Traditional Bone Broth Recipe
I like to save the bones from meals our family has eaten throughout the week in a freezer bag and keep adding to it. I usually keep chicken, lamb and beef separate but sometimes if I don’t have enough of one I just end up mixing them all up together. If you don’t have a lot of bones, another option is to ask your butcher for them which they usually sell for quite cheap, in which case, especially for lamb and beef I would recommend roasting the bones for 30 mins at 200C in the oven before to enhance the flavour.
Chicken bones usually take less time to make broth from as they are smaller. I like to use my Instant Pot and set it on slow cook for a least 12 and up to 24 hours. With lamb and beef bones I like to keep them in for 48 hours. If you’re doing it on the stovetop I wouldn’t recommend using a gas hob and investing in a plug in induction to avoid having fumes circulating your house for such prolonged periods.
I’ve included optional add-ins if you want to make it more flavourful, but recommend starting with the basic recipe and making it a staple in your house that is on rotation weekly.
During pregnancy bone broth can be a great source of nourishment for mama’s experiencing morning sickness and unable to keep much food down. It provides hydration, essential amino acids and some protein.
For the postpartum period it’s essential for mamas as it helps with the recovery period. It’s a great source of hard-to-find nutrients, gelatin and collagen, which are key in building and supporting connective tissue. I suggest making big batches and freezing it before baby arrives so you can easily reheat and pour into a cup to sip on as a drink throughout the day.
Once baby has started solids, bone broth can help broaden baby’s palate as breast milk (and formula) are quite sweet, so offering this nutrient-dense savoury beverage helps diversify their palate. You can incorporate it easily by offering sips in a bottle or cooking vegetables with it, adding to purees, and soups. It also contains glucosamine and chondroitin, which are among two of the most important nutrients for joint care and will assist in the development of a baby’s joints.
TIP: If chicken feet are available from your butcher, add several to the pot. It'll boost the broth further, adding chicken feet to the broth while brewing significantly increases its collagen content. The more a broth gels when cooled, the more collagen it contains.
Makes 2 Litres
1-1.2 kg leftover chicken bones or carcass / lamb bones / beef bones, organic or free-range preferred
3 litres filtered water
2 tablespoons vinegar (apple cider, rice vinegar, white vinegar etc..)
1 medium white or yellow onion, peeled
5-cm knob of fresh ginger
2 whole garlic cloves, peeled
2 medium carrots, not peeled
Sea salt/ Himalayan pink salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Optional add ins:
celery sticks and leaves
pinch of saffron
1 tablespoon coriander seeds
2-3 jujube’s
2-3 leek or spring onion greens
handful of mushrooms (shiitake are my favourite)
herbs like sage, rosemary, thyme, oregano
seaweed
Method:
Add everything to a large pot or slow cooker and fill with water, making sure bones are covered.
If using a slow cooker, set the timer to 12-24 hours for chicken or 24-48 hours for lamb/beef. If using a pot on the stove bring to a simmer with the lid off until the liquid has reduced by half.
Let the broth cool before straining, saving any meat, and discarding the rest.
Pour the broth into glass jars, leaving 5 cm headspace at the top for the ones you want to freeze. It will keep in the fridge for 5 days and in the freezer for up to 3 months. To defrost, place a jar or two in the fridge the night before.