I hope you had a fabulous holiday weekend – we did! If you enjoyed a wonderful Thanksgiving meal the chances are high that you have left-overs and bones so here’s a simple bone broth recipe to make good use of all those turkey bones. If you’re not in the USA and don’t celebrate Thanksgiving, just use this any time you’ve cooked turkey or chicken. Growing up in South Africa, we didn’t celebrate Thanksgiving but roast turkey was almost always on the menu on Christmas Day in South Africa.
Chicken or turkey broth recipe
Bones from 1 whole free-range or organic chicken (or turkey – see note below)
4 quarts filtered water (almost 4 litres – South African spelling!)
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 large organic onion, chopped
2 organic carrots, peeled and chopped
3 organic celery sticks, chopped
1 bunch of organic parsley
Place chicken (or turkey) pieces in a large stainless steel pot with water, vinegar and all the vegetables except parsley. Let stand for about 30 minutes to get it all to room temperature. Bring to a boil and remove the scum that rises to the top. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 6-24 hours. The longer you cook it the richer and more flavorful it will be. Add the parsley about 10 minutes before the end of cooking (this provides additional minerals). Strain and put into the fridge until the fat rises to the top and congeals. Skim off this fat (to use or discard) and keep the broth/stock in covered containers in your fridge or freezer.
If you use the bones from a free-range or organic turkey, you may need to double all the above ingredients, depending on the size of the turkey.
I typically start cooking mine early in the morning and leave it simmering until just before bedtime which provides around 15 hours of cooking. You could also use a crock-pot.
You can use the broth/stock as a base for soups, stews and to cook grains. It will add a yummy flavor and provide a nutrient-dense source of minerals such as magnesium, calcium, potassium as well as a wonderful source of gelatin.
Adapted from the Chicken Stock recipe in Sally Fallon’s Nourishing Traditions: The Cookbook that Challenges Politically Correct Nutrition and the Diet Dictocrats
Sally has just co-authored a new book with Kaayla Daniel and it’s all about broths – Nourishing Broth: An Old-Fashioned Remedy for the Modern World. It’s on my list to get!
Hello Trudy,
Right now, there is a thread circulating on BenzoBuddies.org that is claiming cooking bone broth causes the proteins to break down to individual amino acids, which somehow creates MSG.
I’m not willing to give up my bone broth, Trudy! Can you comment?
I am a fan and appreciate what you do for the health of the world.
Sally H
Hi Sally
Great question! the longer you cook the broth, the higher the level of free glutamates. Certain people are sensitive to MSG, and for them free glutamates in a bone broth can be a problem too, causing irritability, anxiety, agitation, insomnia etc. Some people are so sensitive they can’t even eat meat.
Others who are sensitive to MSG do fine with the natural occurring glutamates in foods – I am one of these people.
So it’s really a matter of biochemical individuality and seeing where you are right now. If you’re not sensitive I’d keep enjoying it and getting it’s wonderful healing properties.
Here is an excellent blog post written by Kaalya Daniel, co-author of the new book “Nourishing Broth” http://www.thehealthyhomeeconomist.com/bone-broth-msg-what-you-need-to-know/
Sarah posted this blog that gives instructions on how to make broth that has virtually no glutamate for those that are sensitive: http://www.thehealthyhomeeconomist.com/stock-vs-broth-are-you-confused/
Hope this helps!
Thanks
Thank you Trudy. I’m going to post your answer on BenzoBuddies so it will reach and help so many there.
Thanks Sally – I appreciate this!
Hi Trudy,I have heard that the longer you keep the broth in the fridge after making it that the higher the histamines get in it. So it is best to keep what you will use in the following days up to about 7 days and freeze the rest in portion sizes and use on a need be basis. The freezing stops the histamine increasing in the broth.
Thankyou
Katie
Thanks Katie – good point!
but then the broth is piping hot n u wanna go to bed! i do it overnite n then divide it up/cool it wen i get up.
same thing with beans or mega spaghetti sauce. i have a 7qt crockpot 🙂
Hi Helene
Yes, using a crock-pot overnight is a great idea
Trudy
Trudy! Thanks for this fabulous recipe. I’m sharing with my daughter, our family cook, to try:-)
I had never heard of bone broth until yesterday Trudy (perhaps because I am vegetarian) – yesterday I read this article by an Aussie coach Gary he wrote:
“Many of us suffer from inflammation in our gut. Recently I have been getting into bone broth after hearing how beneficial it can be for our gut and skin. Bone broth, when made properly, contains the bone, cartilage and marrow from grass fed bones to form a broth that is easy to assimilate and healing for the gut. The benefits come mostly from the presence of collagen and gelatin in the bone broth. The collagen is broken down to produce gelatin through the cooking process and the gelatin acts as an aid to digestion which has been linked successfully to the treatment of digestive conditions such as Chron’s disease, constipation, IBS, hyperacidity and colitis.”
Now you have mentioned it too – is it a trend or just the season??
Thank you. This information, including that shared by Heidi, about bone broth is very useful.
Do you have any recommendations for vegetable broth?
Vegetable broth is great too – for the minerals mostly
Trudy,
Appreciate the recipe. We will have to try this one!
Enjoy Mitch!
Great article. I love bone broth and suggest it to many people for a variety of reasons. For those who struggle with making it themselves (some folks are squeamish about the organs, feet, etc) I have made a connection with a personal chef who will make it for them.
In New York City there’s a new place called Brodo which sells fabulous, hot bone broth by the cup. I’m hoping it’s a trend that catches on. http://wellandgood.com/2014/11/05/why-new-yorkers-will-be-sipping-bone-broth-in-coffee-cups-this-winter/
Great idea about the personal chef Mira. And thanks for sharing this link to Brodo – I had also heard about this place recently – isn’t it just wonderful!
I make broth all year long when I cook turkey or chicken. SO YUMMY and versatile and healthy — as you say! <3 (Sometimes I cook my fowl with a lemon or orange inside it, when I do, I add the citrus carcass to the broth, and it seems to add a nice freshness to the result.
XO,
Katherine.
What a great idea!
Great recipe, Trudy. I usually make chicken broth about once a week in my crockpot.
So do I Tiffany
LOVE my bone broth! And thank you for putting together your wonderful seminar online- SO helpful.
Question- I know this say organic or grass fed bones. I buy organic eat but there are not enough bones for a week of soup typically. I can’t buy organic bones here so buying non-organic and/or using my moms (non-organic) bones are the only other option. I am also on a budget so online buying is out of question.
How much worse is using non-organic? I think I heard somewhere that skimming the top off helps to take away some of the toxins.Is this true?
Thanks for your help Trudy!