Written by Alison Bell
Everyone is talking about bone broth. You can find it now in just about any whole food protocol or diet. And clearly given the business I now own, I love bone broth. It is just magical on a cold winter morning, especially when the early symptoms of a cold or flu are coming on. It warms the body from the inside out with pure comfort, and I know there is full nutrition in every mouthful I take. Bone broth is loaded with minerals and vitamins and amino acids making it a king for gut health, joint health and the immune system.
When cooked correctly, bone broth tastes sensational. It is a sensational base for soups and adds extra punch and nutrition to stews. Any recipe that calls for water, stock or wine, bone broth is the perfect replacement guaranteeing flavour and boosted nutrient density.
I make my bone broth with bones that still have some meat on them. And always mix up the bones that are used - a combination of joints, back and neck bones when cooking beef or lamb. And for chicken the entire body can be used including feet and necks. Also include cartilage and tendons! The variety of bones is what aids flavour and the magical gelatin content that has your bone broth set like jelly.
Find a butcher that stocks organic meat. This is so very important s you will be consuming all the antibiotics, hormones and toxins that the animal has within it’s body. Have a chat with your butcher and check if the cattle has been grass fed start and finish, as this will also impact the nutrients and flavour of your bone broth.
There are so many ways to make your broth from simmering on a pot, to using slow cooker and even perhaps a pressure cooker (although I do not recommend this method). There is nothing better than having a slow cooker go overnight and waking up to the smell of freshly slow cooked bone broth (although some may disagree!) To know I have a fresh batch every morning for a “brothee”, or perhaps the golden elixir in which to poach my eggs, means I start each day the right way with a full nutritional meal. If there is some left over I often freeze it in an ice cube tray so I have ready made pods to add to cooking at any time.
There are many recipes out there on the internet to make your own delightful bone broth. But the basics are to simply put some bones in a pot, soak them in apple cider vinegar for an hour, cover them with filtered water, add some vegetables of your choice (onion, celery and carrot are always favourites), add some flavours in herb and spices (salt, pepper, garlic, oregano, thyme, rosemary… the choice is endless), turn the heat on super low and away it goes! Simple.