The many benefits of bone broth are the primary reason I like to use it for cooking or sipping. Sometimes I use homemade bone broth, but I always make sure to have cartons of it in my pantry.
Note: This article is not meant to be used as medical advice. Consult with your physician if you have any health issues that need to be addressed. Go to your doctor who can provide medical advice before beginning any type of diet.
Bone broth has been a hot topic among many health-conscious people for decades … or even centuries. Some of the bone broth benefits include boosting the immune system and decreasing joint pain, to aiding in weight loss.
For the recipe that I use, with exact measurements, you’ll find a printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
What is Bone Broth?
Bone broth is made by simmering bones in water with vegetables and herbs for an extended period of time. The resulting liquid is packed with nutrients and full of flavor.
I use bone broth for making soup, but I also enjoy the different bone broths for sipping. Drinking bone broth before bedtime is relaxing and sleep-inducing without the harmful side effects of drugs. I like it piping hot, but it’s still good when it’s slightly warmer than room temperature.
Reasons to Add Bone Broth to Your Diet
Whether you use beef bone broth or chicken bone broth, you’ll discover many ways you use it. And that’s good because of its high nutritional value.
According to the Cleveland Clinic, there are numerous reasons to add bone broth to your diet. Here are some of them:
- Versatility of the broth that can be used in soups, stews, and gravies.
- Bone broth collagen is good for hair, nails, and skin.
- It contains amino acids glycine, arginine, glutamate, alanine, hydroxyproline, and more that help with bones, muscle, and connective tissue.
- If made properly, it contains electrolytes that are essential to good health
- The digestive health that it provides includes healing the gut and reducing the incidence of diarrhea.
Here are just a few more reasons why I think you should consider adding bone broth to your diet:
- Bone broth is high in protein and minerals like calcium, magnesium, and phosphorus.
- It’s rich in collagen, which can help improve joint health.
- The gelatin found in bone broth can help digestion and reduce inflammation throughout the body
- Bone broth can help improve sleep when sipped before bedtime.
- The amino acids found in bone broth help with pain relief and reduce muscle soreness after exercise.
- It helps relieve tension and stress.
- Bone broth has mood boosters due to the gut-brain connection.
- It has anti-aging properties because of its high antioxidant content.
- Adding a cup of bone broth to your diet each day is an inexpensive way to boost collagen production, reduce inflammation, support joint health, and improve gut health.
- It’s a healthy ingredient to add flavor to many different recipes.
Tips for Making It at Home
Making bone broth from scratch is more cost-effective than buying it from the market. You can also choose the ingredients you want to add depending on your needs. You’ll also know that your homemade bone broth contains only the ingredients you add.
There are many different bone broth recipes, so try a few to see which you prefer. I use either beef bones or chicken bones from a rotisserie chicken.
*Note: Just keep in mind that if you make a bone broth with beef bones, it will gel when it cools down after simmering. You may need to remove some fat from the top before using or storing it. Or you can keep the fat and melt it when you heat it back up.
How to Store Bone Broth
You can store homemade bone broth in an airtight container for up to 5 days in the fridge and up to 6 months in the freezer. I like using mason jars because they’re cost-effective and BPA-free.
Some people prefer freezing their bone broth into ice cube trays so they only thaw enough at one time. If you choose this method, just be sure to use the cubes within 3-4 weeks.
Bone broth can also be found in shelf-stable cartons with a long shelf life in most stores and online. I’ve bought mine from a variety of different places, and so far, all of them are good.
I like to keep cartons of both beef and chicken bone broth in my pantry for those times when I can’t make it from scratch.
Many brands have a low-sodium option. If you are trying to limit your salt intake, that would be a good one to choose. However, when you make it yourself, you control the amount of sodium you add.
You can also purchase bone broth in powdered form from companies such as Bluebird Provisions. They offer high quality products at a price you can afford.
How to Use Bone Broth
Now that you know how to make bone broth and how long you can store it in your fridge or freezer, here are some tips for using it: Add 2 cups of chicken or beef bone broth to your own homemade soup recipe. This provides more flavor than water alone will give.
A cup of sipping bone broth is a comforting beverage that aids digestion before bedtime. Add 1 teaspoon of collagen peptides from grass-fed sources like Great Lakes Gelatin or Vital Proteins. Stir into any juice or smoothie for added protein and nourishment.
When I learned how to make bone broth, it became an essential part of my diet for health reasons. It’s high in nutrients that benefit your body in many ways, which is especially helpful if you’re looking for solutions to common ills like arthritis or inflammatory bowel disease.
*Note: If you already have issues with food sensitivities, such as dairy, gluten, etc., check the ingredients on any store-bought bone broth before drinking it. I use vegetables and herbs that I know contain ingredients that agree with my system. Or you can make bone broth at home without adding anything but water.
Ingredients
When you make bone broth from scratch, you’ll need either beef bones (neck) or the bones from a whole chicken, 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar, 2 teaspoons sea salt, and 6 cups of cold water.
I like to use natural apple cider vinegar, but if you can’t find it, use whatever type of vinegar you have. For extra nutrition, I add a couple of diced carrots and chopped celery. But that’s not necessary.
I have made smaller amounts when I don’t have the bones of a whole chicken. You can also combine beef and chicken bones from scraps that you’ve saved in the freezer.
The type of salt I use is Himalayan salt that contains additional nutrients. It’s pinkish in color, but that doesn’t bother me.
However, you can use sea salt, regular table salt, or kosher salt if that’s what you have.
Directions
If you’re looking for an easy way for how to make bone broth, this is it. I’ve seen more complicated instructions that require more time and attention than I have to give.
1. Place the bones in a 6-quart slow cooker and fill with enough water to cover (about 6 cups). Add the apple cider vinegar, sea salt, celery, and carrots.
2. Put the lid on the slow cooker, turn heat to low, and let simmer for at least 24 hours or up to 48 hours depending on how much time you have. Skim the top of the broth every few hours if a foam rises during cooking.
3. After simmering for at least 24 hours, strain the broth through a strainer lined with cheesecloth into glass containers or large bowl if using immediately after making bone broth.
Discard any solids left behind in cheesecloth or save them to add flavor to other dishes like soups or stews! Store your homemade bone broth in the fridge for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 6 months.
*Note: If you have leftovers, be sure to store it in an airtight container so it doesn’t absorb other flavors in your fridge. You can also freeze bone broth in ice cube form using a silicone mold then transfer them into labeled freezer-safe bags for storage. A cup of sipping broth is very nourishing, especially right before bedtime.
What is a Bone Broth Diet?
Some people follow a rigid a rigid diet of consuming bone broth along with a limited selection of other foods. They feel that the health benefits of cutting harmful foods from their diets makes them feel better and gives them overall better health.
They either drink bone broth or add them to some of these ingredients:
- Beef, chicken, or fish
- Low carb vegetables such as broccoli cabbage, zucchini, eggplant, and cauliflower
- Greens (spinach, arugula, kale, collards, etc.)
- Beneficial fats such as olive oil, coconut oil, and nuts
Some people feel that they have better digestive health as well as stronger connective tissue throughout their bodies.
Delicious Recipes with Bone Broth
Whenever a dish calls for broth or stock, I usually use bone broth. If I have the homemade version, I use that. However, most of the time, I use store-bought bone broth.
Here are some of our favorite recipes with bone broth:
Mandarin Orange Ginger Chicken
Homemade Bone Broth
Homemade bone broth is easy to make, and it adds so much nutrition to your diet!
Ingredients
- 6 to 8 raw beef bones (or bones from a whole chicken)
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 2 teaspoons of sea salt
- 6 cups of cold water
- 1 cup of diced carrots
- 1 cup of diced celery
Instructions
- Place the bones in a 6-quart slow cooker and fill with enough water to cover (about 6 cups).
- Add the apple cider vinegar and sea salt.
- Put the lid on the slow cooker, turn heat to low, and let simmer for at least 24 hours or up to 48 hours depending on how much time you have.
- Skim the top of the broth every few hours if a foam rises during cooking.
- After simmering for at least 24 hours, strain the broth through a strainer lined with cheesecloth into glass containers or large bowl if using immediately after making bone broth.
- Discard any solids left behind in cheesecloth or save them to add flavor to other dishes like soups or stews!
- Store your homemade bone broth in the fridge for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 6 months.
Notes
Just keep in mind that if you make a bone broth with beef bones, it will gel when it cools down after simmering. You may need to remove some fat from the top before using or storing it.
Nutrition Information
Yield
6Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 368Total Fat 26gSaturated Fat 11gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 12gCholesterol 100mgSodium 831mgCarbohydrates 3gFiber 1gSugar 1gProtein 29g
The nutrition information is a product of online calculators. I try to provide true and accurate information, but these numbers are estimates.
Anne
Saturday 4th of November 2023
Hi! This sounds great, but I don't have a slow cooker. Should I simmer it for a similar amount of time in a large pot? Thanks!
southernhomeexpress
Sunday 5th of November 2023
Hi Anne. If you simmer it on the stovetop in a large pot, you'll need to stay with it. And I don't recommend leaving the stove on overnight. So if you do this, just simmer it as long as possible while you're home. The main thing to remember is that the longer you simmer it, the more nutrients will be in the broth.
Australian Bone Broth
Thursday 15th of June 2023
Great post shared. Consuming bone broth provides micro-nutrients, important amino acids and minerals that improves overall immune system function.