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Bone Broth Recipe

Beef bone brothA bone broth is a mineral-rich infusion made by boiling bones with vegetables, herbs, and sometimes spices in water.  In times of illness, drinking bone broth often calms the stomach very quickly and helps shorten the duration of the illness.

Bone broth is healthy for both humans and pets (and a wonderful addition to baby food!).  A home-made bone broth is a great way to make your pet's dinner extra tasty and provide them with important minerals.  Mixing the broth with commercial kibble also hydrates a food that does not contain enough moisture content.  

Bone broth & baby food...

Not only is bone broth inexpensive and easy to make, but when you make a large batch and freeze it, it will last a long time.

Bone Broth Recipe

All the ingredients are simple and can be found at the supermarket.  Whenever possible, use meat bones from organic livestock, which ensures they have not been fed hormones, antibiotics, and other harmful chemicals that will be leached in the bone stock.  (Read about factory-farmed animals and why they are a dangerous food for humans and pets).

  • 2 quarts water
  • 1 lb. bones (beef, bison, or lamb are great examples, or one whole chicken carcass)
  • 2 stalks celery
  • 2 large carrots
  • Juice of 1 lemon (to break down the bone and help release their minerals into the water)
  • 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
  • 2 cloves garlic (during the last 30 mins)

Step 1
Bring the mixture to a boil.

Step 2
Simmer for 24 hours (for poultry), 48 hours (for beef), or 8 hours (for fish).  Every few hours, a frothy/foamy layer will form that contains various impurities.  Scoop this off with a spoon and throw it away.  Grass-fed and healthy animals will produce much less of this than factory-farmed animals will.

Step 3
Remove from heat and allow to cool.

Step 4
Strain the broth using a fine metal sieve/strainer, removing the bits of bones and vegetables.  This is especially important where there are chicken bones, as some of these bones are tiny and can be dangerous if eaten.

To use, simply mix the broth liberally into your pet's (or your) food!

Storage

The broth can be made in a large batch and stored in mason jars for convenience.  Refrigerate for up to 5 days, and freeze any excess for later use.

 


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