Create this delicious nutrition powerhouse in your own kitchen!
Hello from the cloudy skies, cold weather and close quarters of February (cold and flu season). These days, I’m just trying to stay sane while entertaining two little humans who are incredibly active and are missing their recent vacation to Disneyland. As you can imagine, we are watching Disney movies, because what else is there to do? Crafts? Educational activities? Yeah, I should probably work on that. Lady and the Tramp is our education today. We’re covering the Victorian era, industrial revolution type stuff, you know.
We did experience the cold and other viruses this year and we are probably just on a little break until we get another one. I learned really quick that I need to have something on hand for when these little bugs arrive. Enter: Bone Broth! I have had a mug every day which has done wonders for my own digestive condition but it has also soothed every sore throat and unpleasant digestive symptom that tummy viruses produce.
Photo credit: Katie Kolbrick Photography
Health Benefits of Bone Broth
Have you heard that Bone Broth is the eighth world wonder? It seems to be in the #realfood community. Well it’s packed with vitamins, minerals and protein and fat, so it’s a tough one to beat. Dr. Natasha Campbell McBride, MD in her book Gut and Psychology Syndrome writes, "it [meat stock] is full of minerals, vitamins, amino acids and various other nutrients in a very bioavailable form." Sally Fallon Morell who literally wrote the book on broth states, "Properly made, broth is also a source of gelatin, which research has shown to be an excellent aid to digestion and assimilation of cooked foods." (Nourishing Traditions, 1995). Um, sold.
Bone Broth or Meat Stock?
Some people say “Don’t call it bone broth, it’s meat stock!” Well, I’m not a chef, I don’t make food professionally and I don’t sell it either so I'm not really an authority on this issue. Usually when people refer to bone broth versus meat stock it has to do with the cooking method. The cooking time for meat stock is usually just a few hours whereas bone broth is about 24 hours minimum. Bone broth yields more nutrients from the meat and bones because they've been cooked for a long time and let out their nutrients into the broth. Meat stock is much lighter in color, doesn't take as long to prepare and still packs a nutrient dense punch, but this post isn't about that.
Photo credit: Katie Kolbrick Photography
Make this miracle elixir
I included the recipe below so that you too can experience the healing power of broth. It’s very easy to make, once you have all the equipment. I recommend the Instant Pot because it’s so much faster. Some people say you can do bone broth in 30 minutes in the instant pot, but I like the flavor of the 8 hour broth. Honestly anything between 30 minutes and 8 hours will be delicious. I list that the onion and celery are optional because some people who follow a low-FODMAP diet cannot do the onion or celery.
Enjoy the end product, which is well worth the wait! Remember to add you own salt after it’s cooked. I like to have a mug with a pinch of salt, about a tablespoon of sauerkraut juice and some ghee. I use my lovely frother to blend it all together for a super soothing snack.
Bone Broth Recipe
Ingredients
3 Pounds of organic grass-fed Beef Bones or One Chicken Carcass
2-3 Ox Tail Pieces or 2-3 chicken feet
1 tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar
3-4 Carrots
2 Stalks of Celery (optional)
1 Onion (optional)
2 tbsp fresh parsley (optional)
Water
Directions
1. Throw all ingredients in a stock pot, slow cooker or instant pot
2. Cover with water (about 5 Liters)
3. Depending on what vessel you are cooking in, see below for cooking times
4. When done cooking strain bones and vegetable fibers out through a metal sieve into a large mixing bowl. You can add cheesecloth to the sieve to filter it more
5. Once the golden liquid is in the bowl, ladle it into mason jars for storage. I use 4 – Quart Size jars for one batch.
6. Refrigerate for use later or cook with it immediately
7. Add Himalayan salt or Celtic sea salt to season the broth each time you consume it
TIP: After refrigeration a ring of fat will accumulate on top, you can use this with your broth, take it out for cooking, or toss it - it's up to you!
Stock Pot Instruction
1. Bring to a boil
2. Skim off scum that rises to the top
3. Reduce heat to a simmer
4. Cover and cook for 24 hours or more
Slow Cooker Instruction
1. Set heat to low and leave for 24 hours or more
Instant Pot Instruction
1. Set Instant Pot to “Meat/Stew” for 120 Minutes (or the maximum time allowed)
2. When 120 minutes is up, repeat up to 3 times for a total of 480 Minutes (8 hours)
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