What is bone broth? Similar to “regular” broth, it’s made by simmering meaty bones with herbs, spices, and vegetables. The main difference is the amount of time the two broths are cooked. To make regular broth, you simmer your ingredients for 45 minutes to two hours to get a light-colored, thin liquid that works well for soups, steaming vegetables or boiling rice or potatoes.
Bone broth is cooked a much longer time – often 24 hours or more. The resulting liquid is darker and thicker, thanks to the collagen and minerals that are extracted from the bones. You can also use bone broth in a variety of recipes, especially those that call for poaching, braising or a rich-tasting broth.
You can make your own bone broth at home by roasting meaty bones in the oven and then simmering them for a day, or you can buy pre-made bone broth in our stores. Look for Pacific Organic Bone Broth made with chicken or turkey, or try Kitchen Accomplice’s concentrated Organic Beef Bone Broth – simply add water to get the flavor and consistency you prefer.
Broth has been eaten since the beginning of recorded history and often used as a restorative drink. It was also an easy way to get the most benefit from leftover food scraps and all parts of an animal. Today, sipping on bone broth has become a hot trend for those who are trying to get back to eating traditional health foods from our past made with simple ingredients.
Bone broth can be a good way to get more protein and electrolytes in your diet with few calories (1) and many brands are made with less sodium for heart health. Some people believe the collagen and amino acid mixture in bone broth can benefit your health, but there’s little research to back up the claims and many experts agree the nutrient profile of bone broth is hardly unique. Still, bone broth is a delicious way to warm up on a cool day and you might notice your own benefits from sipping it.
(1) Manufacturers’ product labels