Your gut will love you for cooking with homemade bone broth or even drinking it like tea! This is something that I have been doing since back in 2012 when I realised that my gut was playing such a huge role in my autoimmune disease and I have not looked back.  Currently I am following the GAPS protocol and all of my meals are cooked in broth - so delicious! 

This is something that has become so fashionable of late and many companies are making a fortune by selling pre-made broth. However - it is so simple to make and you will save yourself a fortune.

You can either use a whole chicken or chicken bones.  With a whole chicken you obviously end up with all of the meat which is perfect for lunch for the week ahead.  Organic is definitely preferred. 

Add turmeric for extra anti-inflammatory powers! 

Ingredients

• 1 whole organic fresh chicken or a couple of organic chicken carcasses (and some chicken feet or necks if you fancy)
• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 large brown onion in quarters
• 2 carrots, peeled and roughly chopped
• 3 celery sticks with leaves, roughly chopped
• 4 peppercorns
• 1 bouquet garnet
• 2-3 bay leaves
• 1 tsp turmeric (optional)

Method

If using a whole chicken...

1. Place the whole chicken and rest of the ingredients in a heavy based pot or slow cooker. Fill the dish with room temperature filtered (preferred) water to 1cm from the top of the pot.
2. Bring to the boil and leave to simmer for 1 - 1.5 hours until the chicken is cooked through. Remove the chicken and leave to cool.
3. Once the chicken is cool enough to handle, remove the skin and discard, and remove the meat.  
4. Place the bones back in the pot or slow cooker and add the apple cider vinegar.  Bring back to the boil and simmer for 3 - 6 hours. The longer you leave it the more minerals are released from the bones. Add more water if necessary so that the bones are always covered,
5. Leave the broth to cool and then pour into jars. Discard the bones and vegetables (except the carrots which I try and rescue).
6. Store in the fridge for up to 3 days or freeze. The stock should develop a gelatinous texture and a layer of fat should form on the top on cooling. This layer can be removed and can be used as an alternative to oil / butter or alternatively this can be kept on the broth (this helps preserve the stock).
7. Drink like tea for breakfast or use in recipes.

If using a chicken bones...

1. Soak the chicken bones in water with the apple cider vinegar for 1 hour before adding the rest of the ingredients
2. Follow steps (4) onwards from above.