Bone broth, a traditional health food that has been around for centuries, is making a significant comeback in the wellness world, especially for older adults. This nutrient-rich liquid, made by simmering bones over a long period, is packed with vitamins and minerals essential for maintaining good health in later years. Let’s explore what makes bone broth unique and how to incorporate it into your daily routine.
What is A Bone Broth
Bone broth is a type of soup made by simmering bones, often with vegetables and herbs, for an extended period. This slow cooking process extracts nutrients such as collagen, amino acids, and minerals from the bones, creating a nutrient-dense broth. Unlike quick-cooking soups, bone broth requires hours of simmering to release these beneficial compounds.
How is Bone Broth Different From Regular Broth or Stock?
While the terms broth, stock, and bone broth are often used interchangeably, there are differences. Regular broth and stock are typically cooked for a shorter period and may not always use bones, leading to a less nutrient-rich liquid. Bone broth, on the other hand, is simmered for much longer, sometimes over 24 hours, to ensure that the maximum amount of nutrients are extracted from the bones.
What are the Benefits of Bone Broth?
For older adults, the benefits of bone broth are particularly significant:
Joint Health: The collagen in bone broth can help maintain healthy joints.
Gut Health: Amino acids like glutamine support gut health and digestion.
Immune Support: The minerals and vitamins in bone broth can boost the immune system.
Bone Strength: Rich in calcium and magnesium, bone broth can support bone health.
Hydration and Nutrition: It's an excellent way to stay hydrated while getting essential nutrients.
Equipment Needed to Make Stock at Home
To make bone broth at home, you'll need:
A large stockpot or a slow cooker.
Basic kitchen tools like a knife, chopping board, and strainer.
Storage containers for refrigerating or freezing the broth.
What are the Best Bones for Bone Broth?
The best bones for bone broth are a mix of marrow bones, joints, and knuckles. These bones have a high concentration of collagen and marrow, essential for a nutrient-rich broth. You can use bones from beef, chicken, turkey, or fish.
A COLLAGEN FILLED RECIPE - BONE BROTH
Bone Broth is a great way to get more collagen and many other vitamins and minerals in your diet.
You can make bone broth easily on your own! It can be made using a slow cooker, but it's pretty simple to make by simmering a pot on the stove as well. Depending on your preferences, you can use beef, chicken or fish bones to make a homemade bone broth.
If possible, try to get ahold of organic bones from your local farmers. Pasture-raised/grass-fed meats are the healthiest option. They contain more vitamins and minerals without any harmful chemicals or toxins. The same goes for all other produce as well - meat, dairy, fruits and vegetables etc.
Back when I used to work in the aboriginal communities here in Australia, Kangaroo Tail Soup was a favourite to the locals and a way to get more collagen.
Calcium, magnesium, copper, iron, manganese, phosphorus, potassium, sodium and zinc are just some of the many minerals found in bones. The combination of these minerals are highly nutritious and promote plenty of health benefits both for your body and the mind.
Here is a bone broth recipe for you by my sister Lexie.
Enjoy!
CHICKEN/BEEF BONE BROTH RECIPE
INGREDIENTS
A good range of chicken bones (E.g. 2 chicken carcasses, 4 chicken drumsticks, 6 chicken wings, 500g chicken necks). Organic bones from pasture-raised chickens are best.
OR
A good range of beef bones (E.g. 500g Oxtail, 1kg beef "soup bones" from the butcher - a mix of marrow, knuckle bones and thigh bones which the butcher has cut up into pieces). Grass-fed, organic bones from local farm are best.
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar (optional)
2 carrots, cut in half
1 zucchini, cut in half
2 parsnips, cut in half
1 onion, cut in half (can leave skin on)
4 stalks of celery with leaves, cut in half
3 bay leafs
Whole peppercorns, about 1/2 teaspoon
Salt, about 1/2 teaspoon
A selection of fresh herbs (E.g. 1 handful of parsley, a few sprigs of rosemary, 1 handful of fresh sage, few sprigs of fresh thyme.)
METHOD:
Add chicken bones to slow cooker. Add water to slow cooker until 3/4 full. Add apple cider vinegar and let water and bones sit for 1 hour. (This step is optional. Apple cider vinegar is said to draw the minerals out of the bones. If you skip this step, it won't affect the broth in any way).
Add all vegetables, bay leaves, salt and pepper. Fill the slow cooker with more water until about 1 inch from the top. Turn the slow cooker to high and cook for 1-2 hours then turn it to low and let it cook for another 10 hours. (Fig. 1)
Add herbs and cook for a further 2 hours.
Let broth cool slightly (Fig.2) then carefully remove the larger bones and vegetables. Sit a large sieve over a bowl and using a small jug or ladle, pour the broth into the sieve. Refrigerate the bowl of broth for 24 hours.
Scrape off the layer of fat which has set on the surface of the broth (Fig. 3).
The broth can be divided up into smaller portions, if need be, and frozen for up to 3 months.
How to Store Bone Broth
After making the broth, let it cool down and strain it. You can store it in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or freeze it in smaller portions for up to 6 months. Freezing in ice cube trays and then transferring to freezer bags is a convenient way to use small amounts when needed.
How Much Bone Broth Can I Drink Each Day?
There's no hard and fast rule, but generally, one to two cups of bone broth daily is considered beneficial for health. It can be consumed on its own, used as a base for soups, or added to recipes for extra nutrition.
In conclusion, bone broth is a simple, delicious, and highly nutritious addition to the diet, particularly beneficial for older adults. Its rich composition supports overall health and can be easily made and incorporated into various dishes. Give it a try and experience the wholesome benefits of this age-old health elixir.
Keep Moving!,
Mike
Xo
