Monday, February 4, 2013

Canning Beef Broth - and learning to enjoy it!

 The other day I canned beef broth for the first time. It isn't that I haven't made broth (beef, chicken, ham, etc.) before but in the past I have always froze the extra. In fact I never have purchased broth I have always made my own - that is just the way I was raised.

    I decided to try out canning for a couple of reasons: 1. It won't need to thaw and so it will be easily available for a quick meal. 2. Once I have it canned then it doesn't need any more energy to keep it good.
 
I have to admit that pulling meat off the bone and dealing with broth is quite a long way from my favorite activity and I actually was struggling with a bad attitude as I worked on this project as there were so many other things that I would have preferred to be doing -almost any other work that I could think of in fact. But as I was thinking some negative thoughts about stinky broth, hot bones that nearly burn my fingers and such like I also started thinking about the "Pollyanna" book that we were reading and how she always tried to find something to be glad about in whatever situation she was in.
 
  I decided I had better put that glad and thankful attitude into action!
 
Here are some things that I came up with:
  • I could be thankful that we had this good for you grass fed beef to make broth from.
  • I am glad that we have plenty of wholesome food like this.
  • I am thankful that this would make a bunch of very inexpensive meals.
  • I can be glad that I have a healthy body to be able to work on jobs like this.
  • I can be thankful for an electric stove to be able to cook on.
  • I can be glad that I have spices to season it with and make it smell better.
  • I can be thankful that I have a nose that works even if I don't always like what I smell.
  • I can be glad that I am getting the job done so I won't have to do it again for a while.
and on and on....
 
  I honestly don't find to many jobs that I dislike doing, but when I/we do maybe we just need to play Pollyanna's glad game and find the ways that we can be thankful and glad for what we do have!

 
I am linking this to the Prairie Homestead

3 comments:

Stephany Z said...

I recently discovered your blog, and I am thoroughly enjoying reading it. You mentioned in a mid-December blog entry that you make apple cider vinegar. Could you please share how you make vinegar? Have a wonderful day!

Anonymous said...

:) I am smelling fish bones cooking on the woodstove right now and not especially enjoying the smell But I do know it will make a good dish for the dogs or chickens... so a little smell for a short time isn't so bad. Mom

Abbi said...

Stephany,
Thanks for stopping by! I blogged about Vinegar making here: http://proverbs31living.blogspot.com/2011/10/vinegar.html and here: http://proverbs31living.blogspot.com/2012/09/a-vinegar-making-adventure.html

I hope that helps. I am still learning but since we were successful the first time I am trying it again. Tonight I made a good chicken adobo dish that used some of our apple cider vinegar in it.

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