Bone Broth: Not Your Typical Stock

By now you’ve probably heard about bone broth in some from or another. There are a multitude of flavors that “bone broth” can be, and my personal favorite is chicken. Some people like bone broth as a base for cooking, and others drink it straight- almost in shots- to help heal out guts. Literally. Bone broth has ancient components that help heal intestinal wounds, calm leaky gut, and restore GI function. Plus about twenty other things.

Some people do not understand the difference between broth, stock, and bone broth. Maybe we can help clear it up a bit. Broth is light, thin, and made with meat. It is cooked for a few hours at most. Stock is made from bones and meat, and is cooked for three to five hours. Stock has a great level of gelatin in it, which can be helpful to the body as well. Bone broth is using bones, and cooking it from 24 to 72 hours. This type of long, hot cook helps the minerals and collagen to release into the broth, which are both very helpful to the human body. Many people, including myself, add numerous vegetables and natural spices into the bone broth as well.

These bone broths are so healthy and good for you. Gelatin supports digestive health, and is very helpful for those on the GAPS diet. Proline supports great skin health, and the rich proteins in the broth bring much needed minerals to the body. Glycine supports the body’s natural detoxification process, and is used in bile salts, hemoglobin, and other naturally occurring chemicals. Glycine is also a major contributor to healthy digestion and the secretion and levels of gastric acids. And here’s a fact about chicken soups in general… Did you know chicken broth inhibits neutrophil migration? That means it helps mitigate the ailments brought on from colds, flus, and other upper respiratory illnesses.

There are different ways one can ingest their bone broth. Some use it for soups and bases in recipes, and others cook their vegetables in it. Most people taking bone broth for gut health drink it plain, in 1 to 2-ounce size portions. If you’re wondering how it tastes, it depends on your additives. If you leave it with bones, water, and veggies, it will be plain and more like chicken soup broth. Adding spices not only helps with the flavor, but adding the right spices will give you even MORE benefits overall. One of the spices I like to add in is turmeric. If you haven’t heard, turmeric is linked to healing and helping over 20 different ailments, illnesses, diseases, growths, and more. Couldn’t hurt, right?

Storage for bone broth can be tricky. If you’re storing it in the fridge, you’ll need to use it within the week. However, freezing it is easy, and space-efficient. Use ice cube trays, fill and freeze. Once they’re frozen, pop them into air tight freezer bags, and they’ll last for six to nine months. The ice cube tray method is what we use. I just pop a few cubes into my cup, microwave it, and drink it!

What will you need to make your bone broth? Simple!

*Large Crockpot

*LOTS of bones from your choice of source (chicken, beef, fish, pork, etc)

*vegetables

*apple cider vinegar

*water

*patience (Really just a reminder for myself…)

If you’re interested in making bone broth, and would like our recipe for it, please just send us a message! We’d be happy to share it with you!