Vendor:Savill Family Pastoral

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