Got Bone Broth?
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Bone broth seems to be everywhere right now! There are many claims about how bone broth can have a positive impact on your health, including improved gut, bone, and joint health, stronger immune system, as well as lowering systemic inflammation.
If you are pinched for time, you can find a high quality version at your local Farmer’s Market, such as Remedy Bone Broth found at our Franklin Farmer’s Market. But if you are wanting to try to make it yourself, I think you will be surprised at how easy it is to make. Here is how we make ours in the Cheatham household:
Organic chicken bones, grass-fed beef bones, pork bones, lamb…anything you had for a meal recently, just be sure they are as natural as possible. We get some of ours from Peaceful Pastures at the weekly farmer’s market.
Veggie scraps
2 bay leaves
A few peppercorns
A splash of apple cider vinegar
Filtered Water (We use a Berkey filtration system)
Pro Tips:
Do not skip on quality here. Use organic, grass fed, drug free…the cleanest of ingredients you possibly can for your broth.
Save all of your vegetable scraps throughout the week and place into baggie in the freezer. Anything you would normally compost or trash, SAVE for your bone broth. This helps reduce cost tremendously! I typically only use actual whole vegetables if it is the end of the week and I know a veggie will go bad before we can eat it, or if I am low on my scrap collection.
Have chickens? They LOVE the cooked down veggies you remove from the finished broth.
The more variety of veggies, the more variety of nutrients you will have in your broth. Bone broth alone with no veggies is not going to provide the amount of nutrients that a bone and veggie broth will provide. Don’t be afraid to try adding things like ginger and tumeric. Again, I would go organic here, for sure!
Recipe Continued:
Place bones, veggies and other ingredients into crock pot, Instapot or even just a bog pot for the stove. Cover with filtered water.
Cook in Instapot for 90 minutes, allowing to vent and cool on its own. (I usually let mine sit for another hour or so.)
If using crock pot or pot on the stove, allow to cook on low for about 48 hours, adding more filtered water if needed.
While still warm, pour contents through a fine colander (use added cheese cloth for best results) into a large bowl or container that can be used to fill smaller containers later. (I use a bowl with a spout.)
More Pro Tips:
Reuse your bones! Beef bones can be used several times (I typically get 3 batches our of my beef bones), just replace the veggie scraps each time. Poultry bones typically only get one to two uses. Once the bones start to disintegrate, you know it is time for new bones.
We typically keep enough broth in the fridge for the week in 8oz glass mason jars. Anything extra, we freeze. I usually freeze some (usually the 3rd cooking) in baggies to use for cooking, as it will be milder in flavor than the first two batches. I will also freeze some in the 8oz mason jars for easy grab and go in the mornings. Be sure to NOT fill all the way, keeping the fluid just below the rounded part of the jar so it has room to expand when freezing. I also use the white plastic lids, NOT the air tight metal ones you would use for canning.
If you research Bone Broth on the internet, you will find lovers and haters. It is by no means a miracle pill, but when made with care, we have found it a great way to start our day. Both Dennis and I start our day off with 8 ounces, before our morning cup of coffee. This gives our body a head start on the day’s nutrients, and helps us to prevent overconsumption of coffee.
Are you into Fasting? Even just Intermittent Fasting? Bone broth is a great way to make it through those waves of hunger you may feel on those longer fasts.
