🦴 Bone Soup: A Story of How Nothing Can Become Something
A Farm School Lesson in History, Nutrition & Science
Bone Soup, a spin off of the classic tale SoneSoup. Bone Soup is generally referred to Bone Broth. On the farm, bone broth isn’t just food — it’s a story, a science lesson, and a reminder that simple things can become something wonderful. Let’s begin where all good lessons begin…
🦴 It all starts with a story…….
Once upon a time, on a chilly autumn morning, a traveler wandered down a dusty country road. His coat was thin, his stomach empty, but his heart was full of hope. At last, he came upon a small village where the people were busy feeding chickens, gathering eggs, and stacking firewood for the upcoming cold.
“Good morning!” he called. “Could you spare a bite to eat?”
A farmer paused, kind but cautious.
“We don’t have much,” she said. “Just scraps and bones.”
The traveler’s eyes brightened.
“Bones? Why, that’s perfect! Bones make the finest soup in the world.”
The farmer raised an eyebrow. Bones? A meal? It seemed unlikely — but curiosity nudged her forward. She filled a pot from the well, set it over the fire, and dropped in a few bones — nothing fancy, just leftovers from last night’s roast. As the pot began to bubble, a warm, rich smell drifted into the chilly air.
The children gathered close, noses twitching.
“Does it really taste good?” they asked.
“Oh yes,” said the traveler. “But soup like this is best when everyone adds something.”
Everyone shrugged. Crops hadn’t been good that year, and scraps were all they had.
But then one child piped up, “I have some carrot scraps!”
“Perfect,” said the traveler, delighted they were making progress.
The children leaned in even closer — because kids are always the first to notice when something interesting is happening in a pot.
Another child added, “My mom has some herbs in the garden!”
Soon rosemary, thyme, and oregano were tossed into the pot.
“We were going to throw these onion peels to the pigs,” said another family.
“Wonderful!” the traveler exclaimed. “This is turning into a soup for sure.”
Excitement began to spread.
“How about some celery? It’s bolting and about done, but it would give good flavor!”
“Great idea,” said the traveler. “Go grab it!”
Before long, the kids were running back and forth, bringing whatever they could find. They weren’t just watching anymore — they were part of the magic.
The town teacher added a pinch of salt and a bay leaf.
Then the butcher brought eggshells.
The chicken keeper added chicken feet (yes — chicken feet!).
Another family offered wilted greens, someone else brought garlic skins — and little by little, each small gift made the pot richer.
Soon, the whole town joined in, bringing whatever they could manage.
What began as a pot of plain bones slowly transformed into something hearty, fragrant, and full of life.
When they finally sat down to eat together, steam curling into the cool evening air, the traveler smiled.
“You see,” he said, “bones seem so plain, but they hold treasures deep inside — nourishment, strength, and warmth. And when we all add what we can, even scraps become a feast. All it takes is a little time… and a little kindness… for their goodness to come out.”
He looked around at the faces of the townspeople — the children, the teacher, the farmers, the families — all sharing one pot made from many small offerings.
“That’s the real magic,” he said softly.
“When we all work together and add what we have to offer — no matter how small — great things can happen.”
🌾 How to Use This Story With Your Kiddos
This story truly comes to life when kids get to make the bone broth right along with the villagers.
When you read it aloud with your Farm School kiddos, help them imagine every part:
the chilly morning air
the dusty road
the village and its people
the big pot over the fire
the soft bubbling of broth beginning to simmer
Set out a big pot and your scraps, bones, herbs, and veggie bits. Then read the story slowly, pausing so the children can act out each moment with real ingredients.
As you read, the children will naturally mirror the actions in the story — dropping in bones, sprinkling herbs, adding veggie scraps, giggling at the chicken feet, and helping the pot “grow” just like the villagers did.
Piece by piece, your pot fills exactly like the one in the story — and suddenly the kids aren’t just listening… they’re part of the story.
As the broth warms, let them:
smell the herbs
listen for the gentle bubbles
peek to see how everything changes inside the pot
When the story reaches the moment when the whole village shares the soup, bring your real pot full-circle:
✨ Let the kids taste the broth they helped create.
We added a handful of noodles, and it was an instant hit — warm, cozy, and full of that proud “I helped make this!” feeling.
Why We Still Make Bone Broth Today
Centuries later, we may not be travelers wandering into a village, but we still make bone broth for the very same reasons — it’s nourishing, frugal, and deeply comforting. It uses what we already have, which is one of the oldest and wisest forms of sustainability. The leftover bones from a roast chicken, beef shank, or even the Thanksgiving turkey become the foundation for something new, and nothing goes to waste.
Throughout the week, I save every little scrap that still has goodness left in it — onion ends, carrot peels, celery tops, herb stems. All of it goes into a bag in the freezer. When it’s time to make broth, I pull that bag out and truly make it from scraps that would have otherwise been thrown away. What looks like “nothing” transforms into something nourishing, comforting, and full of life.
It’s the perfect reminder that simple things, used well, can become something wonderful.
💪 A Little Winter Wellness Note From the Farm
Cold season is here, and around our farm we keep things simple. I look at bone broth the same way I look at fire cider — you really can’t go wrong. If you have it, toss it in. The more immune-boosting variety you add, the better.
We’re big believers in supporting our natural defenses with sleep, fresh air, sunshine, reduced stress, and real, nourishing food. There’s a reason chicken soup was the classic comfort when you were sick — but it was the homemade kind that helped:
🦴 bones for minerals & collagen
🧄 garlic for natural immune support
🌿 ginger, oregano & thyme for warmth and germ-fighting benefits
🍋 lemon & greens for vitamins and minerals
Your broth doesn’t need to be fancy — if you have it, throw it in.
And honestly, I think kids get sick more often today because:
1️⃣ We’ve become too sterile.
The constant use of hand sanitizers and antibacterial everything wipes out the good bacteria along with the bad — leaving kids’ immune systems weaker and less prepared.
2️⃣ Many kids aren’t getting enough nutrient-dense foods to build strong immune systems.
When children are missing key vitamins and minerals, their bodies don’t have the raw materials they need — and nutrient deficiencies are often at the root of many modern illnesses.
Out here, we take a balanced, old-fashioned approach: dirt under their nails, sunlight on their faces, real food in their bellies, and plenty of time for their immune systems to grow strong.
🦴 Bones: Our Body’s Framework
When kids see bones in a pot, it’s the perfect time to ask,
“What are our bones made of?”
The answer: almost the same stuff!
They’re made of:
Minerals like calcium and phosphorus that make them hard and strong
Collagen, the flexible protein that keeps bones from snapping and gives them a bit of bend
When we simmer animal bones low and slow with that little bit of vinegar, something wonderful happens:
The collagen inside the bones breaks down into gelatin, and our bodies can use that gelatin to help rebuild our own collagen.
It’s nature’s version of recycling — turning simple bones into nourishment we can actually use.
💧 Collagen: The Body’s “Glue”
The word collagen comes from the Greek word kolla, meaning glue. It’s what holds us together — literally! Collagen gives structure to:
Skin → keeping it smooth and elastic
Joints & cartilage → helping us bend and move
Tendons & ligaments → connecting muscle to bone
Hair & nails → helping them grow strong
As we grow (and especially as we age), our bodies naturally make less collagen — but foods rich in gelatin and amino acids, like bone broth, give our bodies the building blocks to keep making more.
Why different bones matter
Our bodies use several different types of collagen, and they’re found in different parts of an animal. That’s why using a variety of bones — or simply tossing in the whole chicken carcass — makes such a powerful difference.
Joint bones, knuckles, and chicken feet
provide collagen that supports joints, movement, and cartilageSkin, tendons, and connective tissues
give the collagen that helps with skin elasticity, hair, and nailsMarrow bones
offer deep nourishment and minerals for overall strengthEggshell membrane
adds proteins that support joint comfort and tissue repair
When you use the whole carcass, you automatically get all of these parts at once — bones, cartilage, tendons, marrow, skin, and the little pieces clinging on after a meal. It creates a broth that’s richer, more jiggly, and full of a wide range of collagen types your body can put to work.
It’s old-fashioned, zero-waste cooking — and the easiest way to turn one humble chicken into both a meal and a pot of golden nourishment..
🔍 Try This!
Let your child bend a raw chicken bone (gently!) and compare it to a dry, cooked bone.
Ask: Which one bends more easily? Why?
The Answer:
The raw chicken bone bends more easily because it still has collagen inside — the stretchy, flexible protein that helps bones stay strong without snapping.
Even though bones are hard, they’re not just minerals. Bones actually contain Type I collagen, woven through them like tiny ropes. That collagen is what gives bones a little flexibility.
A cooked, dried bone breaks because the heat has cooked out moisture and broken down much of the collagen, leaving it stiff and brittle.
It’s the perfect way to show how collagen = flexibility, and why we simmer bones to pull that goodness into our broth!
Why There’s No Recipe This Week
Most of the time, we follow a recipe. But bone broth is different — it isn’t a recipe, it’s a feeling. It’s looking at what you already have on hand and tossing in whatever nourishing scraps, herbs, bones, or veggies are available. No two batches should ever look the same, because life never looks the same from week to week.
Bone broth teaches kids (and grown-ups!) that cooking doesn’t have to be exact. It’s flexible, forgiving, and made from what’s right in front of you. That’s why this week we’re sharing a list of tips instead of a recipe — so you feel free to create your own version, using whatever nutritious ingredients your home and season have to offer.
Use what you have. Skip what you don’t.
Every pot tells its own story.
Instead of a Recipe… Try Our Bone Broth Tips & Tricks!
👉 [Link to Your Bone Broth Tips Printable]
Kids LOVE being included in real work
— and it deepens the learning.
👩🌾 Younger Kid Helper Jobs:
Wash carrots or celery
Gather herb sprigs
Peel garlic
Dump scraps into the pot
Watch for the first bubble
Smell the broth as it changes
Shake the jar once broth cools (they LOVE the jiggle!)
🌱 Ingredient Cards for Learning on the Go
Click on our 👉 LINK to download ingredient cards — each one has a picture of the ingredient on the front and a simple explanation of what it does for our bodies on the back.
Our Farm School kiddos absolutely LOVED using these during our garden adventure. Each child got a couple of cards, and when we came upon their plant, they got to read the card aloud and help harvest it. It turned a simple walk into the sweetest mix of learning, confidence, and discovery.
And don’t worry —
you don’t need a garden to use these.
You can grab the same ingredients at the store and talk about them as you add each one to your bone broth.These cards aren’t meant to be an exclusive list — just the ingredients we added to our broth that day. Feel free to swap, add, skip, or explore new ones together. Each batch becomes its own little adventure.
Putting It All Together
Once you’ve gathered your bones, scraps, herbs, and veggie bits, the rest couldn’t be easier — you simply toss everything into the pot and let time do the work. There’s no perfect order and no exact science to follow. If you have it, throw it in. If you don’t, skip it.
Cover everything with water, add a splash of apple cider vinegar, and let it simmer low and slow. The pot gently bubbles, the house fills with the coziest smell, and all those simple ingredients start giving up their goodness.
Kids love this part because it feels a little like magic — scraps that once looked like “nothing” slowly turn into something golden, nourishing, and full of life.
All you have to do is start the pot…
and nature does the rest.🔥 The Transformation
🔍 Try This! Have your Kiddo Create Their Own Bone Soup Pot
Draw a big soup pot.
Draw the bones you want to use (chicken, beef, turkey, etc.).
Draw veggie scraps, herb sprigs, and anything else you’d toss in.
Color it in and share your recipe!
What will your bone soup look like?
🧡 Cooking Your Bone Broth
For the richest, most nourishing broth, slow and steady is best.
24-48 hours I’ve been known to not have time to process it and let it go for 5 days or more. Its very flexable.
(And remember, you really can’t mess it up. If you have less time, cook it less. If you have more time, let it go longer. Bone broth is wonderfully forgiving.)
When bones simmer for hours with a splash of apple cider vinegar, the acid and heat gently pull the collagen, minerals, and nutrients into the water — turning it into a drinkable, body-building broth.
That’s why bone broth isn’t just cozy comfort food — it’s a real example of how food becomes part of us.
Every mineral strengthens our bones, every bit of gelatin supports our joints and skin, and every amino acid becomes raw material our bodies can use to repair, rebuild, and stay resilient.
It’s nature’s way of showing us that simple things — scraps, leftovers, bones, peels — can be transformed into something that truly nourishes us from the inside out.
🧠 Try This! Mini Science Experiment for Kids
Boil one cup of water with a clean chicken bone for a few minutes. Compare it to bone broth that’s simmered for several hours.
→ Which is darker?
→ Which feels thicker or jiggly when cooled?
→ What does that tell us about what’s being released from the bone?
Then ask: Why does our body need those same ingredients?
What to Cook It In
I recommend using a crock pot. An Instant Pot will work too — especially if you’re in a time crunch and need to pressure-cook it — but this is really a soup of leisure. Bone broth shines when it’s cooked slow and low, giving the bones time to release all their goodness. The longer you let it gently simmer, the more collagen, minerals, and flavor you pull from the bones. You’ll know you did it right when it turns jiggly in the fridge — that’s the good stuff!Instant Pot Cook Time If you’re using an Instant Pot, set it to High Pressure for 2–3 hours for chicken bones or 3–4 hours for beef or pork bones. It won’t extract quite as much goodness as a long, slow simmer — but it still makes a rich, delicious broth when you’re short on time. Let it natural release for the best flavor and clarity.
Straining, Jiggling, and What to Expect
Once your broth has simmered long enough, simply strain it through a fine mesh strainer to remove the bones, veggies, and scraps. What you’re left with should be a warm, golden liquid that smells like comfort itself.
The veggies and bones that you are left with done have to go to waste either. I often throw them to the chickens so they can pick at the bits that are left. Softer bones like turkey or chicken can be removed and dried out in the oven then powdered with a coffee grinder or good food processor. This is then bone meal and can be used in the garden or over dogs food. I dont recommend beef bones. They are just too hard and I ruined my food processor this way.
As it cools in the fridge, don’t be surprised if your broth jiggles like Jell-O — that’s a good sign!
That wobble means the collagen has fully cooked out of the bones and turned into gelatin. It’s one of the most nourishing parts of homemade broth.
You’ll also notice a layer of fat rise to the top as it chills. This is completely normal.
You can skim it off if you prefer, but I usually suggest leaving it on, especially for growing kids. Naturally occurring fat gives them steady energy and helps keep their bodies and brains well-fueled. It also acts as a natural “lid,” helping the broth stay fresh in the fridge a little longer.
Homemade broth isn’t meant to be perfect or uniform — it shifts, sets, and separates — and that’s how you know it’s the real thing.
Nothing Has to Go to Waste
The veggies and bones left in the pot don’t have to go to waste. I often give the soft, cooked scraps to our chickens so they can pick at whatever goodness is left. Softer bones — like chicken or turkey — can be dried in the oven and then powdered in a coffee grinder or strong food processor. This turns into a simple bone meal you can sprinkle in the garden or over your dog’s food for extra minerals.
I don’t recommend doing this with beef bones — they’re much too hard, and I learned the hard way by ruining my food processor!
Saving Your Bone Broth
Once your broth is strained and cooled, you have several great options for storing it — and each one works well depending on your routine.
🌿 In the Fridge:
Homemade bone broth will keep 4–5 days in the refrigerator. The natural fat cap on top actually helps it stay fresh a little longer, acting like a protective seal.
❄️ In the Freezer:
Bone broth freezes beautifully. You can make it ahead in big batches and freeze it in:
mason jars (make sure you leave enough space for expansion and/or leave the top off during initial freeze)
silicone soup blocks
ice cube trays for small portions
freezer-safe containers
It will keep 4–6 months frozen with no problem.
🧺 Freeze-Dried:
I’ve also freeze-dried broth to make a lightweight broth powder, and it’s fantastic for adding to soups, rice, or even sprinkling into recipes later. It stores well and lasts a long time.
🔥 My Favorite Way to Preserve It: Pressure Canning
If you are going to can it bone broth must be pressure canned — never water bath canned — because it’s a low-acid food and needs the higher temperature to make it safe for storage.
I use a digital pressure canner (think: a heavy-duty Instant Pot designed specifically for canning). I’m obsessed with it because:
I can load it, start it, and walk away
no babysitting the gauge
it saves me a TON of time
it fits my farm chore schedule perfectly
If you want to look into the one I use, here’s the link:
👉 [Presto Digital Pressure Canner]
(As an Amazon affiliate, I earn a small commission when you shop through my link — so at no cost to you a little bit goes back to the farm!)
If you plan to pressure can broth, make sure you’re choosing a pressure canner, not just a standard pressure cooker. They’re not the same thing, and only a true pressure canner reaches the temperatures needed for safe canning.
I showed mine to the mommas today at farm school and I’m happy to answer any questions on it to get you more comfortable to get started.
🕰️ The Story of Bone Broth Through the Ages
Long before there were grocery stores or soup cans, people all over the world discovered the same secret: bones still hold goodness, even after the meat is gone.
Thousands of years ago, when families cooked over open fires, food was precious. Hunters brought home animals, and nothing went to waste — not the hide, not the fat, not even the bones. After a feast, when the fire’s glow dimmed, someone would drop the bones into a pot of water and set it near the coals. All night long it would bubble softly, filling the air with a rich, comforting smell.
By morning, the water had turned golden and warm — a simple miracle that people called broth.
In ancient China, healers believed bone broth strengthened the body’s “life energy.” They added herbs and roots, calling it medicine in a bowl.
In Egypt, cooks used it to feed the sick and weary, saying it restored strength when nothing else would stay down.
In medieval Europe, great cauldrons hung in castle kitchens. The broth inside was never thrown out — each day, more bones, herbs, and vegetables were added. It was called “perpetual soup,” always simmering, always nourishing whoever needed it.
Across the ocean, Native American tribes simmered animal bones with wild onions, sage, or cattail roots, knowing that the spirit of the animal lived on through the nourishment it gave. They understood that food was sacred — a gift to be honored, never wasted.
When settlers came to America, they brought the same tradition. Every Sunday roast turned into Monday’s soup. Each scrap was used, because waste was unthinkable when you worked the land. The broth that filled their iron kettles warmed both body and spirit through long winters and hard days.
And here we are, hundreds of years later, still doing the same thing — maybe with slow cookers instead of campfires, but the heart behind it hasn’t changed.
Bone broth reminds us that we’re part of a long, unbroken story — one that began when the first families gathered around the fire, grateful for what they had.
A story of resourcefulness, gratitude, and nourishment that never goes out of style.
Help kids make the connection — we’re rebuilding with the same materials nature provides!
💛 A Note for the Kids
If you help make bone broth, you’re doing real farm work — the same kind families have done for hundreds of years. You turned scraps into soup, helped your body grow strong, and learned a little kitchen magic along the way.
That’s the kind of curiosity and courage that makes amazing little farmers.
❤️ A Final Thought
Just like the travelers in our story, every pot of bone broth begins simply — with what we already have. But when we slow down, share, and simmer with care, something ordinary turns into something extraordinary.
Bone broth isn’t just food. It’s a lesson in patience, gratitude, and community — and a reminder that sometimes the simplest things hold the most nourishment of all.
And here’s the best part — you really can’t go wrong.
Use what you have.
Maybe one week it’s chicken bones and rosemary.
Next time, it’s beef bones with carrots and a handful of herbs from the garden.
Each pot turns out a little different — and that’s part of the magic.
Every batch tells its own story — a mix of what’s growing, what’s cooking, and what’s being shared in your home right now.
Reach Out Anytime — I Love Hearing From You!
If you make bone broth — or if this sparks a whole new canning journey — let me know! I’d love to cheer you on and be a part of it. I’m always happy to answer questions along the way.
You can reach me anytime on Instagram or Facebook @k2acres, or simply leave a comment right here.
Can’t wait to hear what you create!
