I love bone broth because it’s both tasty and nutritious. When I was younger, I would go to the local Butcher Shop with Mum to buy our meat. Back in those days, the Butcher would give us a bag of beef or pork bones for free. Mum would make a delicious bone broth with Chinese herbs and serve a small bowl alongside our evening meal. I never realised the health benefits of bone broth until I was much older. I now understand and appreciate the effort that Mum put in the kitchen to provide her family with a nutritious meal. I am so grateful that Mum has passed this on to me and now it’s a staple food in my family. Thanks Mum!
So, what is the difference between bone broth and stock? Beef + Lamb New Zealand describe this well:
“The difference between bone broth and stock all comes down to the length of cooking time and the addition of acid, in this case vinegar. The longer cooking time of the bone broth allows the collagen and minerals from the bones and connective tissue to dissolve into the liquid. When cooled in the fridge, your broth will turn into a hard jelly”.
Drinking bone broth regularly will help to build your immunity, support your gut health, help with recovery from trauma or surgery, and nourishes your joints, hair, nails and skin. It sounds like ‘anti-aging’ to me – how good is that!
I like this excerpt from Ossa Organics
“Various cultures around the world have been making bone broth for thousands of years now. More than 2,500 years ago, in Chinese medicine, the bone broth was used to strengthen the kidneys and support the digestive health. It subsequently became a staple of traditional Asian meals, and nowadays it is frequently used as the base for various Chinese, Korean and Japanese soups. In ancient Greece, the father of medicine Hippocrates was also recommending it for cleansing and digestion issues”
Here is my bone broth recipe:
Ingredients
- 1 kg of Bostock Organic Chicken Frames or Organic Beef Farm Bones
- Filtered or Spring Water (to cover the bones and/or at least 3 cm from the top of the slower cooker/pot)
- 1 Tablespoon Himalayan Rock Salt
- 2 Tablespoons Peppercorns
- 2 Tablespoon Apple Cider Vinegar (helps to draw out the nutrients from the bones)
- 4 cm Root Ginger (remove skin & slice)
- 4 large Cloves of Garlic (skin removed)
- 2 Stalks of Celery (cut into chucks)
- 2 Large carrots (cut in chucks)
Method
1. Place bones in the slow cooker with the garlic, ginger, salt, pepper corns & vegetables.
2. Cover with filtered water (or until it reaches 3 cms from the top of the slow cooker/pot) and add the apple cider vinegar.
3. Cook on low heat (24-36 hours for Beef Bones and 4-6 hours for chicken bones). You will see the colour of the stock change – it will get darker and richer looking.
4. Let the stock cool a little then drain through a sieve – discard bones and vegetables.
5. Store in portion sizes using glass jars (Freezing: Fill 3/4s to allow for expansion, use within 6 months) or store in the fridge and use within 5 days.
Tips
- You can roast the bones in the oven to create a deeper, fuller, and richer flavour from the caramelisation of the meat and marrow.
- Whilst warm, peel off the meat from the bones and add to your soup.
- Use as a base for soups and sauces (your kids won’t even notice it!)
- When cold, it will be gelatinous and the fat will float to the top, but don’t be put off by this. It is a source of ‘good’ fat! When reheated, it will dissolve back into the broth.
- I have a small cup of bone broth each day and add a pinch of Pacific Harvest Seaweed. Seaweed is a good source of iodine. NB. the seaweed does expand once it’s emerged in the hot broth so you don’t need much.
Enjoy your bone broth elixir!
Image Credit: @purebonebroth
