Nutrition: Bone Broth Class Recap

Bone Broth: General info

What is Bone Broth?  The Wellness Mama explains it  as: "Broth (or technically, stock) is a mineral rich infusion made by boiling bones of healthy animals with vegetables, herbs and spices. You’ll find a large stock pot of broth/stock simmering in the kitchen of almost every 5-star restaurant for its great culinary uses and unparalleled flavor, but it is also a powerful health tonic that you can easily add to your family’s diet.

Broth is a traditional food that your grandmother likely made often (and if not, your great-grandmother definitely did). Many societies around the world still consume broth regularly as it is a cheap and highly nutrient dense food.

Besides it’s amazing taste and culinary uses, broth is an excellent source of minerals and is known to boost the immune system (chicken soup when you are sick anyone?) and improve digestion. Its high calcium, magnesium, and phosphorus content make it great for bone and tooth health. Bone broth also supports joints, hair, skin, and nails due to its high collagen content. In fact, some even suggest that it helps eliminate cellulite as it supports smooth connective tissue."

"Good broth will resurrect the dead." South American Proverb

 Bone Broth Benefits:

Helpful in treating disorders
Protects joints
Rich source of Gelatin
Good for your gut
Boosts detoxification
Supports Immune system function
Improves the quality of skin
Can help restore tooth enamel

For more information on Bone Broth, check out this site.

          How to make your own Bone Broth:

Step 1: Supplies needed: bones, baking pan, filtered water, stock pot, apple cider vinegar, and vegetable scraps.
(for ex: carrots, onion, peppers, kale, celery, cabbage, mushrooms), peppercorns and parsley. 

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Step 2: Roast bones at 400 degrees in a baking pan for 20 minutes (30 minutes if larger bones).  Add a tiny bit of water to the drippings at the bottom of the pan and add with step 3. 
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*Bones can be re-used up to 1 week. 
*If creating a fish broth, you'll add the head and tail of the fish. 


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​Step 4: Add vegetable scraps (fresh or from the freezer) or add the following vegetables/herbs: carrots, onion, peppers, celery and parsley. (Organic is preferable) 
​Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer.
If there is any scum on the top after boiling, remove.  
​*Leave pot uncovered to allow vinegar to evaporate while cooking.  ​

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Step 3: Cover bones with filtered water, 1-2 tbsp. of        Apple cider vinegar and let sit for 30-60 minutes.  
This helps the vinegar to draw minerals:                magnesium,  calcium and potassium from the bones.  ​​

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​Step 5: Cook low and slow for 18-20 hours.  Broth should be strained and unless used right away - chilled.  It keeps approximately 4 days in the refrigerator and a few months in the freezer.  However, if it has been in the refrigerator for longer than a week you can just reheat and enjoy. Broth does not need to be chilled if it is canned immediately. To can broth, cold pack it for 2 hours.    

​*If making a fish broth, you'll only simmer broth for 4-6 hours. 

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​Gelatin Tips by Wholesome Home Cooking: 
"The gelatin in broth is particularly good for digestion- it helps attract digestive juices to the food and can normalize hydrochloric acid deficiencies and excesses.  It is also very soothing and healing and of great value to the entire digestive tract.  While gelatin is no substitute for complete protein, it has a protein sparing effect, which means if meat is eaten with broth, it takes less.  Gelatin is beneficial to the immune system, joints, bones, skin and muscles.  
Chicken heads and feet contain gelatin and will add much to good stock.  It is good to use a variety of bones from the same animal-some bones are full of gelatin, while others add more flavor."

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Additional Bone Broth Resources:

No bones about it...

​When doing bone broth make sure you have pasture raised quality bones. Don't throw your good quality scrap bones away...store them in the freezer to have them readily available to make good quality bone broth. The highest quality bone that generates collagen is pigs feet. However,  you can use: 
Chicken: back, wings, neck, feet, head
Beef: ribs, beef shanks, joint & knuckle bones
Ox tail
Lamb: Veal knuckles, joint bones
Fish: head, bones and tail 

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​Resources:
Wellness Mama: wellnessmama.com/5888/bone-broth/
Dr. Axe: https://draxe.com/the-healing-power-of-bone-broth-for-digestion-arthritis-and-cellulite/

Blog entry by: Heather Brooks