Healing Bone Broth DIY
While bone broth has been around for thousands of years, in the US it has become a popularized health food in recent years. And for good reason! Bone broth offers several health benefits and can be made in several ways and flavorings from multiple animals (chicken, fish, beef, powders and more). Being such a nutrient dense food, it’s worth keeping regularly stocked in your fridge. So let’s dive in!
WHAT IS BONE BROTH?
Bone broth (also known as stock) began thousands of years ago as a way for cultures to utilize every part of an animal by simmering the less-than-desirable parts for up to days (bones, marrow, feet, skin, tendons, ligaments).
When simmered over a long period of time, the bones and ligaments break down and release nutrients like collagen and amino acids (the building blocks of protein), in addition to minerals that our bodies easily absorb. These include calcium, magnesium and phosphorus. Researchers have even found that the amino acids that were produced when making bone broth reduced inflammation in the lungs and supported healthy digestion. You can read more on that HERE – fondly dubbed the “Chicken Soup Study”. I guess mother really did know best with chicken soup on a sick day!
WHY DRINK IT?
In short, we know that bone broth reduces inflammation systemically. It is a protective food for our joints, gastrointestinal tract, respiratory health, and more.
With collagen being one of the key benefits of making and drinking bone broth – it is most widely associated with skin health. Collagen is an essential part of forming elastin, which is a part of the “youthfulness” and elasticity to our skin we so desire as we age.
Collagen not only helps our skin to glow, but from a functionality standpoint, it is wonderful for our joints! As we age, our cartilage diminishes – causing that discomfort so many often feel in their joints like knees and wrists. But when we drink the collagen-rich broth, the collagen helps restore the cartilage between our joints, reducing pain and discomfort.
It also has a restorative component to our gut lining. Studies have supported that the consumption of gelatin (a byproduct of making bone broth) positively impacts intestinal health and integrity. This can be important when dealing with food sensitivities or after an illness. It’s even suggested that bone broth helps the growth of healthy bacteria in the gut lining, which is also important after a bout of antibiotic use. Not to mention, broth is soothing to taste, and warming to the body. It truly is a comfort in every sense of the word to our GI track.
MAKING BONE BROTH
You can certainly cut out the time in the kitchen by purchasing bone broth in grocery stores or by buying supplements. But I have done a cost and flavor analysis comparing buying versus making – and to me, the cost benefit of making your own outweighs purchasing.
For example: if you plan to make chicken bone broth, by purchasing an entire chicken you not only get the nutrient-rich bone broth by the end of it, but you also have a protein prepped that you can eat for meals. Doubly worth the investment. And I personally love the lesson of minimal food waste and making use of every bit of the animal.
TOOLS YOU’LL NEED
· Large stock pot
· Sharp knife and kitchen scissors
· Tongs to remove chicken from boiling water
· Cheese cloth for filtering
· Large bowl or glass container for storing
INGREDIENTS:
· 1 whole, raw chicken (remove the innards) and cut [HERE is a video tutorial on how to cut a whole chicken]
· ~5 quarts of filtered water (I use a large stock pot or Dutch oven that can fit both the entire chicken, liquid and any added vegetables)
· Vegetables of choice
o 1 bunch of celery, cleaned and cut into large chunks
o 1 c carrots, cleaned and cut into large chunks
o 1 onion, quartered
o 1 lemon, quartered
o 1 head of garlic, top cut off
o 2 tbsp salt
o 1 tbsp peppercorn
o Sprigs of fresh parsley
o Sprigs of fresh cilantro
DIRECTIONS:
1. Fill a stock pot of filtered water and bring to a boil over high heat.
2. While water is coming to a boil, prep the chicken and vegetables.
3. Once water is boiling, reduce heat to a medium simmer and add entire chicken, veggies, herbs and spices. (*The vegetables and herbs in the recipe above are a suggestion – use what you have! The beauty of a broth, is that you can add whatever vegetables and spices you like, creating any flavor profile you are looking for.) Simmer meat and veggies on a low boil, occasionally stirring for ~1 hour.
4. After 1 hour, the chicken should be fully cooked and ready to be removed from the bone. Once you remove the chicken from the pot, take the meat off the bones and add the bones back to the simmering pot. Store your meat away in a container until ready to use.
5. Once the bones have been added back to the broth, turn the heat to low and gently simmer. Allow the vegetables and bones to simmer on low for hours – I like to have them simmer all day. (This is where the stock magic happens!) You really cannot simmer for too long of a time. Just be sure to use fire safety when cooking all day – do not leave the house, keep it on a back burner out of reach of children, and stir occasionally so that ingredients do not burn on the bottom of the pot.
6. After you are done simmering, remove from heat and allow to cool before handling.
7. Prep your large bowl and cheese cloth for filtering. Pour broth into large container through the cheese cloth, so that the liquid is filtered out, but the spices, herbs, vegetables and bones are caught in the cloth.
8. Once your broth is filtered, allow to cool slightly on the counter before packing up and storing in the fridge. I will keep my broth for up to 2 weeks (if it lasts that long!).