I make bone broth at least once a week or whenever I have bones in the house like after a roast chicken (or the Thanksgiving turkey carcass) or these spare ribs that I make on very rare occasion, which are crazy good. I am more likely to buy flesh with the bone in for flavor when I cook it and for the bones to use in stock and soups and risotto. I learned how to make stock from my mom - not directly, but indirectly, she had this habit of just taking about what she was doing while cooking. I remember that sometimes I'd think, "Mom, why are you talking about cooking while you are cooking?", she was teaching me, she was always teaching me, in gentle ways. I remember seeing plastic containers in the freezer labeled "stock" with the date and never quite knowing what they were for. But she made most things from scratch and we ate at home most nights growing up. So, bone broth is home for me. I learned more about the benefits of bone broth from the work of Dr. Westin Price and the book Nourishing Traditions which I studied a lot when my boys were babes and I was a nursing mama and feeling depleted. Bone broths helped a lot with my post partum depression and overall wellbeing.
I did a google search for "benefits of bone broth" and found these:
- boosts immunity
- alleviates the cold and brochitis
- fights inflammation
- strengthens bones
- helps to build muscle and is a good source of glutamine, an essential amino acid which helps in muscle repair (this is a major for a dmd mama)
- improves hydration and replenished electrolytes - I often fill a 32oz mason jar and add a few tbs of miso paste to take with me for the day.
- improves mood - I think just being well nourished does this
- its good for the gut, the joints, the cells, it improves sleep, and is anti-aging
I don't have a special recipe. I take left over bones and cover them with filtered water, bring to a boil and simmer for a few hours, then strain into a mason jar, return the bones to the pan and do it again.
Here is a recipe from goop.com