I’ve been working on my holistic first aid kit for a few years now and it’s seen me through some crazy cold and flu seasons. I have several supplements, herbs and remedies that I come back to time and time again but my FAVORITE tool in my first aid kit is one you won’t find on the shelf. This tool is what I use as my FIRST course of action when my kids start feeling under the weather. What is it?
The answer: Homemade bone broth.
Yes, that’s right. The number one tool in my holistic first aid kit is BONE BROTH. Sounds crazy? Homemade broth…made with BONES???? What on earth is that? I’m glad you asked… I love talking about bone broth!
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!
Bone broth heals the digestive tract.
Homemade bone broth is the cornerstone of the GAPS diet, a diet that aims to heal and seal the gut lining. Because bone broth contains gelatin (from the bones), it helps to soothe and repair our gut lining. The digestive tract houses over 80% of the immune system, so if the digestive tract is healthy, you will be too.
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 got 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 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.
Now that you know the healing power of homemade bone broth, will you be adding it to your first aid kit?
- 4 organic carrots unpeeled, cut into halves or thirds
- 2 organic onions unpeeled, cut in quarters
- 4-5 organic celery stalks cut into halves or thirds
- 4-5 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
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice 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
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Wash all vegetables, but leave their skins on. 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, carrots and celery. The rosemary adds nice flavor and the kombu is important for trace minerals. Also it is best to use organic vegetables but if you don't have organic vegetables wash and peel conventional produce.
I just made bone broth for the first time last weekend. Any tips for making your house not reek of chicken corpse while it’s cooking? That was the worst part for me. I didn’t put the garlic and herbs in while it was cooking; maybe that would help. Or I could wait for warmer weather so I can open all the windows.
Julia! I do think the herbs help a lot. Some days I think it smells lovely and other days I think it smells terrible. The rosemary will help. Also I always fun the overhead fan the whole time and I open windows even if it’s cold. I think it smells better also when I use a chicken carcass from a whole roast chicken. We roast a chicken one night a week and the next day I make broth. Those bones seems to simmer with a nicer aroma 🙂 Thanks for reading!!!
I will definitely try this recipe! Sounds like a delicious way to alkalize our bodies and warm us up in this freezing weather we are having! Thanks!!!!
Hi there. Is this still beneficial if the bones are not from an organic, non-hormone free, etc. chicken? We buy our roasted chickens already roasted and try to get the very healthy version. But, sometimes they are sold out and in desperation for a quick dinner, I’ll buy the other not-as-healthy option. Could I still use those bones or do the hormones, etc. negate the benefits? Thanks so much!
Hello. I am wondering if you could use beef bones as well? The bone marrow in some of the beef bones, wwill that be a good alternative to chicken bones?
Yes absolutely!
Hi, loved this article.
Just wondered though, I’ve been making a super quick stock in my thermomix every time I have a roast chicken carcass. (Carcass plus veg, herbs, garlic etc). I set it to varoma temp (over 100deg) and set the water spinning through the ingredients (which sit in a basket). After 40 minutes if this, I’ve got a gorgeous smelling and tasting stick which sets quite firm and gloopy i’ve assumed that I’m extracting lots if the lovely gelatin because if the texture if the final product – would you think it’s still a nutritious stock? Xx thanks.
Hi I stumbled upon this recipe on a natural cures group and I’m wondering, call me stupid, but what are chicken carcass and kombu?
Never mind I googled them lol. When I add the carcass, is there supposed to be any meat on it?
Jackie, I heart Google too 🙂 I usually roast a chicken once a week for the family to eat for dinner. After we have taken all the meat off the bones, we use the carcass (bones) to make stock. There is usually a little meat on it, not much, but a little. I find that the stock tastes really good that way if I use bones from a whole chicken that we cooked in the oven. I’m sipping a cup of bone broth like tea right now! I hope you like it 🙂
Hi Heather,
Interesting read, thanks for posting, I’ll be attempting this after our next roast chicken! Quick question, I’d never heard of kombu till now so googled also. What form do you use it, dried or fresh?
Hi Sarah, I use dried kombu. It’s a great way to add more trace minerals to your broth. I also throw a square of kombu into beans when I boil them to add trace minerals that way too. If I have to used boxed stock for any reason I will make the soup and let it simmer with a square of kombu for added nutrition and then remove it when I serve the soup.
Hi Heather
I was wondering what containers you use when you freeze your bone broth and whats the easiest way to thaw it?
Hi Jenni, I use glass mason jars but I make sure to leave at least 2-3 inches of room at the top when I freeze them or the glass breaks. When I thaw it out I put it in a bowl of room temp water and keep changing it out a few times until the broth melts most the way and then transfer it to a pan for my soup/recipe 🙂
Just wondering if you simmer the broth in a covered pot or uncovered?
I simmer with a lid on, but cracked slightly so some steam is released.
Hi,
I am just wondering how much a batch renders as far as daily servings?
Usually I get about 10 cups per batch. I add more water as it cooks down to make sure I have at least 10 cups at the end of the day. 🙂
I am wondering if you can use already cooked chicken bones? For example if I make something with chicken drumsticks and have those bones leftover can I use them to make the broth or is it of no use since I have already simmered and cooked them before?
I make our broth many times from the leftover bones from our roast chickens…works great!
Love this article! Just reminded me of my mom making broth all the time when I was growing up. How about organic broth I purchase at say Whole Foods, can it even compare in terms of benefits?
How do you use this bone broth?
I drink it like tea or use it as a base for soups.
Hi! Is this possible to do in a crock pot?
absolutely!
Hi, if I use this recipe as a soup instead of just the broth do I need to do anything differently? I’m using a raw whole chicken without giblets.
This may be a stupid question, but what do you do with the potatoes, carrots, celery. sweet potatoes etc. after they have boiled for 8 hrs? Do you throw them out? (Is the purpose of the 8 hrs of boiling just to draw out the nutrients?) Thank you.
karen, Yes you just throw them out or compost them. All the minerals from the vegetables get transferred to the broth. 🙂 I wondered the same thing the first time I ever made homemade broth!
cant wait to try your broth recipe, thank you
I was wandering what you did with the cooled fat at the end after scraping it off? Do you use it in your cooking?
I don’t usually get a lot of fat but I have been known to scrape it off if I do. It’s a personal preference…. Thanks for reading!
how do you substitute chicken caracass for vegetarians?
thanks
Manishaa
Just use lots of vegetables like this recipe (leave out the chicken) https://kulamama.com/simple-mineral-broth-2/
Hi
I look forward to trying this. But um…where do I find kombu? I’ve never heard of it.
Thx
Erin
Hi Erin, Kombu is a seaweed. You can buy it dried at any health food store 🙂
Hi i have tooth cavity on my lower left side. it has a hold on the side of weel a tiny one i tried rinsing my mouth wit coconut oil for a week but im not sure it worked. Im worried about it. Im from an asian background so we eat rice as per lunch which have carbohydrates sugar in it. what is the best thing for me to do with thus caivity as i want to heal it naturally and get my teeth back. Many thanks