Looking to improve your digestion? Support healthy bone mineral density? Then look no farther than your crock pot.
I like to make bone broth in a two-step process using fresh, organic chicken that provides a lovely dinner component and a bountiful broth that I use alone on in any other recipe using water or broth.
Why go to the “trouble” to make your own broth instead of just using boxed or canned broth? First off, it’s nearly a “fix it and forget it” process that wreaks of healthy, nutritious benefits.
Bone broth contains an important amino acid, glycine, which is instrumental the construction of new proteins in the body, the detoxification process, proper acid secretion for good digestion, wound healing and more. It brings calcium, magnesium and phosphorous to us in a delicious little package. So not only is it important for health bones, it also benefits our cardiovascular system, muscle performance, our adrenal balance and moods.
If that wasn’t enough, “the gelatin content of a broth made from the bones of a pastured animal is a very bioavailable means of helping with protein assimilation.” This gelatin allows for greater digestibility of all foods.
And it’s not just that We Are What We Eat, or that We Are What Our Food Eats, it’s equally importantly that We Are What We Digest and Make Usable in Our Body.
Part 1
Place in a crock pot:
- 3 organic chicken thighs, 3 organic chicken legs, 1 organic chicken breast (or one whole chicken cut in pieces) Skin on, bones in
- ¾ teaspoon of each dried sage, thyme, rosemary (or any combo you like)
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- Small, chopped onion
- 2 chopped garlic cloves (allow the garlic to “rest” for 10 minutes before adding)
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup organic white wine
- Juice of a fresh lemon
- Fresh ground pepper
Cover and cook on high for one hour, then drop to low setting for 5 hours. Remove chicken from the crock pot, separate bone from meat. Use the moist meat in any recipe of choice, such as chopped for a salad, in a quick vegetable stir fry (adding it in last), on a sandwich of crusty bread and condiments, or as that protein component to any meal.
Part 2
Place the bones back into the simmering broth. Add: 4 cups boiling water, Splash of apple cider vinegar 1 teaspoon of sea salt. Allow to simmer on low 8-12 hours. Strain the bones from the broth. Use immediately or store in the fridge in glass, ceramic, or stainless steel for up to 4 days. Or freeze some for up to 90 days.