Bone broth is very nutritious. It contains oodles of collagen and healing compounds which assist in repairing the gut and calming inflammation. It is loaded with minerals and very easy to digest. It replenishes our support system* and aids digestion.
Bone broth can be eaten as a soup complete with veg and any meat that falls off the bone (if using a meaty joint such as lamb shank), or it can be strained and kept in the fridge (where it will solidify into a jelly) and used as either an instant drinking soup by adding boiling water and a sprinkle of herbs/dried garlic, or used in recipes as stock. I use all methods, with the straining method being most beneficial when using smaller bones that will break down.
BASIC BONE BROTH
Ingredients:
- 2-3lb organic beef stock bones or 2 short ribs, or 2 lamb/mutton shanks or knuckles, or a chicken carcass (chicken carcass is usually best pre-cooked) or a mix of each
- 2 tablespoons organic raw apple cider vinegar
- 2-3 carrots
- 4-5 sticks celery
- bunch of fresh parsley
- 1-2 onions chopped
- 1teaspoon Himalayan salt
- 3-4 pints filtered water (use 3 if you want it more concentrated to dilute into a soup drink)
- additional herbs to taste
Method:
- (optional – but can improve flavour) roast bones in medium oven for half hour. Unless using pre-cooked chicken bones, of course.
- Place bones in a large crockpot or slow cooker. Cover with water and add vinegar. Leave to soak for 30-40 minutes. If I’m in a rush, I just put everything in at once and skip no:1, and it still works fine!
- add onion, carrots & celery (whole or roughly chopped), salt, additional herbs (leave garlic and parsley for now)
- Bring to the boil, or turn on slow cooker to high until it is steaming hot.
- reduce heat to lowest and simmer for:
- 24 hours for chicken
- 36-48 hours for beef/lamb
If frothy scum appears on the top, scoop off and throw away. You will get less/no scum from organic grass-fed bones.- Add roughly chopped parsley and crushed and chopped garlic for last 30 minutes of cooking, if you want to.
- Remove bones, strain if needed. The nutrition from the veg will be in the water so no harm in straining these out. Eat as it is or store in the fridge!
- Bone broth will stay fresh for about a week in the fridge – store in a kilner jar – and can be frozen too.
TIP:
I have collected some small tubs from takeaways which hold just under half a mug full of bone broth. As the broth is fairly strong (I cook it for the max 48 hours and use about 3 pints water), I pour this into a mug and top up with boiling water. This is ideal for having your bone broth in work or when out and about.
As shown in the photo on the right, the fat will rise and solidify somewhat, so I sprinkle on a little Himalayan salt, black pepper, garlic granules and organic turmeric and replace the lid so it is ready to dilute and full of flavour and goodness!
Further tip: pop the tub in a grip seal bag in case it leaks! I have had some batches that stay quite watery (it depends on the type of bones used), and some that don’t have as much fat on the surface, and may leak if the lid pops off!
*formerly known as the immune system. Proven by the science of German New Medicine, we do not actually need to fight disease, so we do not have a defensive immune system as once thought, but rather a support system that supports our body functions and processes.
