Save the ham bone from your holiday ham, and use it to make ham broth. If you do it in the crockpot it’ll practically make itself. Here’s how it’s done:
Step 1: Pick off any remaining ham, and set it aside for sandwiches. Reserve the ham bone and any skin for your broth.
Step 2: Roughly chop some celery, carrots and onion to include in your broth. I used two celery stalks, two carrots and a large onion. The veggie ends can go in too, since you’ll be straining the vegetables out later.
Step 3: Place your ham bone in the crockpot, and add enough water to completely cover it.
Step 4: Add the vegetables, plus any spices that you’d like to include (salt, peppercorns, bay leaves, etc.).
Step 5: Then, cover, and cook on high for 8-10 hours. Your broth is done when it has developed a deep golden color and a rich flavor.
Step 6: Strain the ham bone, skin and veggies from your broth. I used a cheese-clothed lined colander to do this, but a slotted spoon would also work. Allow your strained broth to cool a bit. Then, cover it, and place it in the refrigerator overnight. This will give the fat time to separate from the broth.
Step 7: In the morning, use a strainer, slotted spoon or fat separator to skim off the fat.
Step 8: Pour your finished ham broth into freezer jars or bags; and freeze it until you’re ready to use it.
How to Use Ham Broth
Use your ham broth to …
- make soup. It’s the perfect base for both split pea soup and bean-based soups
- cook beans, rice and lentils. Just use it in place of the cooking water
- flavor greens and mashed potatoes
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