Bone broth became quite the buzz word in 2020. Whether or not you have tried it, you have likely heard of it. Let’s talk about the benefits of this nourishing, very healing broth.
What is it?
It’s exactly as it sounds. Bones from an animal. Simmered for a long time. Creating a beautiful, rich flavorful broth. Cooking the bones low and slow draws the minerals out. This creates a gelatinous broth that is rich in minerals, amino acids and collagen (another buzz word for beautiful skin, hair and nails).
How is it made?
Bone broth is made from bones with little meat on them. Place the bones into a stock pot or the time saving Instant Pot. Pour filtered water over them until the tops of the bones are just covered. To help extract the nutrients from the bones add some apple cider vinegar . Add veggies or herbs for additional flavor. Bring the water to a boil, skim off the impurities from the top, turn down the burner to low and let it simmer for 12-48 hours. That’s it!
What kind of bones can I use?
You can use a wide variety of bones from many different animals to make bone broth. These animals include cow, pig, fish, lamb, chicken, turkey, buffalo or deer. The bones usually used come from the neck, back, legs, head, feet, shanks, or oxtail. (A money saving tip: use the whole carcass leftover from your chicken dinner or your Thanksgiving turkey).
But pay attention because what I’m about to share with you is very important. The health of the animal is essential to the quality of your bone broth. When you take the time to make nourishing bone broth, do not buy the cheapest whole chicken at 80 cents per pound that was likely not healthy and fed GMO feed. You will get what you pay for in both the meat and the broth. Your end result will not be the quality you hoped to achieve.
So please keep in mind that the animal should be raised humanely, free from antibiotics, able to pasture at leisure and fed non GMO organic feed to ensure the most nutrient dense bone broth from their bones.
Why make it?
Great question. Well for one, it’s delicious. Whether consumed straight from a cozy mug or used as a rich base for soup, it brings a depth of flavor to your meal that you can’t buy from the store.
Second, it’s very frugal. Quick background: my husband and I are both 100% Dutch, saving money is in our DNA. When I discovered I could buy a whole organic pastured chicken, roast it, eat it, (have leftovers) and use the carcass to make a nourishing broth for use in other recipes, I was immediately hooked, and so was my hubby.
And third, the benefits of consumption are unlike any other. Which actually brings me to my next point.
What are these amazing benefits you keep talking about? (Gut health)
Well, I’m glad you’re still reading along. Let’s get into the good stuff. I’ve got one last buzz word for you, and it is “Gut Health”. I promise I’m not veering off course, so stay with me.
Here is a quick synopsis that hopefully I can break down for you. Our guts are lined with something called epithelial cells. They line our stomachs in a single layer and create a barricade. Why? Well there are 2 reasons. The first is to absorb nutrients into our body. The second is to prevent harmful substances from entering. When we eat and consume nourishing, whole, real foods we strengthen our gut lining. But when we eat a diet full of highly refined sugars, lots of conventional dairy and harmful PUFA’s from processed foods we can damage our gut lining.
Here’s where I bring it back around. You guessed it: BONE BROTH! Bone broth can actually heal and seal the epithelial cells and prevent those cells from breaking down. This is because bone broth is rich in various minerals and amino acids that aid in healing. This keeps harmful intruders out and strengthens our immune system. And I believe we all desire to strengthen our immune systems these days.
I hope this answers some of your questions and inspires you to make your own bone broth. It’s easy to make in bulk and you can freeze it for future use. I encourage you to replace that watered down stock from the store and all of it’s unnecessary additives with your own homemade, gut healing bone broth.
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