Bone Broth is a grey area with me, I do use bone broth and most weeks make a few large batches to freeze for soups and stews, I do however struggle with drinking a mug of the stuff, I feel drinking a mug of fatty/oily bone broth straight from the slow cooker doesn’t appeal to me, (I have tried it on a number of occasions) I understand the health benefits are amazing and my Gut is screaming at me to introduce it to my diet.
So I reached out to a good friend of mine, Bec Harrison, Bec runs an awesome Bone Broth company in Tauranga New Zealand, she supplies the North Island with pouches of liquid gold, So I asked Bec a few questions on how to get around my issue with drinking bone broth, and also a bit about the product she offers.
Why did you choose to boil bones for a living?
I am an Environmental Planner and after 15 years of planning, it was time for a change!. I wanted to do something hands-on, fulfilling and creative. Something that involved being with people and helping people. It was right under my nose the whole time! (Literally!). Sometimes I do stand over my simmering bones and think “how did I get here!?” …”I am now the Bone lady!”…and then I remember how amazing Bone Broth is and how I love spreading the joy. It really is a handful of supplements in one delicious soul warming mug!
how did you first get into bone broth?
after years of numerous google ‘ailment’ searches for both myself and my children I started noticing that gut health was mentioned…a lot. Bad digestion – Gut Health, Eczema – Gut Health, Aching back and hips – inflammation – Gut Health. ‘Bone Broth’ for improving gut health seemed like an easy cost effective way of ensuring that myself and my family had regular nutrient dense ‘boosts’ without needing to spend a fortune on supplements.
how many litres do you make in a week?
We are currently making about 120 litres a week but it is on the increase!
what health benefits have you noticed since introducing the broth to your diet?
Personally, the number one improvement is digestion closely followed by fewer aches and pains, increased energy, better moods, clearer skin and stronger nails. People often comment how white my eyes and teeth are!
what is the broth that you sell, chicken or beef?
We sell both organic chicken bone broth (Cheeky Chicken) and Organic Beef Bone Broth (Gutsy Beef)
where can we buy it from
We have retailers in the Bay of Plenty Waikato and Auckland. You can also order direct from us online.
and my for my issue, how do I make it more palatable to drink?
Start by incorporating Bone Broth into your meals (as you would a stock) or use it where you would normally use water ie. for simmering rice, pasta, quinoa. Experiment with drinking it straight up…if you have tried it before try it again! so many bone broths are not very palatable. Ours taste great on their own. Start with Chicken Bone Broth, it is a milder taste.Try adding your favourite flavours while you are simmering it i.e. ginger, garlic, star anise, lemongrass. The options are endless!
if we don’t live in the North Island or New Zealand and can’t buy your product, what basic recipe can you give us that we can make at home?
There are SO many recipes on the internet and most ‘traditional’ ones have veggies. Our broth (that we sell commercially) is a ‘neutral’ broth which means it only has bones/frames, filtered water, ACV, Himalayan mineral salt and organic peppercorns. Others on the market have only filtered water and bones. You could try any number of recipes but sourcing good organic bones (with necks and wings and/or feet if you can) and roasting the bones to ‘very roasted’ before you simmer makes a huge difference. Simmering for as long and low as possible is also a must. At least 24hrs for the chicken and 48 for beef. If you get it right it should have a ‘wobble’ once cooled. Start with chicken, two frames (with necks if poss) would be good in your slow cooker. top with cool water (just cover the bones) add about 100-200mls of ACV and let sit for 20mins or so (ACV is said to draw the minerals from the bones) then turn up the heat (about-85-90degrees C)and you’re done for quite a few hours! keep the lid on and you can top with the water a little if need be during the process. You can also skim off any ‘scum’ that comes to the surface. Maybe leave the S and P out the first time and add it to your liking when you drink it. Try some more ‘flavoured’ ones if you think he would prefer that..using veggies and herbs etc.
Good luck! Enjoy…it truly is an amazing nutritious drink on it own.
You can find Restore online here https://www.restore.co.nz/ and on Facebook here https://www.facebook.com/restorebonebroth.co.nz/
you can also find a gut-healing minestrone soup recipe I made here http://www.theexplorationoffood.com/2017/07/29/ministrone-soup/
Cheers
Andy
