If you follow my posts you have seen that I use bone broth in many of the recipes! So, some people asked me to have a post on what it is and how I make it at home!
Bone broth is a rich infusion made by boiling bones from healthy (preferably grass-fed, and of course hormone and antibiotic-free) animals (such as, beef, lamb, bison, poultry, fish) with various kinds of veggies, herbs and spices. Bone broth has traditionally been used in many cultures around the world as a staple food. It not only adds amazing taste and additional depth of flavour to different dishes such as stews and soups, but is also a very high nutrient dense food. It is easy to digest and very healing for people with weak or depressed immune systems and severe digestive problems. Bone broth contains a significant amount of essential nutrients such as Collagen, Gelatin, amino acids such as Glycine and Proline, and minerals such as Calcium, Phosphorus, and Magnesium, which are essential for healthy bone, teeth, joints, hair, skin, nails and connective tissue. I personally have seen a lot of improvement in my digestion and immune system function since I’ve started to include bone broth in my diet.

It is very easy and inexpensive to make homemade bone broth and in my opinion it is way more superior (not comparable I should say!) in taste and nutritional value to store-bought versions. That being said, making homemade bone broth requires some planning and long cooking time. So, I always make mine in a large batch overnight and store it in air-tight glass containers and freeze some for later use.

One last thing I would like to emphasize again before sharing the recipe, is that the quality of the bone is crucial in having a nutritious broth. So, look for bones from grass-fed beef or lamb and pastured poultry. I always buy mine from a source I trust at our local farmer’s market.

Ingredients
2.5-3 pounds of a mix of marrow and knuckle bones from healthy grass-fed beef or lamb
3 carrots
3 stalks of celery
2 Tbsp. Lemon Juice (many recipes use vinegar, but I prefer lemon juice)
1/2 Tbsp. Coarse Sea Salt
1 Tsp. Crushed Whole Black Peppercorns
1-2 inch Piece of Ginger (cut into smaller pieces)
about 12 Cups of Cold Filtered Water

Note: You can also use herbs such as parsley (with stems), thyme, and vegetables such as onion, chard (with stems), etc. But I like to keep the flavour more neutral since I use the broth in different dishes (I even add some to my morning breakfast rice pudding or oatmeal!) and I don’t want the flavours to overpower.

Method
1. Wash and roughly chop the vegetables and add to a large stockpot.
2. Add the bones on top of the vegetables and add the water (it should fully cover the bones) and lemon juice.
3. Set the pot over high heat and bring to a boil. During the first hour of simmering, a foamy layer will form on the surface (shown in the pictures above) which contains impurities and you need to scoop it off with a big spoon and throw away.
4. After removing all the foam add the ginger pieces, salt and pepper. Cover the pot, reduce the  heat and simmer for at least 24 hours (up to 48). You might need to add some more boiling water during cooking.
5. Once the broth is done, take out the bones using tongs or slotted spoon. Use a strainer to strain the broth into a large bowl. Let cool a bit, transfer to small glass containers and refrigerate.
6. Once the broth is completely cooled a layer of solid fat forms on top which can be easily removed (some people eat the fat as well, but I tend to remove it). You now have a very thick, jelled broth. You can keep the broth in fridge for 5-7 days and freeze the rest.