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| When I saw beef bones in the grocery store for $1.50/lb, I thought, "Gee, I can buy chicken thighs for less than that, and often pork ribs/chops for only 50 cents more - why should I pay that for bones??" But then a local farmer advertised grass-fed beef (and pork? Surely not chicken) bones for $1/lb and I started thinking - at that price, was it worth canning up a bunch of stock? I make a lot of chicken and (once or twice a year) turkey soup from conventionally-raised poultry, haven't canned it yet since we seem to eat it as quickly as I make it (turkey noodle soup again tonight!). But is it worth $1/lb plus 15 cents/kWh to make beef stock with (uncertified) organic bones from a local farmer? Kitchen Basics makes a pretty good beef (and vegetable) stock, I think it was about $1.20/quart. How many quarts of stock (not broth) should I expect from a pound of bones? |
Follow-Up Postings:
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- Posted by myfamilysfarm 5b (My Page) on Wed, Jan 29, 14 at 17:38
| Not for me, but if you wanted to know exactly what was in your stock, yes. I do up beef bones, the cross cuts one versus the long bones, and get the meat off of them for a meal for the 2 of us. This was beef that we raised. The dogs loved the bones afterwards. I didn't think about the stock/broth. I'm sure you could get a lot of broth, depending on how much water you cooked them in. |
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| I can't afford her meat, so thought maybe I could buy the bones. But her blog gave a "recipe" for broth, she freezes it, I know she had asked me about PCing a year or so ago, maybe she never bought a PC. Wonder if we could work out a deal - she supplies the bones and I give her shelf-stable jars of stock (for their own use of course, not allowed to sell it)? |
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| I'm not sure buying the bones would be a deal (I still can't get used to paying for them at all--my butcher used to give them to me for my dogs), but as someone mentioned, if you use a lot of beef stock, it would be nice to know just what is in it. The second arrangement--trading stock for bones--that does sound like a a nice deal for everyone to me. |
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| I can't get used to paying for bones either, but basically I am, and lots more than $1/lb, when I buy bone-in meat. Just trying to compare making my own vs buying stock. We use a lot more chicken/turkey stock than beef. Of course I'm still in shock (after how many years of Buffalo Wings?) about chicken wings. I used to buy them in the early 90's for 29-39 cents/lb, "chicken spaghetti' was our cheap meal - I think ground beef was just over $1/lb then. Now I don't even look at chicken wings, and ground beef is $4/lb, as is stew meat. I just buy bottom round or whatever I can get on sale for $3ish, cut that up for stew/chili. We eat a lot of pork - I can usually get that for under $2/lb - and chicken I can sometimes get under $1. My uncle told me the next big thing is chicken feet - I've never bought them (or even gotten them for free), wonder when I'll see those in store and how much. Are more people making stock now, and since you can't find a stewing hen (or rooster) in the store, now they're selling feet? Hmmm, wonder if this farmer will sell some of her older laying hens (she sells eggs @ $6/doz, as well as meat birds)? Or else I have to wait until my uncle or cousin decide some of theirs aren't productive any more... |
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- Posted by myfamilysfarm 5b (My Page) on Sun, Feb 2, 14 at 18:10
| I thought it was just me getting older. I remember my mother saying that prices should be cheaper. Now I'm doing the same thing. Things are just NOT cheap anymore. How people can survive on one income is beyond me. I don't garden anymore, but get from other farmers during their glut times. I'm appreciating their work more and more. |
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- Posted by RyseRyse_2004 5 (My Page) on Mon, Feb 3, 14 at 16:33
| We have a beef/pork processing business near to us out here in the country and buy large boxes of bones for our labs. Each box is around 30# and the guy charges us $5 per box. I save the large leg bones for the dogs and make stock with the rest. Check out the country processors where you live. They always have lots of bones and it will be worth the drive. |
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| Sounds like a deal but you don't know how the animals were raised. There is a USDA processor (they don't slaughter) about 25 miles from here, might check them out. Others farther away do custom slaughter & processing/packing but I imagine the farmer takes the bones from custom work. |
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- Posted by bdot_z9_ca Z9 CA (My Page) on Mon, Feb 17, 14 at 13:45
| I would jump at $1 per lb for grass fed beef bones. Around here, local pastured pork and lamb bones are $2 per lb, and a nice, meaty beef knuckle bone is $5 per lb. I also really like the beef shank crosscuts at $4 per lb, nice lean meat with enough marrow bone to make an excellent broth. I would see about a trade, that is a great idea. And check into the retired layers. Those go for $10 each hete, from the organic pastured producer. Last year they only cost $8, and i got them 2 for $10 when they were overstocked. Glad i bought 6 then, and sorry i told too many friends about it! Food of all kinds is getting expensive in Calif. And i expect it will skyrocket further with this nasty drought. . |
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