Bone Broth
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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 flourish.
Bone broths contain collagen, gelatine and many minerals. It is soothing and nourishing for our gut and for us.
It’s a deep kind of nourishment – you’ll feel the benefit in your own bones!
Bone Broth Basics
- Beef and lamb bones (pastured) are best, also chicken or fish bones.
- Bones may be purchased from your butcher. The bones from your own cooking are better, store them in a plastic bag in the freezer, along with any unused or uneaten fat, it will be rendered clean during the cooking and be available when it separates at the end of the process.
- Use 1½ to 2 liters of water, have enough bones to fill this volume.
- Handy utensils: 2 litre glass jug, 2 litre plastic jug, strainer.
Cooking: takes from 12 to 24 hours in a saucepan, slow cooker or crock pot – watch the water! A pressure cooker will only need 2 to 4 hours.
How to make:
- Finished water volume about 1 to 2 litres. Use an amount of bones suitable for this volume.
- Put the bones in the pot, cover with filtered water, add a dash of vinegar to help dissolve minerals.
- Some roughly chopped onion and garlic may be added.
- Cook well to extract as much nourishment from the bones as possible. The bones tend to settle during cooking but keep them covered with water.
- After cooking strain the broth into the glass jug while still hot so you can give it plenty of time to settle out and clarify before cooling. The bones are dog food, otherwise they’ll have to be disposed of ..
- Set the hot strained broth aside to cool and allow the sediment to settle out.
- When lukewarm (before the fat sets) pour the clear broth off the sediment into a second jug. Dispose of the sediment.
- Put in the fridge to chill, fat will harden on top.
- Skim off the fat and store in a dish in the fridge. It will be your quality tallow for future meals.
- The broth should be a soft jelly. Spoon it out into containers for storage in the freezer. Small portions are handy, have a stack of small containers.
Using Bone Broth
Use the broth as stock for soups, 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.
