If you’re like me, you value nutrition, taste and ease when it comes to what you eat and bone broth is the key to all of these things in our home.
Bone broth is a traditional food loved by our ancestors, it supports your immune system, and helps to stretch your food dollars.
Whether you’re throwing a quick pot of rice together, preparing a nourishing soup, or you simply want to enjoy a nutritious warm drink to start your day, bone broth has completely revolutionized our kitchen and our bellies.
Plus, all you need is scraps you’d otherwise toss out, a crock pot and a strainer!
In this blog post, I’ll share some of the health benefits of bone broth, how I love to make it (don’t worry, I keep it simple!), and some of our family’s favorite ways to cook with it.
Health Benefits of Bone Broth
I like to think of bone broth as a powerful liquid multivitamin, one where your body can easily absorb all the available nutrients.
The long simmer of bone broth helps to release various vitamins, minerals and nutrients that are so good for our bodies.
Collagen is one of those and is amazing for promoting healthy skin, nails and hair.
Bone broth is also rich in calcium, phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, zinc, copper, iron, manganese, selenium, amino acids, folate, riboflavin, vitamins A, B6, B12, C, D, E, and K.
Studies have shown that bone broth may:
Help boost your immunity because of all the amino acids present
Lessen cold/flu symptoms - it helps clear mucous, open respiratory passages, and give your body nutrition that is easy to ingest and absorb
Strengthen bones and teeth
Help with hydration - it contains lots of fluid AND electrolytes (minerals)
Reduce inflammation and heal the gut
If you’d like to read more about the health benefits of bone broth, you can read more here and here.
Bone Broth: Step by Step
Makes about 1 gallon
The apple cider vinegar works to release the vitamins and minerals from the bones while the onion, garlic, etc adds a depth of flavor, enjoy!
Ingredients:
3-4lb chicken bones
4-10 chicken feet (packed with collagen which is amazing for your skin, hair, & joints!)
1 gallon water or enough to cover all ingredients
2 T apple cider vinegar (organic with the "mother" is the best in our opinion)
optional
1 onion, quartered
2 whole garlic cloves
2 large carrots, roughly chopped
2 stalks celery, roughly chopped
2 bay leaves
1 tablespoon whole peppercorns
2 teaspoons sea salt
Step-by-step:
Add all ingredients to a large crock pot or instant pot.
Turn crock pot on low and cook for 24 hours, or 4 hours high pressure in the instant pot with a natural release. The longer you cook, the richer & deeper the flavor. If you’re planning to drink, most people prefer the lighter flavor.
If any foam forms on the top during cooking, simply spoon off and discard.
Once cooking is complete, let cool for 1-2 hours.
Spoon out large solids first and then pour the broth thru a fine mesh strainer or cheesecloth to remove smaller particles.
Pour into plastic containers or glass jars. If you plan to freeze in a glass jar, make sure to leave at least an inch or more at the top since it will expand when it freezes…I learned this the hard way…BUT I totally strained the glass shards out of my broth - I wasn’t letting my liquid gold go to waste!
Once cool, store in fridge for up to 10 days or in the freezer for up to a year.
Check out our Instagram stories highlights to watch videos of us preparing bone broth along with lots of other fun recipes and stories from the farm.
Some of Our Favorite Ways to Use Bone Broth
Bone broth is so versatile that I often have a jar or two in our fridge at all times. Here’s how we love to use it:
to cook rice, quinoa or other grains instead of plain water
sautéing veggies
as a base for soups or stews
as a substitute for water/broth/stock in any recipe
sipping a mugful regularly in the colder months as an immune booster or a few times a day when I feel like I may be getting sick
Have you made bone broth before? If not, what’s been holding you back? Let us know if any of this was helpful for you or if you have any questions in the comments below :)
We’d love to be your source for pasture raised chicken! We’ve got a “Bone Broth Kit” that includes all the chicken you need to make 1 gallon of your own homemade bone broth. Check it out on our online farm store HERE and snag one for local pick-up.