Bone broth is one of the simplest things we can do to support our health. It’s a great example of food being medicine. Making a nutritious and delicious bone broth at home is easy. There isn’t a lot of preparation, but it takes time.
In Chinese medicine, this type of liquid has been used for thousands of years to help heal chronic digestive problems and weakened immune systems. Cooking the broth for a long period of time breaks down the cartilage, tendons, and boney material into the same compounds of glucosamine and chondroitin sulphate that are found in expensive supplements. Because of the gelatin that’s extracted during the cooking process, a good bone broth will solidify into a jelly-like consistency in the refrigerator.
The most important part of making bone broth is to use only organic pasture-raised, grass-fed and grass-finished animals. The process concentrates what’s in the bones into the broth, so you want to start out with high quality ingredients.
Bone broth can be made from any type of bone. Many people will use a mix of bones in their broth. This allows you to create a personal recipe that tastes good to you and your family. Most broths also include basic vegetables like carrots, onions, leeks, garlic, ginger, and spices like bay leaf, peppercorns, fennel seeds, etc.
You can experiment with adding different spices to change the flavor profile and health benefits.
Turmeric (Jiang Huang, 姜黃) reduces pain and inflammation and will give the broth a vibrant yellow tone.
Ginger (Gan Jiang,乾姜) supports the function of our digestive system and helps our body to produce digestive enzymes.
Star Anise (Da Hui Xiang, 大茴香) helps to warm the abdomen to reduce bloating and pain in the abdomen.
Here’s a simple recipe to get you started:
INGREDIENTS
2 pounds of bones
3 stalks of celery, halved
1 yellow onion, skin on, quartered
3 carrots, halved
1 head of garlic, cut in half across the cloves
10 peppercorns
3 Bay leaves
Cold water to cover
INSTRUCTIONS
Add bones and cold water to the pot and bring to boil. Skim off any scum that comes to the top. Add remaining ingredients adjusting the water level to cover. Return to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer. The simmering time depends on the type of bones used. A rough guide is 12 hours for chicken, 24 for pork, and 36 for beef. If you are using a crock pot or instant pot, follow the manufacturer's directions. Once the time is completed, skim the surface once more, then let the broth cool. Strain and discard the solid material. The broth can be stored in the refrigerator for a week or frozen to be used as needed.
