Post Written By Sarah Sweeney

Bone broth. If you haven’t heard of it yet, this nutrient packed broth has been gaining popularity in health circles in recent years.

The collagen rich liquid can improve chronic inflammation, does wonders for skin, hair and nails, improves joint and bone health and is even known to boost metabolism. Not to mention is highly digestible making it easy for your body to utilize all of the brothy goodness. The magic happens when you simmer good quality grassfed chicken or beef bones in water with a splash of vinegar.

The best quality bone broth starts with naturally raised, pastured animals. Roasted bones are best, whether you use left over bones from a meal or you roast the bones just prior to use. The veggies and herbs I add will vary depending on what I have on hand. The fresher the better! I prefer to use naturally grown produce from our own farm and use our plant based veggie wash to give them a good cleaning since you’ll want to leave skins and tops on. These portions of the veggies are packed with nutrients, don’t throw them away!

Chicken Bone Broth

1 roasted pastured chicken carcass

1 onion skin on, quartered

1-2 carrots tops on, roughly chopped

2-3 cloves garlic skin on, rough chopped

1-2 stalks celery tops on, roughly chopped

Handful of fresh herbs of your choosing (thyme, sage, oregano, basil and rosemary are all good ones)

1 T sea salt Or Himalayan pink salt

1 T peppercorns

2 T apple cider vinegar

Add water until the bones and veggies are just covered

Cover and simmer, try to keep it to a very gentle simmer you don’t want a rapid boil.

Allow to simmer for at least 12hrs, longer is better! Once it’s done allow it to cool for a bit then strain the broth. I use a fine metal mesh strainer sitting on a mason jar funnel so I can pour directly into jars. Keep refrigerated for 3-5 days or you can freeze or pressure can for later use.

**Don’t be tempted to add extra water to get more broth. You’ll end up diluting the broth too much and you won’t get that beautiful jello effect once it’s cooled.