Bone broth is one of the greatest elixirs I have ever experienced. It promotes whole body wellness from deep inside the gut all the way to hair, skin and nails. It is full of gelatin and collagen, which help plump cells, support connective tissues and strengthen the gut lining.
However, to obtain all of these benefits, you have to put in a little extra love, 24 hours of love that is!
Bone broth can be made in as little as 6 hours and as long as 24. The longer you leave the broth cooking the more minerals, gelatin and collagen will be extracted. It may seem overwhelming at first, however it is much easier than you think and with the right preparation you'll be making it in no time!
Ingredients:
2-4 lb pasture raised whole chicken
4-6 chicken feet
3-4 stalks celery
3 carrots
1 onion
Preferably all of the ingredients are organic and pasture raised to reduce the amount of chemicals and toxic byproducts in the broth.
I like to start with a whole chicken the night before and cook it, either roast, poach or cook in my instant pot. Once the chicken is cooked, remove the meat and save all of the bones and joints. The more cartilage you have the more collagen and gelatin your broth will have!
Skip this step if you can purchase bones from your local butcher, just make sure they were sourced from quality animals.
Prep all of the vegetables by roughly chopping them. Leave the skin on both the carrots and onion. The skin of an onion is a great source of quercetin, which is rich in antioxidants and anti-inflammatory benefits!
Fill your large heavy bottom stock pot or slow cooker with the bones and feet first, then add the vegetables on top.
Cover with filtered water and a splash of apple cider vinegar and turn the heat on medium until you reach a simmer.
You never want the broth to reach a boil because this high temperature will break down the gelatin, which is something we don't want to do!
In my crockpot, once it reached a simmer I lowered the temperature to "keep warm" and left the lid halfway on. I found that I needed to keep an eye on the pot because the temperature was difficult to regulate. On the stove you should not have this issue.
I left the broth cooking overnight with the lid off to prevent it from getting too hot. As you can see, the mixture cooked down significantly, but thats ok. Optional tip, you can add herbs to your broth mixture. I used a teabag and filled it with oregano, thyme, and bayleaf. Here is where you can get creative!
After straining out the vegetables and bones, run the broth through a cheese cloth or fine mesh strainer to remove any leftover solids. Then place the jars in the refrigerator. Use within the week or freeze up to three months.
As you can see after refrigeration, the broth gelled due to the gelatin extracted from the feet and joints. You may notice a ring of fat around the broth, this can also be skimmed to ensure all of the impurities have been removed. Upon heating it will return back to a delicious liquid that you can drink straight or add to soups or any recipe that calls for broth!
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