How to make homemade broth!

With so many people getting sick this time of year, I thought I would share:

Did you know that broth made from leftover bones (chicken, beef, ham, lamb, turkey, anything really) is INCREDIBLY nourishing and truly healing?

Not to mention that it’s super cheap, since you are using what you probably would have just thrown away?

You know when you bake your chicken on the bone and there is that gel stuff at the bottom of the pan? That’s the good stuff! Who knew? That gelatin is the healing part of “chicken soup.” It is easier for most people to keep this broth down than water and since sugar suppresses the immune system, it’s better for your sickly person than even clear sodas.

And it is super EASY to make!

Why should I make homemade bone broth? Isn’t the stuff in the box or can just as good? Nope. That stuff has been super heated and all the good stuff broken down. It contains preservatives and flavorings. Check the label. You might be shocked. Of course, it’s best if the bones are from grass fed and finished and completely free-range animals, but for those of us who can’t quite afford that just yet, you can still make awesome, nourishing broth. See, as Sally Fallon of the Weston A. Price Foundation explained: “Stock contains minerals in a form the body can absorb easily—not just calcium but also magnesium, phosphorus, silicon, sulfur and trace minerals. It contains the broken down material from cartilage and tendons–stuff like chondroitin sulphates and glucosamine, now sold as expensive supplements for arthritis and joint pain.” It is incredibly easy on the stomach and contains the naturally occurring amino acid called cysteine, which can thin the mucus in your lungs and make it less sticky so you can expel it more easily. Processed, canned soups will not work as well as the homemade version made from slow-cooked bone broth.

I encourage my readers to research. Look up stuff. At the very least, follow my lead and try this. If you don’t think you can drink straight broth, make noodle soup, use it instead of water to cook rice, use it as a base for chili or vegetable soup, for starters. In almost any cooking application where you would use water, you can use broth… even in gravies (although you might want to wait until everyone is feeling better for that one).

* * * * * * *

I made two batches of broth today. One was from leftover rib bones with hardly any meat on the bones and one batch was from turkey necks I found at the grocery store. Necks, joints, even feet are super high in restorative, curative powers!

*******

After straining the “rib broth”

 Ready to cool before going in the freezer

After straining the turkey neck broth and picking the bones clean!

The wonderful, tender, flavorful meat from the turkey necks

Making broth is an easy thing to do and so good for you and your family. It is not really time consuming. The stove (or crock pot) does all the work for you. You just throw everything in and wait for it to finish!

* I always use a good quality sea salt.

* I sometimes simmer just bones, an acid (any kind of vinegar, citrus juice…), salt and enough water to cover the bones by a couple of inches.

* Sometimes I add herbs that compliment the stock I’m making. Sage can be added to a turkey broth. Thyme or Oregano to chicken. Onions, Garlic, Celery, Carrots, Bell Peppers can all be added to flavor your broth, if you choose. Don’t use garlic powder or garlic salt or celery salt type stuff. Use the real deal for honest nutrition. Just remember:  however you want your base to taste is completely up to you.

* Bring the water, bones, acid, and whatever else you choose to add to a boil and then immediately reduce to a low simmer and leave it there. If there is meat on the bones that you want to “harvest,” don’t let it go for too long. You will have to remove and cool the bones and meat, pull the meat off, and then put the bones back into the stock you have already started just by poaching your meat. Chicken bones need at least two hours (I like mine after about six or eight hours). Heavy bones like beef or pork, I like to cook over night or more, sometimes 12 hours. Although I do know some people who keep a crock pot going all the time and just throw whatever bones they have from whichever meal into the continuous brew. I personally like my flavors separate.

* If you want a more yellow appearance (like the kids might be used to seeing), add some turmeric!

* If a “scum” rises to the top, just skim it off. No harm, no foul.

* Isn’t that easy?

 

Why don’t you try your hand at making broth and let me know how it turns out?