All About Bone Broth

Bone broth is a super food but the tradition of making it has been lost in many households. Do you know why it is important or how to make it? Do not fear! Keep reading and you will be able to make it with ease and understand why I recommend that everyone consume a minimum of 1/2 cup each day.

 Our Grandmothers did know best - soup will heal you but not the stuff in the can or box. Bone Broth is the homemade version and is a super food for so many reasons.

1. CALCIUM: You many be concerned where to get calcium if you avoid dairy. Bone broth provides minerals in a form the body can easily absorb. Not just calcium but also magnesium, phosphorus and other trace minerals that are lacking in our diet's today and essential for bone health.
2. CHONDROITIN and GLUCOSAMINE: These are sold as expensive arthritis and joint pain supplements and are found in bone broth.
3. GLYCINE: Is an amino acid but not technically essential because your body can make it, though it is always more efficient to get it from food. Glycine is essential for healing and we aren't just talking open wounds but also the microscopic damage that is done to our gut barrier, blood vessels and other tissue by inflammation, infection and a dysfunctional immune system.

Bone Broth has beauty benefits too...

It strengthens hair, skin and nails with its collagen content. It also reduces the appearance of cellulite. This is because cellulite is fat cells that lack collagen support to give them structure. People who have more collagen in their diet are less likely to have cellulite in their fat.

Bone Broth gets it's name because it is broth made from bones. I keep bags in the freezer for each type of bone (beef, poultry or pork) and just add to the bag when there are bones left from a meal.

When there are about 2 lbs or 2 chicken carcasses, I will toss them into the slow cooker with a head of garlic (cut in half across the center), 2 tbsp of apple cider vinegar, 1 tsp of salt and water to cover (about 1 gallon of water). You can also add vegetables, peppercorns and mustard seeds to add extra flavor. Cook it on low until the bones are soft - the chicken bones will actual crumble. This is usually 48 hours for beef/pork and 24 hours for chicken.

**Updated 4/10/2016** Wait to add vegetables until the last 8 hours of cooking to prevent broth from having a bitter taste.

Let it cool and use a fine mesh strainer to remove all the vegetables and bits of bones. You can store it in the refrigerator for 5 days or put it in the freezer for later use. I do a combination of quart jars (make sure to leave plenty of head space or they will crack in the freezer) and ½ cup servings that I freeze using an x-large muffin tin.

 If bone broth is not for you but you still are interested in the benefits, try gelatin. Gelatin is a great source of glycine and collagen without the calcium and other minerals. I am not talking about Jell-O but real grassfed gelatin. Try Great Lakes gelatin. The red container can be mixed into hot liquids and will gel to thicken liquids and make gummies. The green container can mixed in cold liquids or hot liquids and will not change its consistency. Check out these recipes for ideas.

‪BONE BROTH is powerful stuff. Have I convinced you to give it a try?