WONDERS OF BONE BROTH

You may have heard all the talk about Bone Broth and it’s amazing healing benefits. While it’s reemergence into the health and wellness world has been somewhat recent, the preparation and consumption of bone broth is actually an ancient ritual - and for good reason.

This stuff is packed with vitamins and minerals that do absolute wonders for the body. Bone broth is essentially just as it sounds, a broth made with bones. But the cooking time and extraction of minerals and vitamins from the bones themselves is what makes this broth so powerful.

As already mentioned, this technique is an ancient practice. According to The New York Times, bone broth was prepared as far back as the prehistoric era. 

Bone broth is exceptional at delivering vitamins and minerals to the body as supplemental micro nutrients, which lets be honest, most of us are not getting day to day with the average American diet. Bone broth also boosts immunity, aids in our body’s ability to detoxify, and can boost functionality of metabolism.

One of the most wondrous ingredients in bone broth is the gelatin that gets extracted from the bones when they are cooked for a long period of time. The gelatin assists in retention of water in order to hydrate our cells and our digestive system which helps us digest our food most successfully. It also helps joint function, heals leaky gut syndrome, and can even go as far as to overcome food intolerances as reported by Dr. Axe.

One of our personal favorite parts of drinking bone broth regularly is that it can clear up skin conditions and make you naturally glowy and dewy more than Glossier products ever could! (We still love you Glossier, it’s no shade.)

There are tons of companies who are now manufacturing and selling bone broth nationwide in big stores we know and love like Whole Foods, Sprouts, surprisingly even Trader Joes. But truly, the best way to consume Bone Broth is to make it yourself - and it’s super easy, even if you’re not the greatest in the kitchen.

A combination of different types of bones gives the best variety of micronutrients to be extracted from the bones and connective tissue - which is what makes this stuff so good for us. The most important step in extracting minerals and gelatin from the bones in bone broth is adding Apple Cider Vinegar. The acid helps break down these compounds and make them digestible during preparation.

Adding vegetables to bone broth takes this broth from medicinal to straight up yummy when things like onions, garlic, ginger, celery, and fresh herbs are added to the pot. Customization of flavors in your bone broth takes things to the next level and makes it both a fun and personal ritual to prepare something that is so nourishing for your health. 

One of our patients, and collaborators Camila Creates is a holistic chef and herbalist and shared her go-to bone broth recipe that she prepares for both herself and her clients. 

INGREDIENTS

• 4 pounds of beef or chicken bones, preferably a mix of marrow bones and bones with a little meat on them.

• 3 medium unpeeled carrots, cut into 2-inch pieces

• 1 large leek, end trimmed, cut into 2-inch pieces

• 1 medium white onion, quartered

• 1 garlic head, halved crosswise

• 4 celery stalks, cut into 2-inch pieces

• 2 bay leaves

• 2 sprigs of rosemary

• 8 slices of whole Reishi mushroom (not powdered)

• ¼ cup of chopped ginger (peeling not necessary)

• 2 tablespoons black peppercorns

• 1 tablespoon unrefined sea salt 

• 2 tablespoon cider vinegar

• 1 sheet of wakame 

• 6-quart (or larger) stockpot or a large slow cooker

PREPARATION

1. Preheat oven to 450°F. Place beef or chicken bones, carrots, leek, onion, and garlic on a roasting pan or rimmed baking sheet and roast for 20 minutes. Toss the contents of the pan and continue to roast until deeply browned, about 20 minutes more. 

2. Into your stockpot, add roasted bones, and rest of ingredients with 12 cups of water super high quality filtered water - NO tap water! Add more water if necessary to cover bones and vegetables.

3. Cover the pot and bring to a gentle boil. Reduce heat to a very low simmer and cook with lid slightly ajar, skimming foam and excess fat occasionally, for at least 8 but up to 24 hours on the stovetop. The longer you simmer it, the better your broth will be. Add more water if necessary to ensure bones and vegetables are fully submerged. 

4. Remove the pot from the heat and let cool. Strain broth using a fine-mesh sieve and discard bones and compost the vegetables. Let broth cool completely before storing. Broth can be stored for up to 5 days in the refrigerator and up to 6 months in the freezer.