Instructions

1. Remove the chicken from its packaging - remove giblet bag if it's included, rinse with water and place in the bowl of the slow cooker.
2. Add optional neck/feet/head, onion, carrots, celery, garlic cloves, thyme, optional astragalus root apple cider vinegar and optional lemon juice to the broth.
3. Add water - just enough to cover the chicken.
4. Set your slow cooker on LOW and start cooking process. Once broth starts to simmer, remove slow cooker lid and skim off the scum and the fat {the scum will rise to the surface once broth comes to a simmer/boil}.
5. Place lid back on slow cooker and continue to cook on LOW for 2 1/2 to 3 hours. Carefully remove slow cooker lid and skim off all of the fat.
6. Place lid back on slow cooker and continue to cook on LOW for 3 to 5 hours until the chicken is cooked.
7. Using caution, carefully remove the cooked chicken and transfer to a large plate or bowl. It will be extremely hot, so let it cool for at least 15 minutes. Make sure to place the lid back on the slow cooker. Once the chicken is cool enough for you to handle, place chicken meat into a bowl or airtight container to store for later use.
8. At this point, you have two choices. You can continue cooking the bone broth for a true bone broth, or you can harvest the broth now for a gut-healing meat stock {the meat stock is gentler on guts that are not healed, this is what is used in the intro phase in the GAPS diet for gut healing ... this is the way I make it for my family}.
9. If you continue to cook the broth, add bones and any little parts of meat that are leftover back into the slow cooker.
10. Cover and continue simmering on LOW for 16-18 hours {for a full 24 hour bone broth}.
11. At 24 hours, turn off slow cooker and carefully strain bone broth through a large fine mesh strainer or large metal colander {I strain mine into a 8 cup measuring cup + another measuring cup if needed}. Optional - bones should fall apart. I like to crush them to try and get more of the marrow out. WARNING the bones are VERY HOT, so use caution if you chose to do this with your hands, you can use a potato masher too. I then add the bones/marrow back to the broth, stir them around and re-strain one more time.
12. Cool bone broth in the refrigerator or a cold ice bath.
13. Once cooled, you can store your bone broth in the refrigerator for up to a week {I use 1 quart mason jars for this} or store portions in BPA-free ice cube trays or freezer containers. Freeze whatever bone broth you won’t use within 3 days.