The benefits of bone broth are endless - gut healing, nutrient dense, immune boosting, healthy skin-promoting - you name it.
Bone broth is one of the longest lasting health trends, but it’s not a trend at all because it’s stood the test of time and people are coming back to it again and again because of it’s multitude of benefits.
I don’t follow a recipe anymore, but use the same basic staples each time. You’ll find that as you make it more and more, you can just throw everything in the instant pot or slow cooker and walk away. Once it’s finished you can either keep it simmering and ladle it out and drink it (or use it for soups etc.), or strain it and store it in the fridge or freezer.
Basic staples for making bone broth:
Organic chicken carcass OR marrow bones (4-8 of them, depending on their size) OR chicken feet (I’ve never used feet but apparently they make a better bone broth because of all the collagen they contain)
Veggies - I usually use 2 stalks of celery, 2 carrots, 2 onions, maybe a clove of garlic - all roughly chopped in large chunks
Apple cider vinegar - 2 tbsp, which helps to pull the goodness out of the bones
Water - enough to cover all the ingredients / fill the pot
Cheesecloth
Mason jars for storage
Cooking:
Once everything is chopped and in the instant pot I will cook on high pressure for 2 hrs. If you’re using a slow cooker you can cook it for 48 hrs, topping it up with water to cover everything ever 12 hrs or so.
When it’s ready I will sometimes keep the instant pot brewing on slow cook and drink it over a course of a few days, and anything remaining gets strained and put in glass jars.
To strain:
Place a large colander in a large pot and using a slotted spoon scoop our the large chunks of bones and veggies. Allow those veggies to strain their broth as you continue with the pot
Cut out a 12” by 12” piece of cheesecloth and fold a few times to make a smaller square which should fit over the mouth of a mason jar. Secure the cheese cloth to the mason jar using an elastic band. Gently press down in the centre of the mouth of the mason jar so that the cheese cloth dips down into the jar. This is helpful for the next step.
Ladle the broth into the mason jar slowly. If you plan to freeze some, don’t fill the jars too high so as to leave room for expansion of the liquid, to prevent the jar from breaking.
To serve:
To drink bone broth as a warm and comforting beverage I will usually add 2-3 tbsp of coconut cream (from a can) and sea salt to taste.
Enjoy!