All About That Bone Broth

Hello from hibernation!

Waking up to the cold and rain today was quite revitalising after some seriously high Aussie summer temps! I find there’s something comforting about putting on warm clothes and being cool about being inside. I thought in tribute to the bizarre Sydney cold snap and ridiculous snow storm hitting the East Coast of America, I would send some warmth to the world and my Irish family in Europe who are in the middle of winter by talking about an old fashioned fave, bone broth!

Super-magical-amazing bone broth, have you heard of it? Your first reaction to the thought of drinking the product of slow cooked animal bones and caracas may be, girl you cray! But let me tell you why this cuppa goodness should be a part of your every day life:

• Bone broth is easily digestible and helps heal the lining of your gut and contains many valuable nutrients
• It assists in liver detoxification
• It reduces joint pain and inflammation through the compounds extracted from the boiled down bone cartilage
• It also reduces infection caused by the common cold and flu virus
• Bone broth promotes healthy stronger bones due to the high amounts of magnesium and calcium extracted through the boiling process which helps strengthen your bones
• The broth helps nail and hair growth through the high gelatin content
• And this wonder broth also is able to reduce the feelings of nausea and morning sickness found in early pregnancy (WINNER!)

So I’m pretty sure your convinced now this stuff is the shiz. We’ve all had chicken stock or beef stock before so no need to freak, bone broth is just a richer, taster meal-version of this.

If you have a slow cooker your in luck, it’s easy to just chuck all the ingredients in and leave for 12-24 hours to simmer down, otherwise low heat and a reliable stove that won’t burn your house down will do the trick. Your going to want to get a hold of some quality organic chicken bones and carcasses as a base and go from there, this stuff is cheap and should cost you under $5 for the lot.

1 whole organic chicken carcass and or 2-3 kg of organic chicken necks, wings and bones

1/2 cup Apple Cider Vinegar

3-4 Litres of filtered cold water

1 large onion chopped

1 head of garlic

1 handful of mushrooms

1 bunch of parsley

3 sticks of celery

3 carrots peeled and chopped

Salt & Pepper to taste

Put all your bones, Apple Cidar Vinegar and veggies in a big pot or in your slow cooker. Cover everything with water and add about an extra inch over the chicken and veg. Bring to the boil for 10 minutes then turn down low on the stove and leave for 12-24 hours or leave low on your slow cooker for as long as possible!

Now here comes the hands on part, remove all the big bones and what’s left of the veggies with tongs and put aside. You will need to strain into a large bowl and place in the fridge. All the fat will rise to the top and harden, remove the layer of fat and disregard (or if your super keen and wholesome you can use the fat for cooking), then voila your left with the soupy delight of bone broth.

It will keep in your fridge for several days or divide it up into take away containers or jars and pop in the freezer for those rainy days.

Bone broth is a cheap, easy and tasty way to help heal your gut and give your body some vital nutrients and love it needs.. I hope everyone is keeping warm today on the inside and out!

Teena x