Benefits of Bone Broth (and how to make it at home)
Bone broth has gained a lot of publicity in the last few years. It was the hottest food trend of 2015 and its popularity isn't fading. Actually, it has been a fad for a very long time. Our hunter-gatherer ancestors started making bone broth out of necessity. As throwing away parts of an animal was unthinkable, they discovered that heat would break down tough animal bones and draw out nutrients.
Extracting the nutrients from bones is accomplished through long cooking times which turns the content of the bones into a more digestible form called gelatin. Gelatin contains amino acids, collagen, and minerals. Gelatin is important because it can support gut health.
Collagen is the most abundant protein in our bodies. It’s found in muscles, bones, skin, blood vessels, digestive system and tendons. It’s what helps give our skin strength and elasticity. And it even plays a role in replacing dead skin cells. As we age, collagen becomes even more important, as our body’s collagen production naturally begins to slow down. And as bone broth naturally contains collagen, it can prevent degenerative process of aging, such as wrinkles, sagging skin and joint pains.
Bone broth was and still is a staple in many culture's diet around the world. Fortunately, as science has proven that a cheap chemical known as MSG (Monosodium glutamate), so popular for the past few decades, is harmful, more and more people are discovering the benefits of homemade bone broth.
Recipe for Homemade Bone Broth
Ingredients
Organic bones (e.g. beef, chicken, lamb, fish) or 1 chicken carcass spices such as bay leaf, peppercorn, chili or vegetable scraps, herbs (I use thyme, bay leaf, sage)
5L cold filtered water 2 tbsp. apple cider vinegar 1 organic onion or onion skins 2 organic carrots 2 stalks celery 1 small piece of ginger 1 small piece of turmeric
1 bunch of parsley
Directions
Brown the meat in the oven or in a slow cooker or a pressure cooker. Cover with cold water and apple cider vinegar, along with onions, carrots, celery, vegetable scraps, herbs and spices. Cook on a low simmer, covered, for 6 hours, around 3 hours in the pressure cooker. When ready, remove the bones from the broth with tongs and strain. Avoid removing the jelly from the broth, as this is the gelatin that will provide many of the nutrients that the broth is made for.
Cooking homemade bone broth might seem as a lengthy operation. I usually make bone broth on a weekend to use it during the week in soups or as a healthy and comforting drink during cold months. You can also drink bone broth during spring cleanse. Homemade bone broth should be used within 4 days. You can also freeze it.