"Bone broth is all the rage these days in the world of nutrition and natural healthcare. Alternative cafes are proudly serving it to their customers as demand continues to grow. It is a true health tonic with an impressive list of beneficial healing properties such as improving digestion, boosting the immune system and enhancing the appearance of your skin, just to name a few. I promote it to many of my clients who want to nourish their bodies with easily assimilated / bio-available nutrients, especially during the cooler months, when it’s the peak of the cold and flu season.
So What Exactly Is Bone Broth?
Bone broth is the result of cooking bones (ideally from grass fed animals) for a long period of time in water until they have broken down enough for the nutrients to be released. These nutrients include the well-known amino acids collagen and gelatin, as well as a wide variety of important minerals.
How Is It Used?
You can use bone broth to cook with instead of water for extra flavor, for example, I like to cook my legumes and whole grains in it, as well as making deliciously satisfying soups. I often add a splash while sautéing veggies or making purees. One of the best ways to enjoy homemade bone broth is to get cozy and sip on it like a warm cup of tea on a cold winter’s day.
What Are The Steps To Make It?
1. Collect a bunch of bones and store them in a bag in the freezer until you are ready to make your broth. Hot tip: save any bones from your weeknight dinners, including the carcass from your weekly roast chicken.
2. When you are ready to make your broth, add the bones to a large soup pot, cover them with water, add a splash of apple cider vinegar, and bring them to a boil on the stove-top on high heat.
3. Optionally add your choice of the following for extra nutrients and flavor: bay leaf, kombu, sea salt, black peppercorns, whole dried chili peppers (or a sprinkle of crushed red peppers), ground spices such as a pinch of turmeric, dried herbs such as oregano, fresh herbs such as parsley sprigs, a couple of raw garlic cloves (peeled), and / or chopped veggies: onion, carrot, celery.
4. Once the water has come to a boil, you can reduce the heat to a gentle simmer for the next 8 hours (or longer if time permits). You will need to top up the water level from time to time as it cooks down. If you don’t feel comfortable leaving the stove-top on when you leave the house, simply turn the heat off and cover the broth with a lid. This keeps the heat in and allows the bones to continue breaking down. When you get back home you can bring the water to a boil again, and then resume the simmering process. Some people make theirs in a crock-pot / slow cooker for convenience.
5.Once the time is up, you can strain the broth and discard the remainder of the bones. Note that the larger the bones, the longer it takes to thoroughly extract the nutrients.
How Is Bone Broth Stored?
You can store bone broth in an airtight container in the fridge for 5-7 days, or freeze it for later use (be sure to leave enough room at the top for liquid expansion)."
The article above was written by Sarah Hawthorne, pictured here, she is a Certified Health Coach who empowers people of all ages to eat and enjoy nutrient dense whole foods to nourish their body from the inside out - read more about her here
All the best Jan
4 comments:
Oh gosh. Boil bones with water for hours, stand over night and remove the fat from the top. Used to use lamb bones, these days I use bacon bones. Chopped up all kinds of veggies and boil, mash and eat, trouble is doesn't half fill me.
Isn't this just stock? I must admit that I much prefer to think of stock rather than bone broth which doesn't sound all that appealing.
I've heard such good things about it, but the last few times I made it, I got violently sick! My nutritionist thinks it may be a histamine issue. :-(
Many thanks to Margaret, Jo and Linda for leaving your thoughts and comments about this post.
It may be interesting to further read the difference between broth and stock:
"The Primary Difference Between Stock & Broth:
Often stocks and broths both start off the same way: scraps of vegetable, meat, and bone are slowly simmered to extract as much flavor as possible. But there is technically a difference between the two.
Broth: Technically speaking, broth is any liquid that has had meat cooked in it. Of course, now broth really is a catch-all for any flavored cooking liquid, including broths made by simmering fish, vegetables, or even legumes.
Stock: Stock, however, always involves bones, simmered for a long time to extract their gelatin and flavor. The thick, often-gelatinous nature of stocks is only possible when bones are present. Roasting the bones makes for a richer, more deeply colored stock, but it's not essential to the process."
These and further details from here:
http://www.thekitchn.com/whats-the-difference-between-stock-and-broth-word-of-mouth-71199
I can remember my dear mum used to make the most wonderful stock which she then used further in many of the dishes she made, and they tasted wonderful.
Bone Broth seems to be very popular at the moment, but really if you make broth or stock I do think you are getting a lot of goodness from the cooking which you use further in your meals.
Of course if you find any food gives an allergic reaction, or you cannot tolerate eating it, then don't.
Once again thanks for taking the time to comment, it is appreciated.
All the best Jan
Post a Comment