How to Freeze Bone Broth

Co-authored by Kyle Hall

Last Updated: March 29, 2019 References

Bone broth is a healthy broth made by roasting and simmering bones from chicken, turkey, and other animals. By freezing your bone broth, you can keep it fresh for up to a year. There are a variety of ways you can freeze bone broth, including using ice cube trays, plastic bags, and glass jars. When you’re ready to use your broth, just take it out of the freezer, thaw it, and use it in your favorite recipes!

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Using an Ice Cube Tray

1
Fill an ice cube tray with your bone broth. If you have a lot of broth, you may need to use more than one ice cube tray. Carefully pour the broth from a bowl into the tray. You can also use a ladle to scoop the broth into the tray. Fill up each cell in the tray, but don’t go too high or the cells may overflow.^{[1]
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2
Freeze the bone broth in the ice cube tray overnight. This will give the cubes enough time to fully freeze. Make sure the ice cube tray is level in the freezer so none of the broth spills over.^{[2]
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3
Transfer the frozen cubes of broth to a freezer-proof container. Use a plastic, glass, or metal freezer-proof container that has a lid. Write the date on a piece of tape and stick it on the container so you’ll know how long the broth has been in the freezer for.^{[3]
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- Your bone broth should last for up to a year in the freezer.^{[4]
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- Wash out the ice cube tray you used with soap and water before you freeze water in it again.
4
Thaw your frozen cubes of bone broth in a pot or pan on a stovetop. Each cube should contain about 2 tablespoons (30 mL) of bone broth. If you’re making something that calls for bone broth, add a couple cubes to the dish while it’s cooking. If you want to thaw the bone broth by itself, set the cubes in an empty pot or pan over medium heat on the stovetop^{[5]
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Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Freezing in Plastic Bags

1
Place an open, sealable plastic bag inside of a cup. You can use a coffee mug or a regular drinking class. Just make sure the cup and the plastic bag you’re using are about the same height. Tuck the bag into the cup so the open part of the bag is at the top. Then, fold the top, sealable edges of the bag over the rim of the cup.^{[6]
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2
Pour your bone broth into the bag in the cup. Use a measuring cup to measure how much broth you're putting in the bag. Use an amount of broth commonly called for in recipes, like 1 cup (240 mL).^{[7]
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3
Remove and seal the plastic bag. Carefully unfold the sealable part of the bag from around the rim of the cup. Then, seal the bag and lift it out of the cup. Set the bag aside while you bag up the rest of the broth.^{[8]
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- Write the amount of broth that's in the bag on the outside of the bag so you know how much you need to defrost later on.
4
Pour the rest of the bone broth into bags using the same method. Add a fresh plastic bag to the cup the same way you did the first one. After you fill it with broth, seal and remove it from the cup. Continue until all of your broth is bagged.^{[9]
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5
Lay the bags of bone broth flat on a metal tray. Use a tray with raised edges in case one of the bags breaks in the freezer. It’s OK to overlap the bags and stack them on top of each other.^{[10]
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6
Freeze the bags of bone broth on the tray overnight. Freezing the bags on a tray first will protect your freezer in case one of the bags leaks. Wait until the bags are frozen solid before you remove them from the tray.^{[11]
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7
Take the bags of broth off the tray and store them in the freezer for up to a year. Stack the bags of broth in the freezer so they take up less room. Write the date on each bag of broth so you can keep track of how long they’ve been in the freezer.^{[12]
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8
Remove the broth from the bag by running it under cold water. Once the bag is slightly defrosted, use your hands or a knife to break up the frozen block of broth. Then, empty the broth from the bag into a pot or pan for cooking.^{[13]
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Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Freezing in Jars

1
Divide your bone broth into multiple glass jars. Make sure you’re using glass jars that come with lids. Pour the broth into the jars, or use a ladle to scoop it in. Fill the jars up so there’s at least 1 inch (2.5 cm) of space between the top of the broth and the top of the jar. That way the broth will have space to expand when it freezes.^{[14]
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- Measure how much broth you're putting in the jars with a measuring cup and write the amount on the outside of the jars so you don't forget.
2
Chill the sealed jars of broth in the fridge overnight. Putting the jars in the freezer immediately will be a drastic temperature change, which can cause the jars to break. Acclimating them to colder temperatures in the fridge first can help prevent breaking.^{[15]
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3
Transfer the jars of broth to the freezer. Organize the jars so they’re each sitting flat on the bottom of the freezer, or place them in the freezer door. Don’t stack the jars on top of each other or one could fall over and break.^{[16]
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- You can store your jars of bone broth in the freezer for up to a year.
4
Thaw the jars of broth in the fridge or in a bowl of warm water. If you’re not in a rush to defrost your bone broth, take one of the jars of broth from the freezer and put it in the fridge. Leave it in the fridge until it’s thawed enough that you can dump it out into a pot or pan and heat it. If you’re in a rush, place a jar of bone broth in a bowl of warm water to speed up the thawing process.^{[17]
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