Bone broth is a staple in our home. I save bones from meals out, roast chicken, and bone-in cuts of meat we enjoy at home and it all gets thrown into the Instant Pot for a nutrient rich, homemade staple that gets used in rice, for soups, or even as a hot beverage when the temperature dips below 30 degrees. I always keep a stash of broth in the freezer for quick thawing and use in the kitchen.

Bone broth is rich in minerals and collagen and, while research is not definitive, historically and anecdotally we witness bone broth as being nourishing and restorative for those who are ill, helpful in healing the digestive tract, nourishing for autoimmunity and beneficial in injury or surgery recovery. I boost the mineral content further by adding seaweed or nettles to my brew, but these aren’t necessary if you do not have them on hand. Here are some other uses for bone broth:

• Sauté cauliflower rice in bone broth for extra flavor
• Drink it on cold days or when you are fighting seasonal illnesses
• Make a quick gravy whenever you feel like it!
• Braise meats and veggies with broth instead of water
• Use instead of water for savory quinoa or rice dishes
• Replace chicken or beef stock from the store with homemade bone broth when making soups
• If you have a dehydrator, try dehydrating broth to make your own bouillon powder.
• Add it to mashed potatoes or other mashed veggies

Bone broth is rich in collagen, making it an essential food for healthy skin and bones. I drank it throughout my pregnancy and my stretch marks were minimal, despite putting 60 pounds on my 5’2″ frame in my mid thirties. I attribute this mainly to the bone broth, as I’m the oldest in my family to deliver their first born and emerged with fewer stretch marks than those in the family who had their first children between 20 and 30, and gained less weight than I did. This experience has made me a lifelong fan!

Cooking bone broth in a pressure cooker several hours or a slow cooker for 24 hours or longer will soften the bones and allow minerals such as calcium and iron and other minerals as well as amino acids that may benefit gut, skin and joint health to enrich the broth. If using a chicken carcass, I simmer my broth until I can crush the bones with my hands. This can take 18-24 hours in a slow cooker (add water once or twice throughout the simmering period) or 1-2 hours in an Instant Pot.

Over time I have deviated from the recipe below and now just add kitchen scraps (onion skins, celery, zucchini ends, etc) that I store in the freezer with leftover bones and random herbs, but the recipe below is a great place to start if you are introducing yourself to making your own broth. Give it a try and let me know what you think!

Homemade Bone Broth

• 1 pound of scrap bones (soup bones, chicken carcass, marrow bones, etc)
• 3-5 cloves garlic, crushed
• 2 carrots, sliced lengthwise and coarsely chopped
• 2 parsnips, cut lengthwise and coarsely chopped
• 3 stalks celery, leaves included, coarsely chopped
• 1 inch piece of ginger, sliced
• 1/2 onion (no need to peel or chop)
• 3 pieces of wakame (OPTIONAL: this sea veg is rich in iron, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus and other trace minerals)
• 6-8 peppercorns
• 3 bay leaves
• 8 cups of filtered water
• 2 tbsp. vinegar (critical – it’s acidic nature is key to pulling minerals from deep within bones)
• 1 tbsp. fish sauce (adds a nice depth of flavor)
• Salt to taste

Slowcooker Instructions:

1) Crush garlic and set aside.

2) Place veggies and bones into slow cooker pot. Add sea vegetables and spices.

3) Cover with water, vinegar and fish sauce.

4) Set slow cooker on low for 18-24 hours.

5) Strain broth, discarding vegetables. Bones may be saved and reused once if desired.

Makes 2 quarts of broth.

Instant Pot Instructions:

1) Crush garlic and set aside.

2) Place veggies and bones into Instant pot. Add sea vegetables and spices.

3) Cover with water, vinegar and fish sauce.

4) In Manual mode, set Instant Pot to pressure cook for 1 hour.

5) Strain broth, discarding vegetables. Bones may be saved and reused once if desired.

Makes 2 quarts of broth.