Collagen

Recipe: Bone Broth

*This recipe accompanies the collagen post. Click here to read about the benefits of collagen for the skin. 

If you have not already been making bone broth at home, you have been missing out! Although bone broth needs to cook for a long time, it is easy to make. All you need are leftover bones from the roast chicken you cooked the previous night, as well as a few ingredients you already have in your kitchen. Never again throw out leftover bones. They can be transformed into something wonderful, healthy, and delicious!

The nice thing about bone broth is the recipe can be varied depending on what you have in your refrigerator. Start with the essentials: bones, onions, garlic, salt, pepper, vinegar, and water. I usually add carrots to give the broth a little sweetness, but they are not essential. Celery and herbs are also optional.

Next, bring the pot to a boil, cover, and simmer for at least 10 hours. The length of time is key to extracting sufficient quantities of collagen from the bones. I usually start in the morning, and keep the pot simmering on low throughout the day. You just need to check on your broth intermittently. It’s a perfect activity for the weekend or day off. Having an Instapot or pressure cooker can greatly reduce cooking times.

After cooking the broth for 10-12 hours, drain into a large bowl using a fine mesh strainer. Then, ladle it into individual mason jars for sipping, ice cube trays for freezing, or storage containers for later use in chicken soup or other recipes. 

Recipe

Ingredients:

• Whole chicken carcass, including neck bones
• 3 medium onions, halved (skin left on)
• 1 whole garlic head, halved (skin left on)
• 4 medium carrots, peeled
• 2 stalks of celery
• 5-6 sprigs of thyme
• 5-6 sprigs of parsley
• 6-8 whole black peppercorns
• 1 tsp salt 
• Splash of apple cider vinegar
• 1 bay leaf (optional)
• 15 cups of water (enough to cover the top of chicken carcass by 1 inch)

Directions:

1. In a large stock pot, combine bones, vegetables, and herbs.
2. Cover ingredients with approximately 1-inch of water and add a splash of apple cider vinegar.
3. Bring to a rolling boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, for a minimum of 10 hours. 
4. Using a fine-mesh strainer, strain into a large bowl or pot.
5. Ladle into individual mason jars, use in soups, or freeze.
6. Bone broth can be kept for 3-4 days in the refrigerator and 3 months in the freezer.

Tips: 

• Adding bone broth to recipes, like chicken noodle soup, can elevate the taste and nutrition of the dish. Freeze the broth in small containers for use in later recipes.
• Using ice cube trays to freeze your bone broth is a great way to have small quantities of the broth available to drink or for use in recipes, when needed. 
• Adding a splash of apple cider vinegar to your bone broth helps to extract more collagen from the bones without affecting the flavor. So, don’t skip this step.
• If you are roasting a chicken or turkey, save the bones that are included inside the cavity for later use in your bone broth. The neck bone is a great source of collagen, as is the carcass. 
• A gelatinous texture to the broth is a sign of high collagen content.