My grandma called it stock. Some people call it broth. No matter what you call it, homemade bone broth is a nutritional powerhouse and to date I haven’t found any condition it won’t help. Homemade broth, made with bones in particular, is the first thing I make when my kids start feeling sick. Why is this stuff such liquid gold?
Bone Broth is a mineral POWERHOUSE.
Homemade broth is full of magnesium, potassium, calcium and sodium, minerals (and trace minerals) that are depleted in our food supply these days. Think of bone broth as the ultimate multivitamin and electrolyte replacement drink in ONE! My recipe includes a secret ingredient to boost the mineral content of the broth. My secret ingredient is…DRUM ROLL… a piece of kombu seaweed because it adds extra calcium and iron to the broth.
Bone broth heals the digestive tract.
Homemade bone broth is the cornerstone of the GAPS
Bone broth is highly absorbable.
Just because you pop a vitamin pill, doesn’t mean you are actually absorbing the nutrients from that pill. In order for us to absorb the vitamins and minerals from a supplement, the digestive system needs to be working in top form. Things like dysbiosis (imbalance of gut flora) and low stomach acid impact the body’s ability to absorb nutrients from supplements, something that is very common due to our modern diet and environment. Broth is a nutrient-dense, whole food in LIQUID form making it highly bioavailable and absorbable—a literal liquid gold.
Bone broth helps the body get into an alkaline state.
Our bodies are constantly striving to find an acid/alkaline balance. When our bodies are too acidic they can easily fall into a disease state. For healing to occur, we need to bring our bodies into an alkaline state. People have cured themselves of cancer in part by eating a nutrient-dense alkaline diet. The same principle can be used to heal from a cold or flu and bone broth is packed full of alkaline power to help the body find the balance it needs to heal.
Bone broth is a natural BOTOX replacement.
You know all those lotions and potions that claim they can reverse aging due to their natural collagen? Well, collagen (when cooked and more digestible we know it as gelatin) is a pretty large protein and it can’t penetrate the skin. So all those marketing claims are BOGUS. Taking natural collagen INTERNALLY is the only way to give your skin a boost. I call my bone broth BOTOX IN A CUP and I drink 1-2 cups a day like tea.
Bone broth turns regular soups into healing gold.
When you give your child chicken noodle soup made from bone broth, you turn an already yummy soup into a healing liquid gold. Your child will never know they are eating the best medicine nature makes.
My recipe for tasty “sipping” Bone Broth.
I’ve been making bone broth on a weekly basis for a few years now and have developed a recipe that I think tastes great as a “sipping” broth, meaning, I drink it like tea most of the time. I let my broth simmer for 8 hours or more. You can also make this easy bone broth recipe in the crock pot too. The longer it simmers, the better it tastes and the more minerals it will contain. I also add a little Herbamare
- 2 organic carrots unpeeled, cut into halves or thirds
- 2 organic onions unpeeled, cut in quarters
- 3 organic celery stalks cut into halves or thirds
- 2 organic red or yukon potatoes cut into quarters
- 2 organic sweet potatoes or yams quartered
- 6-10 cloves garlic unpeeled, cut in half
- 1 organic chicken carcass or the equivalent in chicken bones (we roast a chicken once a week and use the bones to make broth the next day)
- 1 tablespoon lemon or raw apple cider vinegar this is needed to pull minerals from chicken bones
- ½ cup fresh rosemary
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 piece kombu
- 2 teaspoons sea salt or Herbamare
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Wash all vegetables, but leave their skins on if they are organic (if veggies are conventional, peel and wash well). In a large stock pot (12 quarts or more) place all ingredients and then fill the pot with filtered water until the vegetables are covered in water. You want a few inches between the vegetables and the rim of the pot so it doesn't boil over.
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Bring pot to a boil and then simmer for 2-8 hours. The longer you simmer, the better. Not only will the flavor taste better, but also the broth will contain more minerals the longer is simmers. Skim the fat off the top as you simmer with a paper towel. Add water when your vegetables start to peak through.
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When you have simmered long enough, strain broth through a fine mesh colander or strainer into a heat proof container (we use glass). Allow to cool to room temperature before storing in fridge or freezer. Skim more fat off the top as it cools (if making a chicken broth). I keep several containers in our freezer so I can make soup at any time!
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Note: If I am in a hurry and don’t have all the above ingredients a basic stock can be made with chicken bones, vinegar/lemon, onion, head of garlic, carrots and celery. The rosemary adds nice flavor and the kombu is important for extra minerals. Also it is best to use organic vegetables but if you don't have organic vegetables wash and peel conventional produce.
Have you ever tried making your broth in a pressure cooker? It’s rich and done in 45 min tops, once you strain the bone and just squeeze the bones they crumble. It’s a great way to get the most from the bones—also helps if your in a rush
This looks good, I think I will try it next week. What is Kombu?
Do you recommend a slow cooker, if so, which brand?
I use the Vita Clay slow cooker. Kombu is a type of seaweed you can find at any health food store. Thank for reading!
I normally don’t like the flavor of seaweed,will kombu infuse that flavor into the broth? ..can hardly wait to try!
Hi Patty, You can’t taste it! Enjoy!
Kombu is full of lead. See my comment below, which I accidentaly submitted as a reply instead of as a new comment.
Have you canned your broth? Was wanting to give it a try as we are going on a trip and I’d like to bring some along.
I have not yet! Let me know if you try it!
I always cook my broth on low. Pressure cooking is quick but I hear that the high heat destroys nutrients.
I love bonebroth. My question is. How many calories in a cup? Is it a good breakfast substitute?
Hi. Can this be made with a whole chicken? Meat and carcass?
You could but you don’t use the meat so I would cook the chicken and eat the meat, then use the bones/carcass for the broth. 🙂
Good Morning,
I have to say I am so thankful for your site. I’m trying the bone broth soup…due to myself and my son are sick some nasty cold. Lots of great fabulous ideas…thank you so much for doing what you do!
I’m emailing you though on a different note which is personal and I hope you don’t mind: My daughter has been itchy in her private area for a long time now. We are seeing a naturopath who has taken her off dairy but she still is itchy. We’ve been to our family doctor who only prescribes a hydrocortisone cream which doesn’t work. My husband and I feel bad for our little girl. As you can probably tell we are desperate to solve this….any thoughts suggestions would be welcomed! Thank you, Erin
try using coconut oil on her privates and get in the GAPS diet perhaps.
Hi there , Just thought I would mention the detox bath recipe found on this site… maybe try this bath once a week and see if this makes a difference for your little girl. Also, elimination of any and all sugars in her diet may help as well. Good luck 🙂
Just FYI, Natural News released studies on heavy metals in seaweed. Kombu has a lot of lead. Since the majority of people drinking bone broth are trying to heal their leaky guts, drinking bone broth high in lead would be counterproductive since heavy metals are one of the causes of leaky gut. Natural News recommends other seaweeds that are less toxic for you: http://www.naturalnews.com/043871_seaweeds_heavy_metals_wakame.html
Once her gut is healed, this will likely go away. I’ve taken care of children and adults like this and seriously, healing the gut, will heal this issue. Find a functional medicine practitioner in your area to work with. (www.functionalmedicine.org)
I didn’t see where you addressed the acidic/alkaline issue. I love bone broth and I am trying to get and keep my body in an alkaline state. I have read broth/stock is as acidic as if you were eating the meat. Would like to know for sure.