Immune Healthy Bone Broth

As we drift into autumn with its cooler temperatures and shifting colors, immune health moves to the front of many minds. Bone broth provides immune support and helps satisfy the natural craving for soups and heartier, warmer foods this time of year. A nourished and healthy body is foundational for immune health. Bone broth is deeply nutritious and nourishing; it contains fat, protein, collagen, and minerals. The collagen and minerals are bioavailable in this preparation, meaning our body is more easily able to use them! The reason for this is that the long slow simmering of bones draws them out. This means bone broth is also a great food during an acute illness. Sipping on bone broth throughout the day when you’re unable to keep solid foods down is helpful because it’s so nutrient dense and easier to digest.

Making bone broth is as simple as simmering bones for 6+ hours but there are some tips and tricks for getting a great broth.

The first thing to note is that you want to source your bones carefully. Conventional chicken and beef bones aren’t ideal. Bones store heavy metals and other toxins, which then leech readily into broth. Look for organic grass-fed beef bones and pasture raised chicken bones. The healthier the animal was, the better the broth.

Next, for a flavorful broth you can use bones from a meal you already cooked, like the remains of a whole chicken. If you purchase soup bones, salting them and then roasting at 400 degrees for 30 minutes first will give them great flavor. Using collagen rich bits like knuckle bones and chicken feet will give you a bone broth that gels at room temperature. There’s nothing better than that bone broth jiggle! 

Finally, while bone broth only requires bones + water, there are add ins that bring it to the next level. A tablespoon or two of an acid like lemon juice or apple cider vinegar helps draw minerals out of the bones more effectively. Medicinal mushrooms like maitake and shiitake taste good and are immunomodulating. That’s a fancy way of saying they help the immune system either rev up or calm down as needed. Seaweeds, such as kombu, add flavor, vitamins, minerals, and iodine. And a wide array of herbal add ins will give different benefits. Adding calendula flowers for the last 30 minutes of the simmer provides lymph support. Ginger and turmeric boost flavor and are anti-inflammatory. Aromatic culinary herbs like thyme, rosemary, and sage add flavor and are antibacterial. Astragalus provides immune support.

Making it at home is much more affordable than buying good quality bone broth. Once cooled down it will store well in glass jars in the fridge. You can use it in place of water while cooking. Cooking your rice with broth instead of water or adding it to vegetables as they sauté is an easy way to add all that yummy collagen, protein, vitamins, and minerals into foods you already like.

So get simmering and make sure to send photos of your delicious and nutritious creations!