Today I have Bridget Sandorford from California Culinary Institute here to do a guest post on how to make your own bone broth.
How to Make Your Own Bone Broth
Bone broth has fallen out of favor as more and more people are choosing commercial made stocks for their cooking needs. However, homemade bone broth has far superior nutritional benefits to commercially made stock. Some of the benefits of bone broth include:
- Boosts collagen for healthier teeth, joints, hair, nails and skin
- Improves digestion and reduces food sensitivities
- Strengthens the immune system
- Enhances liver function to clear the body of toxins
- Superior nutrient content, including calcium, silicon, magnesium, and glucosamine
Bone broth gets these benefits from the bones that are used to make it. Many of the nutrients are filtered out in commercial stocks, or they are overpowered by the chemicals and preservatives that are added to the stock.
Making your own bone broth is both easy and inexpensive. Here’s how you can make your own bone broth so you can start reaping the superior nutritional benefits now:
Get Bones
A quality bone stock starts with quality bones. It’s best to purchase them from a local farmer or organic butcher. Choose bones from grass-fed cows or pasture-raised, free-range chickens. You can choose bones from any type of animal, but it is best to make sure the animal was raised on an all-natural diet and was not given any additional chemicals or hormones.
Boil Them
To make your broth, you simply need to put your bones in a slow cooker and cover them with water. Put in just enough water to cover your bones about an inch. If you prefer, you can add a tablespoon or two of apple cider vinegar, which will help pull out the mineral content of the bones and make for a more nutritious broth.
Set your slow cooker to simmer and let the broth cook for the next 24 to 72 hours. Be careful that the broth doesn’t boil, as this will make for a darker broth (and it may evaporate your broth completely if left unchecked).
Add Seasonings
If you prefer, you can add some seasonings to give your broth flavor. You can add typical seasonings such as garlic or bay leaf, or you can chop up some vegetables and let them stew with your broth. Any vegetables are acceptable to put in your broth, though it’s best to steer clear of greens, which may lend a bitter flavor to your broth.
When your broth is done, you can use it to make soups and stews, or you can use it instead of water to cook beans and rice. You can even use it to boil vegetables to give them more flavor and more nutrients. Making your own broth is easy and inexpensive, and it will give you a number of nutritional benefits that you can’t get from store-bought stocks.
Do you make your own bone broth? Share your tips and tricks for making the best broth in the comments!
About the Author:
Bridget Sandorford is a freelance food and culinary writer, where recently she’s been researching the California Culinary Institute. In her spare time, she enjoys biking, painting and working on her first cookbook.
