Bone broth has a rich history of being used in traditional Chinese culture to support the body in many ways. The compounds found in the bones and connective tissues — collagen and minerals such as calcium, magnesium and phosphorus — have many benefits for our body.
Cooking collagen turns it into gelatin, which provides the body with amino acids (the building blocks for proteins). This can be particularly beneficial for the gut, bone, joint and skin health.
Bone broths can be used in replacement of water in soup recipes! It will give your soup a deeper flavour and of course, increase its healing properties.
For additional nutrient boost, add your veggie scraps to the broth!
This can include, but is not be limited to:
- onion and garlic skins — both antimicrobial and aid in the defense against disease
- carrot peelings — high in Vitamin K, particularly good for eye health
- beet greens — contain high amounts of antioxidants
- celery greens — have detoxifying properties and support the liver
or use what ever other veggies you have in the fridge!
Bone Broth Recipe
In a large stock pot, add the following ingredients:
- Chicken carcass (no meat, bones and cartilage only)
(buy a roasted chicken at the grocery store and keep the bones)
- Vegetable scraps (celery, onions, carrots, garlic)
- Dried Herbs for flavour (I use oregano, sage and thyme), about a ¼ tsp of each
- 1 tsp salt (the salt helps pull the nutrients from the bones)
- 1 TBsp apple cider vinegar
- Enough water to cover the ingredients
Bring it to a boil and then turn down the heat and let simmer for a minimum of 8 hours.
You can crush the bones mid way through to ensure the marrow is disbursed into the stock. Be careful- they will be VERY hot but should be soft enough that it won’t take much more than little elbow grease to break them apart.
Strain bones and vegetables and discard in the compost.
Store your delicious and nutritions bone broth in an airtight container in freezer, ready to use for your next homemade soup!
