Thanksgiving is around the corner! What do you usually do with your left-over turkey carcass? Think again before tossing it into the trash.
You can use your left-over carcass to make bone broth, a highly nutritious stock made from simmering the bones and connective tissue of animals. It’s pretty simple to make!
Ingredients
1 gallon of water
2 Tbps apple cider vinegar
2-4 animal bones
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions
- Place all ingredients into a large pot or slow cooker
- Bring to boil
- Reduce to simmer for 12-24 hours – the longer its able to cook, the more nutrients will be extracted from the bones
- Allow broth to cool. Strain and discard solid bones.
Vinegar is key to add to pull out nutrients from the bones and into the water.
This is a basic recipe that can be used with any type of animal. It can also be varied by adding vegetables, herbs, and spices to your preference. Some to consider include garlic, onion, carrot, celery, bay leaf, sage, and thyme.
Bone broth can be consumed by itself as a drink, made into a soup, sauce, or gravy.
So what are the benefits?
Vitamins and minerals – Bone broth can be made of all different animals and ingredients, each bringing a different nutrient palate to the broth. However, all animal bones are rich in calcium, magnesium, potassium, and phosphorous which contribute to strengthening our own bones. Marrow from bones provides vitamin A, Vitamin K2, and minerals such as zinc, iron, boron, manganese, omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. Through the process of simmering, the nutrients are released into the water into a form that is easy for your body to absorb when consumed. These are commonly nutrients people are deficient in, drinking bone broth is a great way to get them in.
Digestive health – Bone broth is very easy to digest, and it may also aid in the digestion of other foods. Gelatin found in bone broth and naturally attracts and hold liquids. It carries this property into your digestive tract where is helps food move through your gut more easily. Glutamine (an amino acid) helps maintain the function of the intestinal and can help prevents and heal “leaky gut” which is associated with many chronic diseases.
Fight inflammation – many of the amino acids found in bone broth have strong anti-inflammatory effects. Some of these amino acids include glycine and arginine. Some inflammation is necessary and unavoidable. However chronic inflammation can be problematic and lead to diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, metabolic syndrome, Alzheimer’s, arthritis, and cancer.
Improve joint health – collagen is the primary protein found in bones, tendons, ligaments. During the cooking process collagen from the bones and connective tissue is broken down into gelatin. Our bodies use gelatin to build our own connective tissue. This gives us the compounds to keep out bones and joints strong and healthy.