If you grew up sipping on homemade broth when you were sick or as the base for your favorite soup, chances are you’ve probably tried bone broth before without even knowing it. What is it that differentiates bone broth from regular broth or stock? Bone broth is made with roasted beef bones that are gently simmered in water for at least six hours all the way up to 24 hours and beyond, resulting in an incredibly soothing and rich broth that could potentially be beneficial to your health.
Bone broth is great for your skin.
Bone broth contains an abundance of collagen, a protein that is found in our bones, tendons, skin, digestive systems, and muscles. You might remember seeing it in skincare products or in supplement form and with good reason. Collagen has been proven to help maintain aging skin’s elasticity and prevent overly dry skin.
Sip on bone broth for healthy hair.
The collagen found in bone broth has also shown potential as a hair thickener in women who are dealing with hair loss. In a double-blind study where some women were taking a placebo and other women took a collagen supplement, those taking collagen in supplement form reported significant increase in hair growth after 90 and 180 days of supplementation.
Bone Broth and Glycine
Bone broth is rich in glycine, an amino acid that makes up protein in your body. Glycine is considered a non-essential amino acid, which means that it can be made by other amino acids in the body. Recent studies have suggested that our bodies might actually need some additional outside help with producing enough glycine, giving you one more reason to include bone broth in your diet.
Glycine and Gut Health
If you’re prone to stomach ulcers and other similar inflammatory conditions, the glycine found in bone broth may be a beneficial supplement to any other course of treatment you might be pursuing. Glycine plays a huge role in preserving and protecting your intestinal walls by inhibiting gastric secretion, which can eventually lead to leaky gut syndrome, persistent stomach ulcers, or other inflammatory diseases.
Making Bone Broth at Home
Bone broth couldn’t be simpler to make. All it requires is beef bones and time. Beef bones can be purchased from your local butcher or they can be saved in the freezer as leftovers. Bone broth doesn’t need as many vegetables and aromatics as a soup stock because it has so much time to develop its deeply savory flavor as it simmers.
Don’t skip the roasting!
Begin by roasting the bones in a 450-degree oven for 40 minutes, turning once or twice to ensure even browning. Aromatics such as garlic, onions, and leeks may also be roasted alongside the bones.
Low and Slow Heat
Transfer the contents of the roasting pan to a slow cooker or stock pot and cover with 12 cups of water. Simmer the bone broth, covered, for 6 to 24 hours over very low heat before allowing the bone broth to come to room temperature. Carefully pour the bone broth through a sieve and store in the fridge for up to three days or the freezer until your next bone broth craving hits.
How to Enjoy Bone Broth
Bone broth can be consumed on its own, sipped piping hot from a mug on a cold day, or it can be used as the base for any of your favorite soup recipes. Cooked rice, noodles, or tofu can be added to give the broth some heft. Bone broth can also be blended with roasted or steamed vegetables to make a creamy, protein-rich soup in under five minutes.