Bone Broths, Vegan Broths, and Savory Jello

Don’t waste leftover turkey meat, connective tissue, bones, and carcasses after Thanksgiving dinner; use them to make super healthy bone broth instead.

Bone broths have become very popular in the last several years, but they have been known for their healing properties since the Stone Age. Bone broths can be found in many grocery stores; however, they can be expensive and not as fresh and as healthy as the broths we can make at home. Some health-oriented restaurants and coffee shops in big cities have bone broths on their menus for $5 to $10 per cup. Bone broths can be served as nutritious beverages, but most of us use them as bases for soups, gravies, meats, and vegetable stews.

In my home country, Poland, people make savory jellos from chicken or pig’s feet and other tissues that contain a lot of collagen. Savory jello is made from slowly cooked bone broth, chilled for a few hours and eaten cold. Because of high amounts of gelatin, they have a semi-solid, jello-like consistency. Here, in the United States, this dish might not sound very appealing, but in Poland it is considered a delicacy. Many years ago, I invited my husband to a Polish party where the hosts served chicken jello as an appetizer, cabbage stew for the main course, and (fortunately) plenty of wine. Needless to say, after the party we had to look for a nearby pizza place for my husband’s dinner that night. The savory jello is served cold with cooked carrots, celery, parsley, hard-boiled eggs, green peas, spices, and lemon juice or vinegar drizzled on top. This cold version of broth is a powerhouse of nutrients. If you have Polish taste buds, or you are an adventurous type of a foodie, it might even taste good.

I won’t try to convince you to start eating jelled chicken, but I will give you a few good reasons why you might want to consider making bone broths (or vegan broths) on a regular basis. You can start this healthy tradition this month after the Thanksgiving dinner using all the turkey parts that are not edible (bones, connective tissue, meat stuck to the bones, necks, wings), herbs, and veggies that you have left over.

Healthy properties of bone broths:

• Rich in minerals that are essential for optimum health, including calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, sulfur, silicon, and trace minerals such as selenium, zinc, and copper. These nutrients are extracted from the bone marrow during slow cooking and adding an acidic agent such as apple-cider vinegar (or any other type of vinegar).

• Contains amino acids: arginine, glutamine, glycine, and proline which are important in maintaining healthy gut, nervous system, skin, immune system, and musculature.

• One of the best sources of collagen--protein found in bones, bone marrow, skin, and especially in joints and ligaments. Collagen is considered one of the best remedies for leaky-gut syndrome, reducing age-related-skin damage, helping with allergies and skin sensitivities, and decreasing joint pain.

• Easy to digest, assimilate, and absorb for people recovering from surgeries, therapies (chemotherapy, radiation), and illnesses. Grandma’s broth-based chicken soup still remains one of the best remedies for the common cold and flu.

• Very inexpensive and economical. To make bone broth we can use parts of chicken, turkey, beef, pork, lamb, and even fish that we would normally throw away, and throw in variety vegetables that we can find in our refrigerator.

• Easy to make and stable to preserve. Bone broth can be cooked in large quantities and preserved in glass jars in the refrigerator up to one week or in the freezer up to a year.

The recipe to make bone broth is very simple and the ingredients can vary (you can find my plant-based version here). The main ingredients are: animal bones and connective tissues, vinegar, different types of vegetables, herbs, spices and filtered water. Below is the example to follow and with which to experiment.

Ingredients:

· Organic turkey or chicken carcass plus any leftover bones and meat

· 1 gallon of cold filtered water

· 2 Tbsp. apple-cider vinegar

· 1 carrot

· 1 parsnip

· 2 celery stalks

· 1 medium onion

· 1-2 cloves of garlic

· Salt

· Fresh-or dried-herbs such as: parsley, thyme, rosemary, oregano, dill.

· Spices: black pepper, turmeric, ginger

Method:

Pour cold water into a large pot or a large crock-pot. Add vinegar, chicken, vegetables, spices, and herbs (except for the parsley and dill if using) into the pot. Bring to a boil and remove any scum that rises to the top. Reduce the heat and let the broth simmer for 8-48 hours. Add parsley and/or dill about 10 minutes before finishing.

After cooling the broth, remove the bones and veggies with a slotted spoon and strain the rest to remove any impurities.

Broths don’t always have to be animal based. There are many benefits of consuming plant-based broths. They don't contain gelatin and amino acids, but they are still very healthy, and are abundant in vitamins, minerals, and electrolytes. By adding dry seaweed, shitake mushrooms (or other types), ginger, turmeric, or burdock root, we can make quite a medicinal concoction. Another benefit of vegan broth is that it takes a lot less time to cook compared to the bone-broth version. Vegan broths can be used for the same purpose as bone broths to drink straight or use it as a base for other dishes. Please click here for the vegan broth recipe:

Whether animal- or plant -based, broths are worth the time to experiment with in the kitchen. They are easy to make and less expensive than some other super foods. Definitely, broths are more affordable and more nutrient efficient than many supplements. Let’s drink the broth to our health! 

Health facts:

· Low hypoglycemic index

· High in fatty acids (glutamine)

· Rich in vitamin A and K

· Rich in minerals especially calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, iron, selenium, and manganese

· Great source of collagen

· Good source of electrolytes

· GF, dairy free, allergy friendly

Additional resources:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5533136/

https://www.nhc.com/bone-broth

https://www.unmc.edu/publicrelations/media/press-kits/chicken-soup/chickensouppublishedstudy2000.pdf

http://research.omicsgroup.org/index.php/Bone_broth

Author’s note: The information in this blog is intended for educational purposes only. It should not be considered as medical advice or a substitute for professional medical opinions, diagnoses, or treatment. Always consult your medical practitioner regarding a medical condition and before changing your diet, supplements, fitness, or other health programs.