Dont you just love a nice warm bowl of soup?! Bone broth, or as i also like to call it, meat broth contains a powerhouse of nutrients including protein, collagen, gelatin, calcium, magnesium, zinc and iron.

Having home made broth (or if you can’t get to it, store bought is awesome too) as much as you can in your diet will help to restore balance to your gastrointestinal system by aiding to heal damaged tissue and cells throughout the gastrointestinal tract.

If you have gut issues or food sensitivities you may want to stick with the shorter cooking time.

This is because bone broth is actually high in histamine, therefore if you are already quite reactive to certain foods, a high intake of histamine may accentuate this reactivity. Cooking for a shorter period of time will still provide you with all the beautiful nutrients that come from broth.

What you need:

Water – enough to cover the bones (usually 1 litre of water per 1kg of bones).

Bones – poultry, fish, shellfish, beef or lamb. Generally i use raw bones (a whole carcass or just parts), with or without skin and meat (i brown first on the stove for extra flavour). You can also use cooked bones from a previous meal, with or without skin or meat.

Vinegar – 1-2 tablespoons depending on the batch size you are making. (you can use any kind of vinegar but my favourite is apple cider vinegar with the mother – Braggs brand).

Vegetables – any shape or kind, scraps and off cuts from other meals kept in the freezer, or fresh. (veges optional)

The steps:

• Brown the bones, and add them to a pot with water and vinegar.
• Bring to the boil and remove any froth/scum that floats to the surface.
• Reduce to a simmer and leave for 4-6 hours.
• If you want to leave them longer, they can cook in a slow cooker for up to 24 hours.
• Add the vegetables in up to 1 hour before you want to finish to give them enough time to cook through.
• Once finished cooking, strain the broth through a fine mesh sieve and store in an airtight container to enjoy as a tea, add to soups, or use in general day to day cooking as a substitute for stock.

I hope you enjoy the first step to healing you gut,

Taryn