So there is all this chatter about bone broth going on in the past few years. It has gotten more and more mainstream. As with anything, I like to do my research before deciding if I should jump on whatever bandwagon has presented itself.

One thing I love about bone broth is that it’s been around forever. People have been using bone broth for generations and in many different cultures. This alone says something huge to me.

First off, let’s clarify that regular broth and stock are different than bone broth. What makes it different is really in how long you simmer the broth. Broth is a short duration simmer, 45 minutes to 2 hours, roughly. Stock is a longer simmer, around 4-5 hours. Bone broth is a much longer simmer, anywhere from 8-24 hours. The purpose of a longer simmer is to release gelatin from the collagen-rich joints as well as important trace minerals.

So there’s the “what”. Now, how about the why?

Bone broth a are very rich in protein and minerals, for starters. But there are many other amazing benefits. Bone broths offer glycine which aid in detoxification as well as digestion, hemoglobin synthesis and a number of other important functions. In addition, the gelatin that is released is amazing for the skin. Who doesn’t love that??

Plus, the whole chicken soup remedy when you have a cold…that’s a thing. It’s because of bone broth and the fact that it mitigates cold symptoms. So, reach for the real stuff and not the canned chicken soup on the shelf at your local grocer.

We recently made some. Bone broth recipes are a plenty on the internet (hello Pinterest!). We picked up an organic chicken from a local store (it’s amazing how much more accessible & affordable organic and natural options are nowadays!). We baked the chicken, used the meat in a recipe for dinner then put the bones in the crockpot with salt, pepper, carrots, celery, onions and cilantro…simply because we had some & love it. I put the crockpot on low and just let it go for 12 hours.

From there you have options. Some people just drink the broth daily. In fact, some cultures keep a pot on simmer and drink it like tea regularly. I prefer using it in recipes. This time around we used it in chicken soup adding fresh veggies (first straining the broth), quinoa and chicken.

My mother & father in law recently had 2 steer butchered and we will be using some of those bones in a broth pretty soon. It is best to use grass fed, antibiotic & hormone-free meat as to not release all of that into your broth and then into your body. Makes sense, right?

There you have it. Bone broth. I would love to hear your experiences & recipes!!

Happy health!