Bone broth has been championed off and on for more than two millennia as a divine way of enjoying both great flavor and a multitude of nutrients in easily absorbable forms. Much of the talk about successful bone broth making focuses on all the wrong reasons: does your broth gel? There are so many other factors to consider: does your bone broth offer great nutrition? What about flavor? Let’s take bone broth to the next level. Making bone broth requires a time commitment. Use that time wisely to make something that your family will love, that your kids will remember, and that is far more attractive and enjoyable than a bowl of supplements.
What characteristics should the perfect bone broth have?
- Great meaty flavor, along with hints of the herbs and vegetables included in the broth.
- An appetizing golden to golden brown color that advertises the high nutritional content of the bone broth.
- As little salt as possible. (Note: I wait until I am about to eat the bone broth before salting it if at all. This ensures that the foods I cook won’t turn out too salty.)
- Well-balanced flavors so that it can be used for drinking or in many different kinds of recipes.
- Scent your kitchen with well-balanced meat, vegetables, herbs, and other delicious and savory flavors.
- Possess a delightful texture and body: not gritty, but creamy; thicker than water, but thinner than breakfast gravy.
- Contain so many vitamins, minerals, bone marrow, proteins, and so many other nutrients that your body starts to crave the bone broth after a few days.
- On occasion, it may gel into wiggly goodness, with the right cooking time and ingredients. This is one indicator that you were able to get gelatin from your ingredients. However, it is not the only indicator that you have made a wonderful bone broth. And never judge your broth by this criterion alone.
And just so you know? I can smell you judging yourself by the jiggly broth thing. Yep, I can catch a whiff right through my website. Cut it out, or I’m telling your mom. Or my mom. Or someone else’s mom.
Broth Whisperer 