“Bone broth isn’t just broth, and it isn’t just soup. It’s concentrated healing.”
— Kellyann Petrucci, ND

When I first heard about bone broth, I was a little baffled. I did not understand how someone could drink bone broth on its own and say it makes a difference to his or her well-being until I saw what a difference it made for me.

I love soup in both summer and winter. In the hottest part of summer I know that it is cooling me down from the inside out (an Ayurvedic practice). However, being of Indian, Hindu heritage, I never thought of making bone broth, as it was not a part of my culture. We made soup several times a week but it was nothing like broth. It was usually made from beans or legumes which left me feeling bloated and gassy due to the rich fibers my body was not digesting.

So here are my thoughts about bone broth…It is normally made up of ligaments, cartilage, meat, collagen and fat. There are many health benefits from the newly popular delicacy as long as it is properly prepared.

When choosing bones, whether it is poultry, beef, lamb, pork, fish or a blend of these, you want to make sure that you get the best quality, meaning wild caught or pasture raised, locally farmed, and grass fed. The water you use should also be free from heavy metals and toxins and the broth should be cooked for 24-48hrs or more. Then, it must be cooled, strained, the fat separated, then jarred, canned or frozen. This process is an integral part of the making of bone broth; if not made correctly it can cause problems to your health. One of the most common mistakes, using non-organic produce and tap water, has led to people having a lot of heavy metals and toxins in their body.

The best way to preserve bone broth (if you do not want to freeze it) is to strain the broth with the fat content already in it, then put the containers in the fridge. The fat of the broth will rise to the top of the container sealing in the freshness. It is said that this can stay in the fridge for up to six months without freezing it. Personally, I would use it within a couple of months (do not leave it out in the open especially with our climate here in the desert as you don’t want to alter the bacterial count).

An alternative to bone broth is to cook your meats on the bone. This will aid digestion and provide essential and vital vitamins, minerals and bacteria that are not found in pure protein without the bone. But remember, we don’t need as much protein in our diets as we have been told all these years.

Chef Dipika, holistic health and lifestyle coach, holds monthly Healthy Eating & Exotic Food Cooking classes. For more information, visit www.dipikapatel.life or contact her at [email protected].