
Good gut health is the naturopathic key to good health - strong immune systems, good absorption of macro and micronutrients, mental health and general well being.
Bone broth is packed with goodies including:
· Calcium, magnesium, phosphorus and trace minerals.
· Gelatin for connective tissue, particularly important for gut health, which in turn boosts immunity
· Glycine – one of the most important amino acids for liver detoxification (lets face it, when we humans evolved we didn’t have the toxic load we have today, and are bodies are yet to evolve that far!)
· Glucosamine and chondroitin for joint health, even helping arthritis sufferers
· Collagen – your skin will love you, as will your hair and nails, it helps wound healing
It forms the basis for many of my meals, it can also be delicious (with a pinch of sea salt), on its own for a light meal, breakfast or tonic when someone is not well. I always have some available in the freezer as the base for a quick soup or casserole. This is based on the Nourishing Traditions bone broth…
Use the best quality produce you can – grassfed/organic meat, organic vegetables wherever possible. For chicken bone broth, simply replace the beef with organic chicken carcasses – your organic butcher will usually have these available.
Ingredients
1kg beef marrow bones and a knuckle bone, grassfed
1kg beef meaty bones (oxtail is great), grassfed
or instead of both of the above - 2kg of organic chicken carcasses (the beginnings of chicken bone broth are pictured above)
3-4 whole carrots, peeled and roughly chopped
3-4 stalks celery, roughly chopped
2 onions, peeled and
8 heads of garlic peeled (optional)
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon black peppercorns
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
bunch of fresh parsley
Instructions
You will need the largest stockpot you have. Place the bones and meat in a large roasting pan and roast at 180 degrees for about 15 minutes each side.
Place the browned bones in the pot with the vegetables and seasonings and fill with water and add vinegar (leave about 2cm from top of pot)
Bring to a boil and quickly lower to a simmer. If using a slow cooker put on low.
Remove scum from the top every 15 minutes or so for first hour. You can cook beef broth for 12-48 hours (I usually do 24 hours), chicken broth should be cooked for 6-12 hours add the parsley about an hour before you finish cooking it.
Remove from the heat and carefully remove the bones with some tongs.
Pour the broth through a sieve into another pot to cool. When making chicken broth I use a piece of muslin over the sieve and squeeze the muslin to get all the juice out.
When the broth is cooled fill the mason jars, cover and refrigerate. Beef broth can stay for 1 -2 weeks in the refrigerator as long as there is a layer of fat on top. This protects and seals it. Chicken broth I only leave for a couple of days.
For what I can't use in the fridge I reduce down by continuing to simmer broth - and freeze in small blocks
Uses:
- Soups -add vegetables and some meat if you like,
- casseroles - use instead of water/stock
- babyfood - wonderful addition instead of water into baby purees, and can be added early as it is so easily digested and gives their digestive system a wonderful start.