Bone Broth, its what's good for you! Seriously, this stuff is amazing in so many ways. I'm not talking about that sodium laden "broth" you get from the grocery store in a can or box, I'm talking about the stuff of cold-remedy-chicken-noodle-soup legend. The stuff that is, gasp, homemade in your own kitchen and ladled hot and steaming into bowls held by eager, little children. It's the stuff that helps heal your gut, promotes healthy digestion, inhibits infection, reduces inflammation and fights it too. It promotes strong and healthy bones, hair and nails and can restore to your body much needed minerals. This is GOOD stuff.
I learned about bone broth and its benefits about 2 years ago and started making it regularly, shortly after. Once we began the GAPS diet, this past February, it was nice to have one small piece of the pie already figured out. Bone broth is a necessary part of eating the GAPS way to help heal our guts(which, they say, leaky gut is the reason so many have multiple health issues). Drink broth we did!
Many people think bone broth is difficult to make but it is SO very easy and I encourage you to try it! Here is how I make it.
What you need:
-Bones- Beef bones(3-4 bones), a chicken carcass, fish bones(although the thought of that grosses me out!) Any of these are fine. I use only homegrown bones but if you need to buy them from the store, try to find an organic source as all the goodness(and yuckiness) is leached from the bones. This also goes for the rest of the items in this recipe.
-Chicken Feet(optional)1-2- even though this is optional, chicken feet add an amazing amount of gelatin which is what helps to seal your gut and help with healthy skin, nails, hair and more.
2 carrots, washed
1 onion, washed
2 ribs celery, washed
3 cloves garlic
1 tsp. whole peppercorns
3 tbls. raw apple cider vinegar
2 tbls. salt(pink is best) Do NOT use table salt.
How to make it:
-Get a really big pot, especially if you're a family of 9(or more). I suppose you can use a smaller pot but why would you do that and miss out on as much goodness as you can create?
-Put all the ingredients into the pot just as they are. There is no need, if you are using organic ingredients, to shred or cut them at all. Leave the onion and garlic skin on! This makes it quick!
-Fill the pot to the top with cold filtered water and set your timer for an hour. Giving the vinegar the time to sit with the bones will help get all those amazing minerals ready to come out.
-After the timer beeps, turn the heat all the way to high and leave until the water begins to boil. Turn it down to a simmer.
-Leave the broth simmering for, at least, 12 hours(they say 24 is best but, who has time for that?). After the 12 hours is up, strain the broth off to drink or make soup.
-Now, here's the best part! You can make another batch right away! If you only strain off 1/2 of the liquid you can refill with water, add more salt(this is GOOD for you), set it to boil and let it simmer away for overnight. I actually do this 4 times(or so). The broth in the picture above is actually from a batch that started 3 days ago. This is a real cost savings for something so nutritious for you. If you throw the bones out after the first batch you are wasting money. Shame, shame!
A few alternate options:
-Make it in your crockpot instead! The batches I have to make are too big but I would do it in my crock if I could.
- Some people like to roast the bones before putting in the water as they say it makes it more robust but, again, who has time for that?
So, that's how I make my bone broth. If you make your own, I'd love to hear how you make it too!
