Bone broth is a staple I love to have on hand in my freezer, particularly during the cold and flu season. I can grab a jar and turn it into a healing soup full of protein and vitamins to help my family quickly and comfortably get over whatever bug we’ve caught.
We’ve all believed for years that “Grandma’s chicken soup” is just the thing you need when you’re sick. Why is that? Because back in the day when Grandma made chicken soup, it didn’t come from a can – she made it by simmering chicken parts with veggies, seasonings and water to bring you that comforting, healing soup.
For my bone broth, I take about 3lbs of bones and put it in my Instant Pot along with a few whole garlic cloves, a bunch of celery stalks, 1 Tbsp mineral salt and 1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar (or lemon juice). Cover it over with filtered water (about 8 cups) and then set it to “Soup” on high pressure for 240 minutes. When it’s done, the bones will practically be falling apart. I’ll strain the broth into mason jars to freeze easily. Let the broth cool overnight, and then scrape the fat off the top before freezing.
When you make your own bone broth from high quality bones (grass-fed/finished beef or organic, free-range, pasture-raised (if you can find it) chicken, you’ll end up with broth full of electrolytes like magnesium, calcium, potassium and sodium, as well as vitamins and minerals like phosphorus, sulfur, vitamins A, K2 (which is essential to combine with vitamin D for immune system support), iron, zinc, selenium, boron, manganese, as well as a nice combination of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. The bones, marrow and connective tissue are also made up of collagen, which turns into gelatin (that jiggly looking stuff) when cooked. This is high in protein, has gut-healing qualities, and has a high level of the amino acid glycine, which helps protect your body from oxidative stress and free radicals by helping produce the anti-oxidant glutathione. It helps build strong bones, ligaments, hair, nails and healthy skin, and has anxiolytic (anti-anxiety), calming properties.
Fill your freezer with homemade bone broth so that next time someone in your family gets sick, you can heal with this beautiful recipe instead of Gatorade or canned soups!
References
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/bone-broth-101#section3
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