Bone Broth Soup
It took me forever to get on board with the gluten-free diet. Once I did I felt so……empty. Really, I felt like I was free of the load I was carrying around. That awful bloat some refer to as a ‘food baby’. I’m only about 90% gluten-free but I swear by the benefits. You will lose weight and you will feel better.
It took me just as long to get started with bone broth. The name alone gave me….yeah, yuck. I bought a ready-made carton of the broth (chicken) at Baron’s. I made sure it was organic, no added salt, and the chickens were raised humanely. The usual reports say home-brew has far more health benefits than store-bought. But I really wanted to give it a taste before moving ahead. I was pleasantly surprised. It was quite bland and that was a relief. Because….bone marrow 😐 So each day, until it was gone, I had a small tea cup of the broth. I then anxiously made my own chicken bone broth from scratch.
Is it really supposed to take 24 hours?
My first mistake was using a crock pot. Along with organic chicken bones I added all my favorite seasonings………rosemary, cilantro, ginger, turmeric, black pepper, and a lot of water. My beloved slow cooker tried and tried. After 12 hours I checked on the bones. Hard as a damn rock. I put the lid back on and went to bed. The next morning, my kitchen smelled fabulous from all the herbs, but the bones remained far from the supple expressions I’d read about. Another 6 hours later and zero progress. After another couple of hours I gave up. Drained the solids and enjoyed my almost bone broth.
Round two. A large pot on the stove over a gas flame for 12 hours. I eventually let the broth cool, took out the bones, cracked them in half, and put them back in the water for another 8 hours. I could see the marrow had not cleared the bones but I was tired of babysitting the pot of boiling water. Drained the solids and enjoyed the soup.
My third and final attempt was using beef bones. Twenty-four hours in boiling water led to nothing. You cannot break beef bones in half. If you run the bones over with your car the bones will not break. I you swear at them while using a hammer they will not break. I could SEE the marrow but it refused to cooperate. Maybe I expelled some of the nutrients I was striving for. Maybe I just made a placebo soup. Regardless. Roots over by the Promenade mall sells bone broth soup and I no longer feel the need to watch water boil for hours on end.
Even through the hot summer I enjoyed a pot a week.
Honest benefits? Last month I was very happy to hear my Doctor say the results of my last physical (blood work) was the best I’ve had in the last 5 years. Lastly, the awful bursitis in my left hand, which a surgeon says requires surgery to relieve the pain, is far less painful than it was before I added the broth to my diet. Less pain, less pills. NO surgery!
Here are some of the health benefits I found on a general search:
- Rich in minerals that support the immune system. Minerals such as collagen, glutamine, glycerine, and proline.
- The phosphorus, magnesium, and calcium in the bones add essential building blocks to OUR healthier bones.
- On most accounts, reviewers noticed an increase in energy.
- This “superfood” can help protect your joints. The glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate feed your joints to keep them healthy and pain-free.
- Since the broth is a rich source of collagen, our hair, nails, and skin benefit from the inside out.
- It’s delicious AND very economical.
ENJOY!
Fresh rosemary, turmeric root (shaved), Shiitakes, pepper, bay leaves, and fresh ginger (not pictured).
WITH GRACE AND CARE 