When I first heard of bone broth my initial instinct was CRINGE... the whole concept sounds gross. But, I saw this ingredient closely paired with discussions on gut health so I was intrigued to at least learn a little bit more. I learned that the concept – while trendy – is certainly not new. People have been making bone broth for years. In this article I cover what bone broth is, why it’s so darn good for you, and how to make it (which is the easiest thing EVER).
What Is Bone Broth?
Bone Broth is broth made primarily with animal bones and simmered for hours and hours. Cooking the bones for so long is the difference between bone broth and your everyday stock. While regular stock uses bones for flavor, bone broth is cooked long enough to utilize the bones for flavor and nutrition.
What’re the Health Benefits?
Details on these benefits can be found here & here if you want to learn more.
- Bone Broth may reduce inflammation
- It’s a source of protein
- It provides vital vitamins and minerals
- It may benefit the digestive system (gelatin is super healing!)
- Its nutrients have been shown to improve joint health
- It is weight loss friendly
- It may improve sleep & brain function
How Do I Make This Gooey Mixture?
I’m glad you asked! I make my own bone broth almost every time I purchase a rotisserie chicken. It’s so easy. Nothing makes me feel better about myself than when I use every single inch of a whole food product and bone broth allows me to do so!
So, after i’ve eaten the prime breast meat on a rotisserie chicken, i’ll pick it apart and keep the slimy meat for dog treats. Then, i’ll toss all of the bones into the slow cooker; cover it with water, a tbsp of apple cider vinegar, and any and all of the ends of my vegetables I cut throughout the day/week (think onion ends, carrot tops, celery roots). TIP: do not use the stems of broccoli, it takes over in a bad way. I toss some extra garlic into the pot, a bay leaf or two, and any extra herbs I have on hand, some salt & pepper- you can play with this! I usually do it last or later in the week because it’s like the garbage dump for food that still has value but may be leftover from using it in its conventional way.
You can drink this broth warm from a mug (which is a a creature comfort in the winter) or add it to soups, rices, anything. Treat bone broth like traditional stock or chicken broth and use it any way you would traditionally.
My Go-To Recipe
Rotisserie Chicken Bone Broth
Ingredients
- 1 whole rotisserie chicken bones
- remains assorted vegetables onion, carrot, celery, garlic
- 2 bay leaves
- salt & pepper to taste
- 2 cloves garlic mashed
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
Instructions
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Add the chicken bones from the rotisserie chicken (meat removed) to the crock pot. Add any vegetable remains/ends you have left over from cutting veggies throughout the week, bay leaves, garlic, salt & pepper.
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Cover the bones with distilled water so that there is almost an inch of water above the bones.
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Add 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar.
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Cook the mixture in the crock pot on low for 8 hours.
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After the 8 hours are up, place a large bowl underneath a strainer and pour the mixture through the strainer into the bowl (strain a few times if you're drinking straight to remove any bits and pieces).
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Pour strained broth into a mason jar or sealed container and refrigerate for 4+ hours. Once chilled, scrape off the fat that has risen to the top.
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This broth last up to a week or so in the fridge or you can freeze it for up to a year to preserve freshness.
Where To Buy
Don’t have a rotisserie chicken at home are just aren’t feelin’ pulling apart a chicken carcass to get bone broth — i can’t say I blame you. I’ve found a few options on where to buy this nutritious product. The key is to purchase bone broth made from organic bones, no added hormones, grass fed (just like you would your meat). Here are a few of my favorites, just click the photo to be redirected to where to buy:
I hope you enjoyed this post on bone broth! I’ll be sure to share some bone broth recipes coming up. In the mean time, check out my healthy, happy gut soup I make almost every week, which is based in bone broth. The recipe is linked here in my last post on gut health.
xx, Jess
Sources:
- https://share.upmc.com/2018/07/benefits-of-bone-broth/
- https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/bone-broth
