Bone Broth

Bone broth contains an abundance of healing compounds that seal and heal the gut lining, support the immune system, skin and bone health. I often use bone broths to cook grains, and as the base of curries and stews. In winter, it provides a cozy hug when sipped on like a cup of tea.

Essentially, there isn’t a recipe that needs to be followed, rather, utilise those half-used veggies lurking at the back of the fridge! Freezing vegetable off-cuts (such as the ends of carrots, onions and celery) in a container until you’re ready to make your broth is another idea. This is a great way to make your money go further (hello rising food prices!) and reduce food wastage.

As long as you use bones, filtered/ boiled water, apple cider vinegar (which allows the goodness from the bones to be released) and whatever veggies you have- you honestly can’t go wrong! However, for the sake of inspiration, here is a recipe…

Makes plenty l 12 hours

You will need:

Bones of 1 chicken (beef or lamb could be used here too)

4L filtered/ boiled water (or enough to fill your slow-cooker)

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

1/2 bulb garlic, cloves cut in half

2 carrots, cut into chunks

1 broccoli stalk, cut into chunks

Fresh ginger, grated

Fresh turmeric, grated (or powder)

2 tsp dried astragalus* root

1 handful gotu kola* leaves

1 handful parsley, roughly cut

2 celery leaves and stalks, roughly cut

Salt & pepper

Instructions:

Place everything into a slow cooker- I normally leave it on a low setting for about 6-8hrs then turn it up to high for the remaining 4-6hrs (normally 12 hrs in total if I’m using chicken frames).

Once the brew has cooled down, remove all solid components with a strainer. Then with a funnel, tip the liquid goodness into glass jars and store freezer until required. I normally aim for approx. 2 cups of liquid per jar- roughly enough for one meal. Alternatively, freeze the liquid into large ice cube trays for greater flexibility.

*herbs commonly used in naturopathy for various conditions (at a higher strength). To my surprise I picked up the gotu kola from the Invercargill farmers market and the astragalus from an organic store out of town. These are not essential for a broth! Fresh, spray-free nettle (yes, the stinging one) would be another nutrient-dense herb that could be used too!