Bone Broth

To help heal a damaged gut lining and develop auto-immune strength, you need large amounts of easily digestible substances like amino acids, gelatin, glucosamine, fats, vitamins and minerals - all found in good quality bone broth.

Simple to make. soothing and nourishing, bone broth is one of the oldest, most affordable homemade foods. often used as an elixir to cure ailments and nurture the sick.

To get the full nutritional benefits the broth should be homemade from the bones of the healthiest animals- not from stock cubes which can include a concoction of hydrolysed protein and emulsifiers. Even the "cleanest" ready made shop bought stock or bouillon will not have the same benefits as homemade bone broth.

A good broth is rich in gelatin (a source of protein that helps counter the degeneration of joints) and collagen (which improves the condition of the skin). Bone broth made with fish bones and heads provides iodine and can help strengthen the thyroid.

Nutrient rich bone broth is simple and cheap to produce and makes everything taste amazing. It can be flavoured with a mirepoix (carrots. onions and celery). Save the odds and ends of these vegetables when prepping vegetables and stash them in the fridge or freezer for when you're ready to make your next big batch of broth.

Recipe:

• 2-3kg beef bones, chicken carcasses and lamb bones. You can usually get these free or cheaply from the butchers. Also you can use the saved bones from Sunday roasts.
• 2 handfuls of any mirepoix 
• 1 tbsp black peppercorns
• A few dried bay leaves
• Optional: a generous splash of apple cider vinegar or fresh lemon juice to help extract the minerals from the meat bones

Place the bones and any optional ingredients into a large stainless steel or ceramic cooking pot and cover with cold water. The water level should cover the bones by 5cm whilst still leaving room at the top of the pan. You can also use a slow cooker if you wish.

Cover with a lid and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, lid on, for at least 6 hours for chicken and 12 for beef or lamb, skimming off any foam that rises to the top. The longer the bones simmer, the more nutrients are released.

Strain the liquid and cool before storing. Broth will keep in the fridge for several days or up to a week if left undisturbed as a layer of fat will form on the surface and keep it sealed from the air.

I like to freeze it in batches for use as I need it. Don't forget to leave room for expansion in the storage containers!

As a side note, I like to save the layer of fat that occurs on the top of the cooled beef broth and use for roasting potatoes or vegetables, it gives such an amazing flavour!