I posted this picture of bone-broth cooling on Facebook and got too  many questions to answer. My husband has been drinking bone broth daily for a few months and has subsequently cut his ibuprofen intake in half (he has been an ibuprofen junkie–for joint pain–for decades). This makes his doctor very happy. And his liver must be happier.

First is bone broth just a frou frou name for stock? I honestly don’t know, but the people instructing me call it bone broth, so I do too.

One other observation. Our attitude toward alternative therapies begins with the question Will it hurt to try this?  If we conclude that the risk is either nonexistent or very low, we’re open to experimentation. Often, it seems, food (the absence of harmful, the addition of helpful) can be the cure for many of our miseries.

There are many recipes on the webs for stock/bone broth. You can make it on the stove top, in a crock pot, or (my preference) in a pressure cooker. I bought the Instant Pot that has seven functions in one appliance. It cost less than I would pay for one appointment with a physician, so that was a no-brainer. As a bonus, it cooks rice beautifully, makes stews in no time at all, can be used as a slow cooker, etc. etc. etc. I have ZERO buyer’s remorse about this purchase. (If you decide to buy and click on my link, you help support this blog, ahem. Thankyou, she whispers.)

My daughter-in-law turned me on to Danielle Walker; her video is very easy to follow.

If you want a book in your hand, I recommend Sally Fallon and Kaayla Daniel’s Nourishing Broth. Dr. Daniel also has many videos on YouTube.

Some practical tips. Whenever we shop at Costco we buy a rotisserie chicken. We save the bones (leg, thigh, wing, carcass). I throw them in the pot with chopped onion, celery and carrot, add a few bay leaves, some salt and pepper and a tiny glug of apple cider vinegar.

I set the cooker for 90 minutes. It takes ~ 1/2 hour to get the pressure up and at least 1/2 hour for the pressure to decrease. What I love about this pot is that it will keep the broth warm for up to 10 hours. So I can safely let it go overnight. I strain the broth and pour it into pint jars, mark the date, and stick them in the freezer. We warm up the broth before we drink it. I use it as a base for soups, sauces, and so on.

I’ve used ham, turkey and beef bones. Bones, unfortunately, are not what I would consider low cost. I would consider $0.50/lb. low cost. Yeah, well. So I try to buy bone-in meats. We recently helped our kids butcher home-grown chickens on their mini-farm. I clamored for the chicken feet. They made the best broth, evah!!   I have a great photo of the chicken feet (guy, they look like hands), but when I posted it on Facebook, it sent a few friends into therapy.

That’s my story! I’d love to hear your responses.