Instant PotBone Broth Recipe:

Bone broth is so hype right now (and for good reason), but it has actually been around for centuries.

What is bone broth?:

Bone broth is a liquid made from animal bones and connective tissue simmering in water for a long period of time. Oftentimes it includes vegetables and spices as well. However, the nutritional benefit comes mostly from the bones, ligaments, and connective tissues. It contains many nutrients that are not easy to get in any other foods such as collagen, amino acids (such as glycine), Glycosaminoglycans (like hyaluronic acid), and bioavailable protein.

In our culture today, we generally only consume muscle meats (if meat at all). But if we look to other cultures, or into the history of our own culture, we can see that eating animals nose-to-tail is a normal part of life. Even just a generation or two ago, Grandma’s homemade soup was a cure-all! By only eating muscle meats, we have cut out a lot of critical nutrition. Adding bone broth into the diet is one of the easiest ways to consume the nutrients from the bones, skin, and connective tissue that is not present in the muscle.

Bones contain more minerals per ounce than any other bodily tissue. When simmered in water, calcium, magnesium, iron, zinc, and potassium are released into the broth making it very mineral rich, and the best electrolyte drink available! Bones also provide gelatin, collagen, and glycine to the broth. Glycine is not abundant in muscle meats at all, but is needed to offset the impact of methionine. High methionine is linked with high inflammation and can be toxic in large quantities and is one reason some people do not eat meat at all. The glycine offset of methionine in pregnancy is essential for prevention of neural tube defects, preeclamsia, and pre-term delivery.

Luckily, the presence of glycine offsets the dangers of methionine! Nature’s provision! We were meant to eat more than just the muscle meats.

FUN FACT: In pregnancy, glycine supports a growing uterus — which has 800% more collagen at the end of pregnancy than pre-pregnancy! Glycine is beneficial for baby’s physical development and could even help to prevent stretch marks in some mamas!

Benefits of drinking bone broth:

• Better gut/digestive health

• Improved joint function

• Improved skin elasticity

• Improved sleep and better mood

• Reduced inflammation

• Hydration at a cellular level

Instant Pot Recipe:

It’s great to use raw bones when you can, but I am all about convenience here so I use the bones from chickens I’ve already cooked. I always make the bones from my whole chicken recipe into broth. It’s simple and helps save money! 

You’ll need:

• Bones from one chicken

• Any organs you have (liver, heart, neck - sometimes they come with the chicken)

• 2-3 crushed garlic cloves

• 1 roughly chopped onion

• Roughly chopped celery (include leaves)

• Roughly chopped carrot (include tops and greens)

• Any leftover vegetable scraps that didn’t get eaten or were going to be thrown away

• 1 tsp sea salt

• 1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar (It ensures the nutrients are drawn out of the bones.)

• Optional spices and herbs (fresh or dried!) - oregano, turmeric, onion powder, etc.

• Optional- egg shells. They add lots of minerals as well!

• Filtered water to cover

Place all the ingredients in an instant pot. Fill with filtered water to cover. Set to cook on high pressure for 4 hours. 

When it's done cooking, allow the instant pot to naturally release for another hour. 

Strain and let cool.

You can keep in the refrigerator for ~5 days, or freeze for later! 

You can drink bone broth- just make sure to salt it to your liking! You can also use in soups, or in place of water when cooking to add nutrients to your dinners!