You must have heard of bone broth, and its apparent healing powers. However, bone broths have been around for thousands of years. It has been used to strengthen the blood and support the kidneys, but also to help many other ailments that can affect your skin, gut and body. Still, with the years and the seeming successes there is no scientific research to back up any of the claims. Nonetheless, we merely accept them as true as the knowledge of using bone broths are passed down generations.
What we do believe is that bone broths are good for the digestive system, to fight off inflammation, to help the joints, to help with weight loss, and aid us sleep better.
But what is bone broth?
Bone broth is made when you boil down bone, marrow and connective tissues to release the vitamins such as calcium, phosphorous, silicon and magnesium. In addition to the vitamins, other healing composites such as glycine, collagen, and glutamine are also released.
Why should you dink bone broth?
Bone broth is very nourishing. It can remedy a lot of the health condition we are faced with. For instance, the collagen in the broth can aid joint and bone problems. Whereas the glycine can aid with fatigue and sleepiness. Glutamine aids regulate gut bacteria, but it also lines the gut to help protect thereby reducing the effects of a leaky gut or the damage cause by gluten that scratches the lining of the gut.
Fish bone broth recipe
The stock made from fish bones are filled with iodine that can aid your thyroid function. Still, this light broth can be a base for a soup or even a curry. It has a lovely flavor as such you can drink it as is out of a mug. Either way, this broth is packed with good collagen that will help your skin to fight off those wrinkles.
You will need the bones of non-oily fish to make this stock; oily fish like salmon can develop a bad taste if they are cooked for too long. In addition, do not use a slow cooker, as this is a stock that should be done on the stovetop and it will take a while to make. You need to do this as you want to extract the goodness out of the bones, and this can only be done if they are boiled for a long time.
Making this broth is not difficult. The prep will take you around 15 minutes and the actual cooking around an hour and 15 minutes.
What you will need:
5–7 pounds fish carcasses or heads from large non-oily fish for instance halibut, cod, sole, rockfish, turbot, or tilapia
2 tablespoons clarified butter
1–2 carrots, scrubbed and coarsely chopped
2 ribs organic celery, including leafy part, coarsely chopped
2 medium onion, coarsely chopped
Purified water to just cover the bones in the pot
1 bay leaf
1–2 whole cloves
2 teaspoons peppercorns
1 small handful of fresh parsley and 4–5 stems fresh thyme
Wash the fish and cut off the gills if present.
Then in a large pot, melt the butter over a medium to low heat. Add the celery, carrots, and onion and cook for about 20 minutes. Stirring it occasionally.
Place in the fish and plenty of water to cover it by 1 inch. Turn up the heat to medium and bring the water to a bare simmer. Then with a shallow spoon very carefully skim the film off the top of the broth. Put into the pot, a bay leaf, the cloves, peppercorns, and the fresh parsley. Then reduce the heat to low. Cook, uncovered or with the lid slightly covering the pot, so it can slightly simmer for about 50 minutes. Keep on skimming the surface if required.
Remove the broth from the heat once it is done. With the use of a large slotted spoon, take out all the bones. Pour the broth through a strainer to make sure that all the bones are removed.
Before you refrigerate, it the broth cool down. After the broth is cooled down, the fat on top you can be skim off.
The broth can be stored in the fridge for 5 days and for up to 3 months in a freezer.
Let cool on the counter before refrigerating. You can skim off the fat easily after the broth is chilled, if desired. When chilled, the broth should be very gelatinous. The broth will keep for 5 days in the refrigerator and three or more months in your freezer.
