My Freezing Bones: Bone Broth, the perfect Winter Beverage?

It's snowing again.

It's snowing....again. I posted the above picture to make Ruthy laugh. We are worried about a small storm today and one tomorrow that will add 3-6 inches. Yes, we are worried about inches. After last week's record cold and a cabin fever epidemic, this wasn't really what we wanted.

Snow is bad news for some but it is plain dangerous for others, including ManO and me. ManO, due to the type of stroke he had, is banned from shoveling forever. That means I get to do the heavy lifting, including making an igloo because the snow and ice could only be removed in blocks.

Of course I forgot to get a picture of the completed igloo. But you get the picture.

But I have to be careful in slick spots. I have early onset osteoporosis which means my bones can break easily. Not fun.

Which leads me to the latest craze in healthy eating, "bone broth." I wondered what bone broth different from the stock I've made for years. On my own. I knew my stock was healthier, great for bone building and the immune system. No preservatives either. But why the craze now?

Well, we can only eat so much kale. We have diet ADD. We are always looking for the next thing that will help us live longer, smarter.  Maybe it's the love of time travel. Now we're going back to days when Grandma always made her own broth, shoved it down throats when the flu struck, and made use of everything when an animal was butchered! The more broth we drink surely the healthier we'll be.

In reality, the truth is somewhere in between. In addition to a homemade broth being full of minerals, amino acids, and gelatin that are good for the body, a number of bloggers talk about drinking broth as a substitute for other bad-for-you beverages or foods you shouldn't be eating. Some folks are drinking one cup a day. Others, five and getting sick of it pretty quickly. Too much of a good thing is just too much. Fasting with broth may be a great cleanse once in a while but isn't a well-rounded diet.

If you want to take the broth plunge, don't overdo but make your own. Don't go to broth bars springing up like Starbucks. You will be healthier and your frugal side will thank you.  

Homemade Bone Broth 

I've figured out the difference between my stock recipe and the new ones out now. Two tablespoons of apple cider vinegar to break down the bones more efficiently. The cooking times vary as well. I've seen recipes that say to simmer beef bones for 24 hours or just six. If I'm lucky, I'm able to cook my chicken bones down for 6-8 hours.And believe me I have bones. Instead of a serial killer, I'm a serial cook. If I've cooked a chicken or turkey or bone-in beef roast, I hide the evidence.

I cut off all the meat, wait for the bones to cool, stick them in a freezer bag and hide them in the freezer.

How do I  make my poultry stock? It's sort of a mish mash. I've not changed anything from all my reading on the elixir of bones but I'm adding those two tablespoons of vinegar. I'm also trying to make time to cook my stock on days when I can watch it simmer longer!

1) Using a large stock pot, add a couple tablespoons of olive oil, brown an onion if you have one, celery if you have that. Or both.

2)  Add your chicken or turkey carcass and cover with water, approximately four quarts.

3) Add a quarter cup sea salt (or very little if you prefer to add salt to taste), a teaspoon of ground celery seed if you didn't have celery, and whatever herbs or other veggies like carrots you like and two tablespoons apple cider vinegar.

4) Bring to a boil, cover and reduce to low for minimum of three hours. I like to cook mine six to eight hours. Always check your pot regularly to make sure you haven't boiled the bones dry. Consider adding a bit more water as you go along. You will still have the concentrated broth at the end. You can also google recipes that use a crockpot but ours is broken.
 
5)  Cool the broth. Use either a gravy/fat separator or put the broth in the refrigerator overnight and skim off the fat the next day.  I tend to use my glass separator (don't get me started on heated plastic) because I like to make this a one day process. 

6) I also store my broth in glass freezer-friendly containers. I can microwave them (lid off) straight from the freezer. Easy to use and less chance of bacteria growing while you wait for it to thaw.  One to two cups in the small containers, four in the larger ones.

My chicken/turkey broth stored in different size glass containers, some with a cup of meat included.

 7) To use: Just take out of the freezer, take off the lid and microwave for three minutes on high to thaw enough to pour out of the container. My concentrated broth, if I go the full eight hours, is strong enough to be diluted 1:1 with water in recipes. The perfect amount for my soup. If I want to make gravy or make a "cream of chicken soup" for use in casseroles, I leave it full strength, adding a bit of cream or milk.   

So, are you a serial cook? Do you hide your bones for later use? Could you drink broth on a regular basis or only when you have a cold or flu? Are you battling osteoporosis and finding other ways to get minerals into your diet?  




      

The flu is coming: Stock your pantry!

Have you gotten your flu shot yet? Or do you believe the shot is worse than the flu?  See this map? 

Uh, oh. It's already gone from no reports to sporadic. The flu is coming for you.

It’s now November. The CDC is telling you it's time. Every drugstore, Target, Walmart and doctor’s office is telling you it’s time. The flu is just around the corner. Yep, those germs are lurking behind every cough, on every door handle, in the air. For goodness sake, don’t touch anything! Wash your hands. Cough into your elbow. Stop breathing!

I am one of those people who gets her flu shot every year.  I got the flu late in the 2002 season and ended up pretty much bedridden for six months.  We always hear about the number of deaths the flu causes but never about the 100,000 or so folks it affects in less permanent ways.

As a former microbiologist I LOVE reading about the most famous influenza pandemics of all time, the one that spread across the world in 1918 and 1919.  With so many books being set in that era these days, more and more authors are touching on the disease in their novels. Nothing like almost death bed confessions of love!

One of my favorite romances dealing with the outbreak in the US is Homefront Hero by Allie Pleiter.

I adore this book and not just for the pandemic. Lovely. Get the ebook here.

Speaking of love, when November rolls around I know it is time to stock up on foods that help if the flu or other respiratory illness hits.  Man O can’t run to the store for me because of the preservatives, corn sugar or wheat. The poor guy is totally flummoxed. It’s better if I just tell him where to go in the pantry or freezer.

So here is my list of go to items:

Chicken stock

Chicken stock-ed. And a big container in case a pandemic hits.

No stock with preservatives for me. I throw a picked over roaster chicken (ie, the skeleton) in a pot with 16 cups of water, an onion, a clove of fresh garlic, three tablespoons salt. (I don't add other spices until I use the stock for soup.) Heat to boiling then cover and turn down to medium. Cook over the stove for four hours, covered. Watch to make sure you don't let the pot go dry. That's where the cover comes in handy.  Place pot in an ice bath to cool and immediately put in glass containers and freeze. Make sure to follow good food sanitation. You don't want to get sick from what is supposed to make you feel better.   

English Afternoon Tea and Honey

I won't tell you how many boxes of tea are in my pantry. I am prepared for daily afternoon tea AND the flu.

Lozenges made with honey or non-corn sugars

I found the Lovely brand fruit lozenges at our local Fresh Market and the honey candy from a local honey producer.

Crackerish things

I have lovely almond crackers I make but they don't last long. Have I mentioned ManO isn't so sure about making my special recipes? So I cut him some slack and pretend all-natural potato chips or rice crackers are my saltines.  I miss saltines and Campbells chicken noodle soup. Reminds me of my childhood. Sniff.

Sparkly soda and fruit juice

I'm fortunate to be near stores with all natural sodas and organic fruit juices. But I try not to overdo these things when I get sick. All that sugar is not helpful to the body when it's trying to recover. Still, they are part of my emergency preparedness.

Are you prepared for the illnesses winter brings? What do you make sure to have on hand with folks come down with fevers, aches and chills? Do you have some home remedies that have been passed down? Or ones you've had to give up because of the ingredients?