Bone broth has gained popularity in the recent past. The COVID 19 pandemic has also surely helped in adding to its popularity. This is because of the healthy and nutritious nature of the bone broth. Although the research is still limited in this context, the limited evidence indicates that drinking bone broth will have some health benefits.
Whenever we hear the word ‘bone broth,’ it comes to our mind that it must be the same as the chicken broth (which is made from the bones). However, there are not the same; yes, making the bone broth is almost the same as that of the chicken broth. But, there are some significant differences. The bone broth takes a lot more longer to be cooked as it extracts as much nutrition as it can from the bones. In bone broth, we use the bones with more connective tissues, such as the neck, knuckles, and feet.
Therefore, it is safe to say that the bones are used only for flavor in the other stocks, while the bones are used to provide flavor and nutrition in the bone broth.
Thus, in this article, we will discuss bone broth and answer all the questions that may come to your mind. Even then, if you find any problem, feel free to comment, and we will get back to you with an answer.
What exactly is bone broth?
Bone broth is essentially a liquid that is prepared after simmering the connective tissues and bones of animals. You can find the linkages of bone broth from prehistoric times when the humans (hunter-gatherers by occupation) used the inedible parts of animals, such as bones in a drinkable broth. Recently, this bone broth recipe has again gained popularity as a healthy drink.
You can make the broth from the bones and connective tissues of any animal, be it beef, turkey, bison, venison, fish, pork, veal, lamb, buffalo, or chicken. This bone broth can be used in sauce, soups, or gravies. Many people also drink it directly, attributing it as a healthy drink.
Benefits of bone broth:
● It is highly nutritious:
Bone broth is high in nutrition due to the nutrition that is contained in the bones of animals. They consist of calcium, potassium, magnesium, and phosphorus.
● May help in fighting inflammation:
The amino acids, such as glycine and arginine, found in the bone broth prevent inflammation. Chronic inflammation that can lead to some life-threatening diseases can be cured by arginine.
● Aids in weight reduction:
Bone broth is particularly low in calories and is filled with protein. So, this can help you decrease your weight while making your bones and muscles stronger.
● Benefits the digestive system:
Bone broth is easy to digest, and it also helps in digesting other foods. The gelatin that is found in the bone broth helps in preventing as well as healing the ‘leaky gut.’ Therefore, bone broth is also suggested to the people following the AIP diet.
● Improves joints health:
Collagen is an important protein that makes our bones and joints stronger. However, the plants do not contain collagen. Therefore, the bone broth becomes more important as collagen is found in the bones, and since bones are the important ingredient in our broth, we get collagen from the bone broth, which makes our bones and joints stronger.
● Helps in improving sleep and brain function:
The glycine (a type of amino acid) present in the bone broth is known to help a person relax and promote sound quality sleep.
Ingredients used:
● Animal (chicken, pork, beef, etc.) bones: 2-3 pounds
● Chopped onions, celery, and carrots: 4 cups
● Garlic (grated): ½ teaspoon
● Peppercorns: ½ teaspoon
● Filtered water:
● Apple cider vinegar: 1 tablespoon (It is important to add the apple cider vinegar as the vinegar makes the bones lose its nutritious content into water)
● Bay leaves: 2
● Salt (to taste)
● Ground pepper (to taste)
Procedure to make bone broth recipe:
- Take a slow cooker or a large pot and place all the ingredients in it.
- Please put it on the gas stove and bring it to a boil.
- Reduce this to a simmer and then cook the contents of the cooker for 12- 24 hours. It is important to cook the broth for as long as possible to get a nutritious broth.
- Now, let the broth sit for some time and cool down.
- Strain this into a large container and throw away the solid content.
Different ways to use the bone broth:
You can use the bone broth in the same way you use any broth or stock. You can use the bone broth in the following recipe:
- Chicken zoodle soup
- Quinoa
- Mashed potatoes
And, you can always drink the bone broth directly, as a drink. Drinking it directly will provide you the most nutrients, and the hot broth also calms you down.