Healthy Living How To

Vanessa Rae Romero

Bone Broth: Can Food Be Medicine? Part II

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On Monday we talked about bone broth and its medicinal qualities, specifically it's role in the health of our immune system. Bones and cartilage are what give bone broth these qualities. Traditionally prepared bone broth will contain: calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, sulfur, sodium, potassium, chondrotin sulfate, keratin sulfate, hyaluronic acid, collagen (gelatin), elastin, osteocytes and chondrocytes. Each of these lend a healing property for different ailments, from digestive disorders to general fatigue. Over 75 conditions are benefited from bone broth:

Making bone broth is really quite easy, it can be done in a pressure cooker, slow cooker or stock pot. I have used all three methods but prefer the pressure cooker because it shortens the time significantly. You will need a chicken carcasss, a little leftover meat and skin, vegetables, filtered water and a shot of apple cider vinegar. Although we are making chicken bone broth, it's important to note you can also make bone broth from beef, shellfish, fish and lamb.

Traditional Chicken Bone Broth

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

  • Whole Chicken Carcass (including skin & meat remnants as well as cooking liquid)
  • Celery, Carrots & Onions
  • Cold Filtered Water
  • 1 Tbsp. Apple Cider Vinegar

Cooking Directions Pressure Cooker

I make a whole chicken in my pressure cooker first, debone the bird and set the meat aside for later use. Everything that remains goes back in the pressure cooker. The cooker already has a great broth base as the drippings and juices from the bird cooking are scrumptious!

  1. To the pressure cooker add chicken carcass and remains.
  2. Add celery, carrots & onions.
  3. Cover with cold filtered water.
  4. Add 1 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar.
  5. Cover and bring to pressure.
  6. Once at pressure turn down heat and start timer.
  7. Set timer for 60 minutes.
  8. Upon completion quick release pressure.
  9. Strain bone broth into glass jars, let come to room temperature and then refrigerate overnight.
  10. Skim hardened fat off top.

Once cooled, what's left is a golden jelly like substance. This is what real bone broth should look like. A few notes, apple cider vinegar is an acidic medium needed to extract the minerals from the bones. A good mineral rich bone broth recipe should include this. Also, if you are having trouble getting your bone broth to gel, most likely you are using too much water.

Picture

Traditional Bone Broth looks like Jelly

Other Cooking Options

Simmer in covered slow cooker on low heat for 12-24 hours.

Simmer in covered stock pot over low heat for 12-24 hours.

What you do with your bone broth is up to you. Take it like medicine and enjoy a cup a day with a pinch of Celtic Sea Salt. When warmed it loses its jelly like effect and turns into a golden soup! Use it as a base for any number of recipes that call for chicken stock. It's fall here in Minnesota and I've been cooking up different soups. Look for those recipes in the near future.