Bone Broth- not just for Zombies

Now that the cooler months are here , my thoughts for lunch turn to soup. It's a great, convenient go to kind of lunch. If you make your own soup it can be very economical and healthy, but if you take it one step further, it can become fabulously nourishing ! How is this accomplished , you may ask ? Through making Bone Broth ! Bone Broth  was a very common household staple at one time, when very little food items went to waste, but like so many other things it was replaced by nutritionally stripped convenience items, for a much higher cost. ( I am sensing a vicious cycle here- lack of time means buy more to support the busy lifestyle , which requires earning more money to attempt to keep busy lifestyle "healthy", suffering the effects of poor nutrition as a result which then requires healthcare, which requires more money...) I think it's high time that these forgotten kitchen skills be shared , shouted from the rooftops, and brought back to the common role they once had. THIS will be the solution to the obesity epidemic AND the rising cost of healthcare. Prevention instead of treatment.

Enough soap box drama :-) Let's talk about bone broth . Bone Broth benefits:
*rich in calcium, magnesium, phosphorus and other trace minerals
*contains glucosamine and chondroiton – which help arthritis and joint pain.
*rich in geletin, which supplements protien and helps to fight against degenterative joint disease.It also helps to strenghten connective tissue, hair and nails ( remember the ads suggesting Knox Gelatin for stronger nails ?)
*Costs pennies to make, often with scraps that will be discarded.
*No chemical additives, preservatives, sodium, MSG or so forth
*Better flavor in your dishes


Here is a batch of beef bone broth. Not pretty at first, but it turns to liquid gold with a few simple steps.

Bone Broth

Crockpot or stock pot
bones ( beef bones or pork neck bones or turkey carcass or chicken bones or rib bones or....)
celery tops and bottoms
carrot tops or whole carrots
4 small onions, skin and all
3 cloves garlic, skin and all
2 bay leaves

Other spices according to the critter used( with beef I use thyme and marjoram)
water
1 T cider Vinegar ( THIS is the magic ingredient. It softens the bones and helps to leech out vital nutrients into the broth)

Place all in the crockpot or stock pot with enough water to bring it to the top. If using crockpot place on low and simmer all day- in a stock pot bring to a boil, cover and reduce heat and let simmer all day. Turn off or remove from heat, strain out the veggies and bones and refrigerate up to 3 days or store in the freezer for up to 6 months. The stock WILL turn gelatinous in the fridge. This is a good sign and means that the necessary nutrients are in your stock. If it sets up like jello, jump for joy, knowing that you have liquid gold !

At this point you can turn it into any soup you fancy. Today I am turning this batch into a crockpot full of minestrone soup- one of Nick's favorite lunches.Toss the ingredients in the crock pot when you first get up and it is ready at lunchtime. If you avoid adding any pasta or potatoes, it freezes beautifully.

Speaking of broth setting up like jello- did you know that in turn of the century/Victorian kitchens it was common to serve a gelatin salad course with dinners, and that gelatin was made by boiling calves feet, straining and then adding fruit and vegetable flavorings ? It's true. One problem was the gel firmness could be really variable according to the age of the animal, conditions in which it was fed and so forth. Commercial Jello was invented to not only eliminate the time intense process of boiling hooves but to create a product with uniformed , predictable results. In that simple vanity step, a protective food source was taken from our diets in exchange for the ability to watch it wiggle and jiggle every time. Gone were the congealed salads and gelatin courses and in came Jigglers and so forth.Makes you go "Hmmmmm"