Have you heard of bone broth? Maybe you’ve heard it mentioned but aren’t quite sure what it is and why it is so highly praised by many. Just like coconut oil, it has many passionate admirers who claim it is good for just about everything under the sun. Nutritionally, it is a powerhouse that should not be ignored.
Bone broth is simply a liquid obtained from simmering the bones from chicken, turkey, pork or beef in water. The biggest difference between bone broth and regular stock is that bone broth is cooked much longer. The end result is a tasty liquid that’s delicious on its own, but it also makes a wonderful and nutritious base for soups and stews.
Nutritional benefit is one of the main reasons people make and consume bone broth regularly. Of course nothing beats the flavor either, but more on that in a second. When you simmer bones for a long period of time all sorts of nutrients, minerals and other beneficial things like glucosamine and collagen, are leached from the bones. The bones are a nutritional powerhouse and since we don’t eat the bones, this is how you extract the nutrients and the yummy goodness.
Broth is great for your immune system. Remember mom making a big pot of chicken noodle soup anytime someone would get sick? The same principal is at work here. Bone broth is a concentrated healing soup. The broth may even help you sleep better at night. Sip a warm cup of the tasty liquid before bed. It’ll work better than hot milk.
To make bone broth you take bones like those from that leftover roasted chicken or turkey carcass. Cover it with plenty of water and simmer for several hours. How long you cook your broth is up to you. Twelve hours gives you a very decent broth, but cooking it even longer makes it even more nutritious. Broth can safely bubble away in a crockpot or stock pot as you go about your day. You can keep leftover bones in a freezer bag until you have enough to make a good broth. Once made, the cooled broth can be stored in the fridge for about four days or in the freezer for up to a year.
If you want to freeze some for soups and stews these nifty, large silicone trays are excellent for freezing broth. Just pop them out as needed or transfer the blocks to another, larger container. These freezer containers are pretty awesome and they are stackable. Glasslock also makes some stackable glass containers that are safe to freeze. Glass is always better than plastic!
You can drink the finished hot broth as is, season it up with your favorite herbs and spices, or use it to make a pot of soup or stew. How many recipes do you make that require chicken broth or beef broth? Make it yourself! It will be healthier for you and it will be cheaper.
The next time you pick up a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store or roast that Thanksgiving turkey, don’t toss out the bones when you’re done. Use them to make a batch of delicious bone broth that’s good for you. Once you try it, you’ll be surprised just how easy it is to make and how truly wonderful it is.
