Yup...it's time for another one of Don's crazy topics. Today I want to talk about bone broth!
I won't get into all the specifics...I'll let you do that on your own. But if you want some resources to look the info up...let me know and I will send you some stuff.
There aren't a ton of studies out there about bone broth...but there are some. There are also some resources out there that say there is no evidence of healthy benefits to consuming bone broth. But what we do have are thousands of years of anecdotal evidence of people using bone broth to heal all sorts of ailments and to improve overall health!
Some of the benefit claims out there include:
Protects Joints
Good for the Gut
Maintains Healthy Skin
Supports Immune System Function
Boosts Detoxification
Aids the Metabolism and Promotes Anabolism
I personally am using the bone broth to add collagen to my diet for bone and joint health. As a side note I have also added collagen protein to my diet...but that's not the topic here.
So you would think that it is easy to go to the store and buy some bone broth...right? WRONG!!! Sure...stores like Walmart, Target, and local places sell "Bone Broth." But is it really bone broth? The answer is a resounding...NOPE!!!
Most containers of bone broth sold in the stores...especially if it is on the shelf and not frozen or refrigerated...isn't bone broth at all! It is just repackaged beef or chicken broth/stock. So how can you tell?
Take for instance the Nutritional Labels for Kettle and Fire (a brand of bone broth that IS actually bone broth) Beef and Chicken Bone Broth:
You can clearly see here that bones are at the top of the list here. Let's compare this to another bone broth:
This comes from a brand that you can get at Target called Pacific Foods. They are an organic food company that many consider to produce fairly high quality soups, broths, stocks, and other non-dairy products. But as you can see...the word bone doesn't even exist anywhere in the list of ingredients.
Basically what I am trying to say here is that if you are on the look out for bone broth...really pay attention to what you are buying! Kettle and Fire is the only non-refrigerated or non-frozen bone broth that I have found that is actually considered bone broth. A brand called Bonafide Provisions makes a good frozen bone broth...and I have actually even seen a bone broth at Walmart in the frozen section (the brand and name escapes me though).
But to be honest...I have just been making my own. If you have a slow cooker you can make your own...and a super high quality bone broth at that. But is very time consuming...taking about 36 hours. I mean...who has the time for that! Enter stage left...the Instant Pot! Pressure Cookers are a great way to make bone broth...and the Instant Pot makes it so much easier (and safer) than with a traditional pressure cooker.
It's really simple. Get bones...add veggies...add a couple tablespoons of apple cider vinegar...cook for six hours...strain! That's it...bone broth! So let's look at what I really did.
Get Bones...
Optimally you will want a good quality bone. If getting beef bones...try to get marrow bones and/or bones that have cartilage on them. Two to three pounds will do you for a batch. Chicken bones...well they are chicken bones. You can debone a chicken and use the flesh for other things and throw the carcass in the pot. I have heard of people eating a rotisserie chicken and using those bones for bone broth that way. I have not tried this yet but it sounds delicious! My only issue with this is possibly the quality of the chicken. Large stores like Walmart are probably not using good quality products. And a thought of mine is that why would you want to eat an animal that wasn't all that healthy in life. Anyway...get some bones and throw them in the pot.
Add Veggies...
Basically this is for flavor and adding micro nutrients to your broth. I have been using celery, carrots, garlic, and fresh herbs. But you can add pretty much whatever you want. Fresh herbs a VERY nutrient dense...so don't be afraid to use some. I use Tumeric root (chopped not grated) and ginger root (again...chopped not grated) as well as parsley.
Add Apple Cider Vinegar...
You need some acid to help break down the bones and extract the ggod stuff from it! Just a couple of tablespoons will do. You can add a little more if you want...but if you add too much...you will stink the kitchen up!
Cook for six hours...
Fill the rest of the pot with water (filtered water preferably but if your tap water is clean and fresh...I would use that also) and set the Instant Pot to pressure cook for four hours. I think four hours is the maximum amount of time you can set it to. When the batch has cooked for four hours. Then add another two! In the Instant Pot...when it is finished cooking it reverts to the keep warm setting. So if you go to bed or fall asleep...it is no big deal. In fact...I will usually do the four hour cook while I am watching TV at night and then before bed I will do the two hour cook. I will then get up in the morning and turn the Instant Pot off so it can cool a bit before I empty the pot.
Strain...
Dump all the contents into
a large bowl, straining through a colander or strainer. Let all the liquid run into the bowl and keep all the bones, veggies, and other contents in the strainer. You can throw those in the trash or use them for whatever if you want. Place the bowl of liquid in the refrigerator (make sure you let is cool a bit first on the counter so you don't spoil it). After a couple of hours...there will be a layer of fat that will be easy to lift off the broth. Toss that in the trash or use it if you want...but don't leave it on the bone broth. What you have left is a very gelatinous substance. That is your bone broth! You can now use it for soups, stir fry, in place of or in addition to broths and stocks, as a supplement, or various other things!
The next time I make some I will remember to take pictures and maybe do a step by step for you gents. But for now...I hope you enjoyed this or maybe learned something!
I won't get into all the specifics...I'll let you do that on your own. But if you want some resources to look the info up...let me know and I will send you some stuff.
There aren't a ton of studies out there about bone broth...but there are some. There are also some resources out there that say there is no evidence of healthy benefits to consuming bone broth. But what we do have are thousands of years of anecdotal evidence of people using bone broth to heal all sorts of ailments and to improve overall health!
Some of the benefit claims out there include:
Protects Joints
Good for the Gut
Maintains Healthy Skin
Supports Immune System Function
Boosts Detoxification
Aids the Metabolism and Promotes Anabolism
I personally am using the bone broth to add collagen to my diet for bone and joint health. As a side note I have also added collagen protein to my diet...but that's not the topic here.
So you would think that it is easy to go to the store and buy some bone broth...right? WRONG!!! Sure...stores like Walmart, Target, and local places sell "Bone Broth." But is it really bone broth? The answer is a resounding...NOPE!!!
Most containers of bone broth sold in the stores...especially if it is on the shelf and not frozen or refrigerated...isn't bone broth at all! It is just repackaged beef or chicken broth/stock. So how can you tell?
Take for instance the Nutritional Labels for Kettle and Fire (a brand of bone broth that IS actually bone broth) Beef and Chicken Bone Broth:
You can clearly see here that bones are at the top of the list here. Let's compare this to another bone broth:
This comes from a brand that you can get at Target called Pacific Foods. They are an organic food company that many consider to produce fairly high quality soups, broths, stocks, and other non-dairy products. But as you can see...the word bone doesn't even exist anywhere in the list of ingredients.
Basically what I am trying to say here is that if you are on the look out for bone broth...really pay attention to what you are buying! Kettle and Fire is the only non-refrigerated or non-frozen bone broth that I have found that is actually considered bone broth. A brand called Bonafide Provisions makes a good frozen bone broth...and I have actually even seen a bone broth at Walmart in the frozen section (the brand and name escapes me though).
But to be honest...I have just been making my own. If you have a slow cooker you can make your own...and a super high quality bone broth at that. But is very time consuming...taking about 36 hours. I mean...who has the time for that! Enter stage left...the Instant Pot! Pressure Cookers are a great way to make bone broth...and the Instant Pot makes it so much easier (and safer) than with a traditional pressure cooker.
It's really simple. Get bones...add veggies...add a couple tablespoons of apple cider vinegar...cook for six hours...strain! That's it...bone broth! So let's look at what I really did.
Get Bones...
Optimally you will want a good quality bone. If getting beef bones...try to get marrow bones and/or bones that have cartilage on them. Two to three pounds will do you for a batch. Chicken bones...well they are chicken bones. You can debone a chicken and use the flesh for other things and throw the carcass in the pot. I have heard of people eating a rotisserie chicken and using those bones for bone broth that way. I have not tried this yet but it sounds delicious! My only issue with this is possibly the quality of the chicken. Large stores like Walmart are probably not using good quality products. And a thought of mine is that why would you want to eat an animal that wasn't all that healthy in life. Anyway...get some bones and throw them in the pot.
Add Veggies...
Basically this is for flavor and adding micro nutrients to your broth. I have been using celery, carrots, garlic, and fresh herbs. But you can add pretty much whatever you want. Fresh herbs a VERY nutrient dense...so don't be afraid to use some. I use Tumeric root (chopped not grated) and ginger root (again...chopped not grated) as well as parsley.
Add Apple Cider Vinegar...
You need some acid to help break down the bones and extract the ggod stuff from it! Just a couple of tablespoons will do. You can add a little more if you want...but if you add too much...you will stink the kitchen up!
Cook for six hours...
Fill the rest of the pot with water (filtered water preferably but if your tap water is clean and fresh...I would use that also) and set the Instant Pot to pressure cook for four hours. I think four hours is the maximum amount of time you can set it to. When the batch has cooked for four hours. Then add another two! In the Instant Pot...when it is finished cooking it reverts to the keep warm setting. So if you go to bed or fall asleep...it is no big deal. In fact...I will usually do the four hour cook while I am watching TV at night and then before bed I will do the two hour cook. I will then get up in the morning and turn the Instant Pot off so it can cool a bit before I empty the pot.
Strain...
Dump all the contents into
a large bowl, straining through a colander or strainer. Let all the liquid run into the bowl and keep all the bones, veggies, and other contents in the strainer. You can throw those in the trash or use them for whatever if you want. Place the bowl of liquid in the refrigerator (make sure you let is cool a bit first on the counter so you don't spoil it). After a couple of hours...there will be a layer of fat that will be easy to lift off the broth. Toss that in the trash or use it if you want...but don't leave it on the bone broth. What you have left is a very gelatinous substance. That is your bone broth! You can now use it for soups, stir fry, in place of or in addition to broths and stocks, as a supplement, or various other things!
The next time I make some I will remember to take pictures and maybe do a step by step for you gents. But for now...I hope you enjoyed this or maybe learned something!
