This is NOT a cheesy infomercial, I swear, but want to reduce cellulite? Slow down aging? Reduce food sensitivities by boosting the lining in your gut and improve your overall immune system? The answer is in the broth, full of minerals and gelatin and fat to do all of the above and more, such as strengthening your connective tissue and hair, preventing tooth decay and the ever critical regulation of blood sugar levels. And since I had leftover, picked-over chicken bones, I decided to try to make my own. Because the bones were already cooked, what I made was actually more of a stock, not broth, but I’m learning. The easiest way for me was the stove, dumping the bones in a pot of boiling water, and once roiling, reducing it to a low boil, covered for several hours. I should have added apple cider vinegar to break down the bones, but I forgot. Newbie mistake.
Now I’ve read to simmer chicken bones for 24 hours, but these bones were already cooked. To make actual broth, raw bones work best. I heard butchers may give away their bones? Or sell them very cheap! Gonna have to go beg for some bones! Anyhow, on my first effort, I simmered mine for about 4 hours, making it a stock, not a broth, but still healthy. The next day, I strained out all the bones and chunks, then added all kinds of veggies, salt, pepper, basil, and butter. And one teeny tiny baby carrot for the keto police! It took only 15 minutes to cook the veggies and dinner was done. If you don’t want to make your own, then you can buy bone broth, which I’ve done many times for the convenience. My mix was 3 leftover thigh drumstick pieces and about 4 cups of water. Season to taste. Try ginger or parsley and make it you own!
I tried it a second time and bought a small turkey. Stuck the whole bird in my rice cooker combo steamer, and once all the meat fell off, I cooked the bones for about 20 hours. I had all this yummy meat to add to salads, or fathead pizza and found some keto-friendly mayo to make a turkey salad with chopped celery. So may options, and meal prep is key for staying on track.
For a Keto resource on paper, this is the book I bought. It’s very thorough, with full color pictures throughout and tons of charts and info. If you’re new to Keto and are overwhelmed, check out this post about staples for your kitchen. Keto on, Warriors!