There’s something about the aroma of bone broth simmering on the stove that is completely comforting, reminiscent of the holidays or those cold winter days when nothing other than homemade chicken soup will banish the chill.

The knowledge that it is also completely healthy makes that broth smell even better.

During this time of year when the flu and cold season hits hard, you can fight back with an immunity boosting bone broth recipe that can help alleviate the common cold and even bronchitis.

For those you who have had the flu or kids have gotten sick, this year has been a doozy for us. I can’t even begin to praise the fact that this soup has made getting the flu a bit more bare-able- if that’s even possible! It one of more amazing home remedies for coughs and colds!

Benefits of bone broth

Bone broth actually became popular along with the Paleo diet, which focuses on foods that our caveman cousins consumed, and eschews anything processed.

The numerous health benefits of bone broth – it helps build muscle, control inflammation, strengthen bones and teeth, promote weight loss, help establish better gut bacteria for improved mood and immune system, among others – makes it ideal for keto diets, as well. ¹

Because the bones are cooked for such a long time, they release collagen – the main protein that makes up the structural layer of skin – as well as a wide range of other nutrients that can boost health. ²

“Homemade broth, of course, is a whole food product. It’s a slow food, whole food, and real food that has been nourishing and healing people for tens of thousands of years,” wrote Sally Fallon Morell in her book “Nourishing Broth: An Old-Fashioned Remedy for the Modern World.”

The best bone broth should be cooked for hours, much longer than traditional soup broth or stock, to ensure that everything good is extracted from the bones.

In addition to collagen, this broth produces glucosamine, which has been shown to help reduce symptoms of arthritis and joint pain, along with amino acids, which are especially important because of the anti-inflammatory effects they offer. Chronic inflammation is a precursor to a host of health problems including type 2 diabetes.

Other benefits of bone broth thanks to the wide range of nutrients if offers include:

A healthy digestive system
Stronger bones
Stronger nails
Improved sleep
Better athletic performance
An improved mood

With so many health benefits, bone broth is one of the best examples of why Hippocrates earned the title of the father of modern medicine for his quote. “Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.” Food is more than just sustenance or fuel for our body, but truly fuel for our soul.

Making your own broth

Your bone broth recipe can be made from any bones you have on hand, including chicken, beef, pork and fish – or even venison. Fresh meat bones can be especially delicious if you can find them at a local butcher or farm.

I usually use beef as they are much easier to find around town, but my friend in Minnesota swears by her buffalo broth. She sells it at their local farmers market and the whole town stays healthy during even the hardest winter months.

When using animal bones, use marrow bones or joint connections, as well as bones with some actual meat, This will ensure that you have enough bones to make a delicious more flavorful broth.

No matter what protein you choose for your bone broth, using the right bones – knuckle, joint, feet, and neck bones – is important, since they have the most cartilage and will elevate the levels of collagen in your broth.

The secret to the best bone broth is to simmer it for days – 24 to 72 hours – to draw all of the good things out of the bones.

Since most of us can’t oversee broth for that long, natural health expert Dr. Joseph Mercola recommends turning it off at night, covering the pot and starting again in the morning if you are concerned about leaving a simmering pot on the stove overnight. ⁴

It’s important not to cut the cook time short. Because unlike soup stock or broth – which become flavorful after a few hours, this broth takes that long to extract the nutrients we need from the bones, including cartilage and marrow.

Keto Bone Broth Recipe

Delicious warm and extra healthy bone broth

Prep Time 1

Cook Time 2

Servings 12 servings

Equipment

X-Large Pot with Lid

Ingredients

5 pounds Beef bones some with marrow, some with meat
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
4 quarts water
3 stalks celery tops included, cut into large pieces
3 carrots washed but not peeled, cut into large pieces
3 onions peeled and quartered
1 tbsp sea salt
2 tsp black peppercorns
1 handful fresh parsley
3 cloves garlic peeled

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and roast the bones for about a half hour to boost the flavor of your broth.
After they’ve roasted, place the bones and any drippings in a large stockpot and cover them with the apple cider vinegar and water. Allow the bones to sit in the water bath for about an hour or so. The acid encourages the bones to better release nutrients.
Add the vegetables, salt, peppercorns, and more water if necessary. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce it to a low simmer. Cover and cook for at least 24 hours, but 72 hours will produce the best results.
Several times during the first few hours of the cooking process, skim off any impurities that rise to the surface and discard.
During the last half hour, add the parsley and garlic to boost both flavor and nutrients.
Let the broth cool, then strain it through a sieve to collect the bones and bits of vegetable.
Store in a glass jar in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Your broth can also be frozen.

After the broth has been made, you can use it to create a number of other soup dishes or meals as well. I use it to flavor stews and meat dishes or to add to rice or in Ramen. Yum!

Drinking the broth as is, is perfectly wonderful as well. Just heat up a mug and sip away for a nice afternoon snack.

The secret to a really great and nutritious bone broth recipe is truly the timing here. If you let the stock sit and absorb all the herbs and allow the all the good collagen to come out then you will have some amazing flavor bomb soup!

Sipping bone broth before meals have been proven to reduce hunger making you eat less at meals. This is great if you are trying to lose a few pounds. During the Holiday season when you are stuffing your face full of leftover turkey breast and peppermint bark, a filling mug of bone broth is more than ideal.

Kids can benefit from all the natural healing power of bone broth as well. If you get them accustomed to having a small bowl before dinner, the routine can encourage healthy eating habits. And the nutrients gained will improve their immunity, digestion and also their brain health. You might be ok even if they don’t finish all their veggies.

We truly feel that giving your family the best foods, gives them the best chance at success. Bone broth is up there as one of our top ten healthy foods.

If you have a favorite broth recipe, let us know in the comments, we would love to try it out!

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