It’s so easy to make bone broth! Chicken, meat and fish stocks provide building blocks for the rapidly growing cells of the gut lining and have a soothing effect on any areas of inflammation in the gut. It tastes delicious and is so good for you! You can use bone broth as a drink or as a stock for soups and casseroles.
Chicken
A half or whole chicken or chicken carcass
1tsp sea or rock salt
1tsp black peppercorns slightly crushed (optional)
1 bay leaf (optional)
Directions
- Place the chicken or carcass in a large pan or slow cooker and fill with freshly boiled water.
- Add sea salt, black peppercorns if using and herbs.
- If using a pan, bring to the boil, then cover and simmer for 2.5 to 3.5 hours (depending on size of chicken). You may need to top the water up.
- If using a slow cooker, put on a low setting and leave overnight.
- The next morning or when finished cooking, place a colander over a large glass bowl and tip the contents of the slow cooker or pan into the colander taking care not to scald yourself. This is your broth.
- Pick off all the chicken and keep for adding to your stock when you make a soup.
- Discard the bones.
- Once the broth is cool, transfer to an airtight container. I like to use wide-mouthed jars such as Mason jars, which make it easy to scoop broth with a spoon or ladle. It will last for up to a week in the refrigerator.
- NB When the broth cools it gels, which is due to the healing collagen and gelatin released into the water from the bones.
- Or you can freeze broth for up to 6 months. Make sure you use a freezer friendly container i.e. not glass. I tend to use small containers for easy access.
Meat
Red meat on the bone or a bone with marrow
1tsp sea or rock salt
1 tsp black peppercorns slightly crushed (optional)
Directions
- Same as chicken.
Fish
A whole fish (head, fins, everything)
1tsp sea or rock salt
1 tsp black peppercorns slightly crushed (optional)
Directions
- Same as meat and chicken.
- However, cook for only 1-1.5 hours
- Strain broth with a sieve to carefully remove small bones