Bone Broth

Homemade bone broth is a Super food

According to Sally Fallon of the Weston A. Price Foundation, bone broth is a cure-all in traditional households.

Homemade bone broth aids digestion and has been used for centuries as a healing folk remedy for the digestive tract.  It is extremely nourishing -- full of minerals, vitamins, amino-acids and various other nutrients in a very bio-available form.

Homemade bone broth provide building blocks for the rapidly growing cells of the gut lining and they have a soothing effect on any areas of inflammation in the gut.

The key to bone broth is the homemade part.  Commercially available broths and stocks, granules or bouillon cubes are highly processed and full of detrimental ingredients.  These need to be avoided.  They will not soothe the gut and may actually contribute to digestive inflammation.

You need meat and bones to make a good bone broth.  Beef, lamb and poultry are all highly suitable and will make broths with different flavours and different nutritional composition.

It is very important to only use bones from organic pastured or wild sources as conventionally raised beef, lamb, and poultry contains hormones, pesticides and other toxins.

The Ottawa Organic Farmers Market is a great source of bones from organic pastured beef, lamb and poultry -- and it is open year round every Saturday between 10am and 2pm.  http://www.oofmarket.ca 

Following are recipes for Bone Broth.  These recipes are adapted from the recipes on the Weston A. Price Foundation website.

Chicken Stock

·         1 whole organic free range chicken or 2 to 3 pounds of bony chicken parts, such as necks, backs, breastbones and wings.

·         gizzard and liver from one chicken (optional)

·         4 liters cold filtered water

·         2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar (important! the acid pulls the minerals from the bones)

·         1 large onion, coarsely chopped

·         2 carrots, peeled and coarsely chopped

·         3 celery stalks, coarsely chopped

·         1 bunch parsley

If you are using a whole chicken, remove the neck, fat glands and the gizzards from the cavity.  Cut chicken into several pieces. Place chicken pieces in a large stainless steel pot with water, vinegar and all vegetables except parsley.  Let stand 30 minutes to 1 hour.  Bring to a boil, and remove scum that rises to the top.  Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 6 to 8 hours.  The longer you cook the broth, the richer and more flavourful it will be.  About 10 minutes before finishing the broth, add parsley.  This will impart additional mineral ions to the broth.

Remove chicken pieces with a slotted spoon.  Put the broth through a sieve.  Let the chicken cool and remove chicken meat from the carcass.  Reserve for other uses, such as chicken salads, enchiladas, sandwiches or curries.  Strain the broth into a large bowl and place in your refrigerator until the fat rises to the top and congeals.  Skim off the fat and store the broth in covered containers in your refrigerator or freezer.

Beef or Lamb Stock

·         about 4 pounds marrow and knuckle bones from organic pastured beef or lamb

·         4 or more liters of cold filtered water

·         1/4 cup apple cider vinegar (important! the acid pulls the minerals from the bones)

·         3 onions, coarsely chopped

·         3 carrots, coarsely chopped

·         3 celery stalks, coarsely chopped

·         6 cloves of garlic, whole and still in peel

·         several sprigs of fresh thyme, tied together

·         1 teaspoon peppercorns

·         1 bunch parsley

Place the bones, onions, carrots, celery and garlic in a roasting pan and brown at 350 degrees in the oven for about 45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes.  When well browned, add to a very large pot along with the vegetables. Pour the fat out of the roasting pan, add cold water to the pan, set over a high flame and bring to a boil, stirring with a wooden spoon to loosen up coagulated juices. Add this liquid to the pot. Add the vinegar and additional water, if necessary, to cover the bones.  Bring to a boil.  A large amount of scum will come to the top, and it is important to remove this with a spoon. After you have skimmed, reduce heat and add the thyme and crushed peppercorns.

Simmer broth for at least 12 and as long as 72 hours. Just before finishing, add the parsley and simmer another 10 minutes. You will now have a pot of rather repulsive-looking brown liquid containing globs of gelatinous and fatty material. It doesn't even smell particularly good. But don't despair. After straining you will have a delicious and nourishing clear broth.

Remove bones with tongs or a slotted spoon. Strain the stock into a large bowl. Let cool in the refrigerator and remove the congealed fat that rises to the top. Transfer to smaller containers and to the freezer for long-term storage.