Though it’s something of a trend now, bone broth has been a staple in traditional diets for ages. Bone broth is a stock made from simmering chicken, turkey, lamb or beef bones with vegetables such as celery, onions, tomatoes, garlic and herbs for hours – often overnight. The long simmer purportedly releases nutrients that can help the body fight disease and reverse damage. Of those who have added bone broth to their daily diets, some report a decrease in arthritis pain, improved digestion, clear skin and healthier hair, and more. Though there isn’t much science yet around the health benefits of drinking bone broth, health experts say that even if you’re just replacing junk food with a cup of bone broth to fight the afternoon slump, you’re certainly going to look and feel better.
The recipe for bone broth is simple:
- Six lbs. of chicken, turkey, lamb, or beef bones
- 2 onions, quartered
- 4 carrots, large dice
- 4 stalks celery, large dice
- A fist-size portion of parsley
- Fresh thyme
- 12 oz. tomatoes, quartered
- 1 head garlic, cut in half horizontally
- 1 tsp. black peppercorns
- 2 bay leaves
Bring bones and about 6 quarts of water to a boil, then reduce heat to medium and simmer about 1 hour. Skim off surface fat. Add vegetables and herbs and simmer for 2 hours, skimming surface. Strain the broth through a fine strainer or cheese cloth and let cool. Store for up to a week.
This recipe makes about 2 quarts of broth, so if you’re drinking it every day you’ll need to take time to make the recipe about once a week. With such a long cooking time, it’s no wonder that commercial freeze dried bone broth products became available. However, with a home freeze dryer you can make your own bone broth in bulk, store it long term, and have the peace of mind that your bone broth is free of preservatives and chemicals.
To freeze dry bone broth, pour the strained liquid onto freeze dryer trays and process. Use a food processor to grind the freeze dried broth into a powder. When you’re ready to use it, add the powder to hot water. Experiment with the ratios according to how strong you like your broth to taste.
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True bone broth is slow cooked for at least 72 hours with an addition of a bit of vinegar to leach the minerals from the bones. In the old days, they kept perpetual soup on the back of the stove, and added the bits from each meal to it as they went. The fact that it simmered for days was what made it nutritious, and why Grandma’s chicken soup was so healing. A good bone broth will actually heal the lining of the stomach and intestines which in our generation has been cited for many auto-immune problems brought on by leaky gut. 🙂 Loved this article!