Bone broth! It's
supposed to be simple to make and fantastic for your health. So, why not
do it yourself? After all, home-made is best and on its rich odor and
steamy vapors waft visions of cozy kitchens, family, home, hearth and
tradition.
It's not so simple, not
at first or even at second or third. I have been trying to make successful
bone broth on and off for two years even since one of my family, dealing with
MS, had heard that it was beneficial. So, with my usual over-the-top
reaction, I purchased several sizes of slow cookers and went to buy non-toxic
beef marrow bones. That shopping trip turned
into a project.
First stumbling
block: they're not out there just waiting for you to discover them and
take them home. There's a limit to their availability since they've
become so popular. After many calls and trips to various Whole Foods, Fairways
and the local green market, I was finally able to come up with the last 4 packs
of bones available in the entire Tri-state area. Okay, only two states.
Second stumbling
block: if you want hormone- and antibiotic-free and grass-fed beef, it’s expensive.
Think $10 to $15 a pack. Wait? Aren't these the bones that butchers
used to toss into the garbage and were free for the asking? No
more.
Thirdly, it's not just a
matter of throwing them into a pot or a slow cooker, covering them with water
and walking away. Well, yes, it is, but
with a few preliminaries the first of which is:
finding that heat-proof surface where an appliance can be left taking up
space and taking over an outlet for one, two, possibly three, days. Picture
looking around the kitchen of a 3 1/2-room apartment in the city where the only
flat surface and one of only two outlets are fully occupied by a toaster
oven.
Next, the bones have to
be pre-treated which includes oven roasting and a vinegar soak. Once you're ready to turn on the heat, they
need to be tended for the first two hours while they're boiling on high to skim
whatever debris rises to the top. Finally, with the heat turned to low,
they can be allowed to simmer gently for the longest while you go about your
days and nights. One last thing:
when they're finished and the liquid is strained, there are leftovers to decide on.
Too much bother? It's not, once you get into a routine. If
you're ready to start, go onto part II. There, in one clear place, you
will find the directions and the answers to all the questions I had along the
way and put together from bothering family and friends and reading many
word-filled, but not quite fully informative, blogs online. Which inspired this.
Raise
a cup! To your health!
