Bone Broth is Liquid Gold
A high-quality, nutrient-dense diet is one of the most powerful ways to maintain health and prevent disease. Our gut in particular needs proper nourishment for health to really flourish.
Bone broths contain collagen, gelatine and many minerals. It is soothing and nourishing for our gut and for us.
Bone Broth Basics
You may use chicken, beef, fish bones – use free range, pastured animals. Please avoid feedlot or factory farmed meats, both to support local farmers and growers and to get the nutritionally beneficial fats. The best bones are those from other meals, they’ve been pre-cooked and are free. Keep them in a plastic bag in the freezer, also include any fat that may have been cut off steaks, etc. This fat will be rendered and cleansed for use in future meals.
Simply put the bones in a pot, cover with filtered water, add a little vinegar to help leach the minerals and bring to the boil. Some roughly chopped onion and garlic may be added.
Simmer gently for up to 8 hours (a crock pot is good) or 2 hours in a pressure cooker. A Fast-Slow Cooker is a fantastic kitchen appliance, it will both slow cook and pressure cook. Well cooked bones should almost be crushable in the hand.
When cooked the whole lot can be poured through a strainer while it is still hot. The bones are good dog food, otherwise they’ll have to be disposed of…
Set the hot strained broth aside to cool and allow all sediment to settle out. A glass jug is ideal for this step.
When cooled but before the fat sets, pour the clear broth off the sediment into a second jug. Put in the fridge to chill, the fat will rise to the top and set. Lift it off with a spoon and place in a suitable dish in the fridge.
The broth will be a soft gel. It may be frozen in portions to add to daily meals – keep a stack of small containers handy.
Using Bone Broth
Use the broth as stock for soups and stews.
The fat may often be quite soft and yellow coloured as the most perfect dripping for stews and gravies.
For a clear soup, add finely chopped root and stalk vegetables and simmer until tender – celery is excellent for the silica. Ancient grains can be added. Pearl barley is a great old fashioned addition if organic barley grain can be found.
The broth is a great comfort food for sick kids. Add enough salt to make it delicious, buttered toast fingers are an added treat. The broth is hydrating and nourishing.
Frozen portions are a delicious addition to cooking water in vegetables, stews and curries.
It’s a deep kind of nourishment – you’ll feel the benefit in your own bones!
For a great article on 10 Health Benefits of Bone Broth click here
