“Good broth will resurrect the dead.” South American proverb
Well, not exactly, but it was probably something you would find in your great-grandmother’s kitchen. Long ago broth (also known as stock) was a staple in traditional kitchens, a soothing home remedy for colds and poor digestion. For chefs, broth and stock has always been a secret ingredient for creating depth of flavor in soups, sauces and stews. Fast forward to the age of processed food. Flavor enhanced canned and boxed broths, bouillon cubes and powdered soup bases became the norm, and thus was added a long list of unpronounceable chemical additives to most products. Today, traditionally made bone broth is making a comeback as customers are demanding more nutrient dense foods made from real, pronounceable, nourishing ingredients.
Bone broth is made from slowly simmering bones, root vegetables and cider vinegar in water for many hours. This process extracts vitamins and nutrients from the bones including calcium, phosphorous and magnesium and collagen. Nutrient dense bone broth starts with the ingredients. Whether you make it yourself or buy it, good bone broth should be made from pastured and grass fed animal bones. These animals, raised humanely on pasture, eating grass (cows), worms and bugs (chickens) are healthier, free of antibiotics and hormones and more nutrient dense. It’s also important to use a variety of different bones, meaty as well as those containing cartilage and tendons as the latter will yield broth that has more gelatin and collagen.
Studies have shown that our great grandmothers were right about the benefits of bone broth. Sipping on bone broth can support gut health, relieve joint pain and boost your immune system. Athletes and those following a paleo or Keto diet are drinking bone broth for its protein and collagen. It is often used for intermittent fasting and for anyone required to be on a liquid diet. Bone broth can also be integrated into your own recipes. It adds rich, deep flavor to homemade soups, stews or gravies or can be used in place of water when cooking grains like rice or quinoa. However you choose to use it, real bone broth made the old fashioned way can boost your health and your meals!
