Before I went to nutrition school, I had no idea what bone broth was. You really can’t sit through a full lecture without hearing about this “magical broth” from a teacher or student and it wasn’t long before I tried a batch myself. It’s definitely a process and takes up to 3 days to make (mine takes 2) but the broth at the end is worth the effort.
If you were like me about 6 months ago, then you may have no idea what bone broth is. It’s essentially a homemade broth or stock made from chicken or beef bones (you can use other animal bones, but I usually opt for beef bones). You want the bones to be from a quality animal source or else your bone broth will not be a quality broth. They are hard to find, but I found an awesome butcher shop called Western Daughters Butcher Shoppe in the Highlands (for those of you in Denver). They sell grass-fed beef products and will sell you the grass-fed bones too. You can also just buy their pre-made bone broth if you don’t want to go to all this trouble:) I always buy a quart when I go in.
So, why bone broth? There are so many health benefits but here are just a few.
1. If you have problems with digestion (or even if you don’t), the gelatin in bone broth protects and heals the lining of the digestive tract and helps aid in the absorption of nutrients.
2. Painful joints of arthritis? The glucosamine can actually stimulate the growth of new collagen, repair damaged joints and reduce pain and inflammation.
3. Produces gorgeous skin and nails! The collagen and gelatin in the broth supports hair growth and helps to keep nails strong.
4. Promotes sleep and calms the mind. An amino acid found in bone broth, glycine, can be very calming.
It’s also super easy to make. Start with grass-fed bones (or organic bones from a pastured chicken), some veggies and a crock or stock pot.
Coarsely chop your veggies and place in the bottom of your crock pot. Add the bones, a good splash of apple cider vinegar (acidic nature of the cider helps to draw minerals out of the bones) and salt and pepper. Cover the bones completely with filtered water.
Cover and cook on high for 30 minutes, then turn to low for the next 24-48 hours. I chose 48, but 24 would work well too.
Let it cool for about 30 minutes then strain the broth into a large bowl and pour into glass jars.
You can see the layer of “gel” on the top of the broth. You won’t want to drink this, but can save it for cooking fat (you’ve made your own beef tallow). Just let the broth cool and you will be able to scoop it into a glass container for cooking later on.
Bone broth definitely has a distinct flavor, so if you aren’t crazy about that, use it as a base for soups and stews and you will still get all the health benefits without really knowing it:)
- 1-2 lbs grass-fed beef bones
- 3 ribs celery - coarsely chopped
- 2 carrots - coarsely chopped
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp pepper
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- Filtered water - enough to cover the bones
- Place all ingredients into a slow cooker or a stock pot
- Cover the bones with filtered water
- For the slow cooker, cover with a lid and cook on high for 30 minutes, then low for 24-48 hours
- Add water half-way through to cover the bones again (some will evaporate)
- For the stock pot, cover with a lid and bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low for 24-48 hours
- After the broth is done, let it cool for about 30 minutes
- Strain into a large bowl, then pour into glass jars
- Let the broth come to room temperature, then remove the top layer of fat from the broth (this is beef tallow and can be used for cooking)
- Store the broth in the refrigerator or freezer
- If you buy organic whole chickens, fresh or rotisserie, you can save the bones and use them for bone broth. This is a really easy way to make bone broth. If you don't want to make it right away, freeze the bones and save until you're ready.
Do you have cooking information using an IP?
THANK YOU!
I personally don’t have anything on the blog, but here’s a post I follow when I make it!
https://www.mommypotamus.com/instant-pot-bone-broth-recipe/