Shelley Pagitt

The tradition of making homemade stock and broth has been creeping back into mainstream kitchens after being lost to Swanson’s boxes for decades. This, is a great thing.

Stock, or bone broth, is rich in flavor and minerals and other micro nutrients. Most of us (read-everyone) are mineral deficient. Our diets lack minerals because the foods we eat grow in soil depleted of microorganisms with chemicals that force growth rather than nutrient rich soil that produces life giving food.
Other high mineral foods we no longer consume include; sea vegetables, bone marrow, unprocessed sea salt and mineral rich mountain water.

We can increase our minerals, the building blocks to all vitamins, by making bone broth or vegetable broth. Bones are a storehouse of minerals and by boiling them for 12-24 hours the minerals disperse into the broth and we reap the tasty benefits.

There are a few options for making bone broth. My favorite, and most thrifty, is to roast a chicken for one meal. Use the left over meat for a second meal and the bones for a third meal. Here’s how I do it.
I save the bones in a ziploc bag and freeze them if I’m not making broth right away. I also save the ends of my veggies, as I cook throughout the week in a separate freezer bag. When I’m ready to make broth I fill a heavy pot with water, add the bones and a handful of frozen veggie ends with a Tablespoon of sea salt, a few cracks of fresh pepper and a piece of sea vegetable (I like the mild flavor of kombu). Make sure the bones are covered with water and bring it to a boil. Turn the heat to low. Cover and simmer for 12-24 hours. Check your pot halfway through (for sure before you go to bed) and make sure there is enough water to make it through the remaining time).

When it is complete, remove from the heat. Strain broth and let it cool. The gelatinous top layer is just that, collagen rich gelatin. Great for hair, skin, nails and bones. Use the broth within a few days or freeze it for later use.