End of autumn is the best time of year to start making delicious bone broth! According to Chinese Medicine, bone broth strengthens the immune system, supports bone and joint health, supports reproductive system health, builds qi (our vital energy) and warms the body from the inside out by nourishing blood. Bone broth is great for sipping on from your favorite mug or used as the base for soups and stews.

Bone broth should only be made with organic chicken, turkey and beef bones or grass-fed lamb bones. The 2-3 day simmering of the bones extracts all the essential nutrients from the marrow; non-organic bones are known to have high toxin accumulations so those animal bones must be avoided to get the maximum nutritional and supportive benefits from the broth.

Organic ingredients:

• Carcass or bones from last meal (organic, grass-fed, skin removed. Do not discard wings if the skin is too difficult to remove.  Wings and feet, have lots of collagen thus make a thicker, more nourishing broth.)
• ¼ cup apple cider vinegar (see bottom note)
• 4-6 carrots roughly chopped
• 2-4 stalks of celery, roughly chopped
• 1 onion, quartered and layers broken apart
• 4-6 garlic cloves with skin removed
• ½-1 tsp salt (Himalayan, Celtic)
• optional: bunch of parsley
• optional: 10-12 whole black peppercorns

Note: if you only have 2 of the 4 vegetables, ie just carrots and onion, start making the broth and the others can be left out or added in the first 24 hours of simmering.

Optional step = roast bones that have all the fat removed, ie lamb chops and t-bones, in the oven at 425” for about 10-20 minutes or until fragrant.

In a crockpot (or pot that can be left on the stove top for 48-72 hours), cover the bones with cold water and add ACV.  Let sit for 30 minutes before turning the stove top or crock pot on.

Add the remaining ingredients and cover with more water.  Let simmer for 48-72 hours (low setting on crockpot).  If the water level goes down by more than a cup, add more water. After 2-3 days of simmering, strain the broth, discarding the bones and vegetables. Add salt and pepper, to taste.  Consume within 5 days or freeze for 6 months.

Note: I am heavy handed with the amount of apple cider vinegar I use in my preparation, sometimes using more than 1/4  cup. I enjoy the ACV flavor and added benefits for my Stomach Qi (digestion) and Wei Qi (immunity). If the taste of ACV is too strong, use none or a small amount (1 tablespoon). The broth will still be beneficial if omitted.