got broth?

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Fall and the approaching winter have ushered in a wave of cooler weather. With the change in seasons and temperatures, we naturally migrate our cooking toward more warming & nourishing foods like soups and stews. That brings us to one of the least glamorous of all foods – the humble broth – a nutritionally wonderful canvas to enjoy the hearty fall harvest!

Broth provides a modest yet universal meal.

A remedy for sore throats and the flu, it nurses the sick and puts vigor in our steps.  The nutritional savior of the soup kitchen, the humble broth is a warming comfort in times of need.  It is also incredibly healthy and a powerhouse of vitality!

Broths are a nutritional superfood in that they offer a very simple, affordable and rich concentration of nutrients that are easily acquired by our bodies.  That ease of nutrient absorption is paramount, because there is a big difference between consuming nutrients (from whole foods or supplements) and actually assimilating them into our cells.

Unlike it’s commercial cousins, homemade stocks and broths come with an unabridged complement of the exact nutrition we need to rebuild and maintain bones and joints.  One reason is that homemade broths and stocks are teaming with gelatin and minerals.  If you are unfamiliar with gelatin, it is a jelly like substance that is extracted from simmering bones or the soft tissues – like cartilage and skin from chicken.

Gelatin is essentially collagen in liquid form and collagen is part of the connective matrix that holds you together!  Among other things, it provides for youthful supple skin and healthy joints.  It also supports the immune system, digestive tract, heart and muscles and contributes to the building of strong cartilage and bones.

Want to know more about the benefits of gelatin and broth?

  • Gelatin is an easy way to support your digestive system.  It is not only nutritious but very soothing and healing to the digestive tract. Its ability to attract and hold liquids makes foods cooked in broths easier to digest.
  • American researcher, Dr. Gotthoffer found that cooked foods eaten with gelatin were easily digested and that babies fed milk fortified with gelatin had better digestion than those given plain milk.  Also, the babies who were fed milk without gelatin had a higher rate of allergies and intestinal issues.
  • Additionally, Gotthoffer found studies showing that convalesing adults who have lost weight because of operations, dysentery, cancer and other illnesses fare better if gelatin is added to their diet.
  • Gelatin has long been recognized in the treatment of digestive diseases.  “[Gelatin] is said to be retained by the most sensitive stomach and will nourish when almost nothing else will be tolerated,” wrote L. E. Hogan in 1909.  Today, homemade broths are the essential component of the GAPS diet protocol, in that it heals and seals the digestive tract.
  • One reason gelatin was recommended so highly for malnourished individuals is that it reduces the amount of complete protein needed by the body.  So, while gelatin is not a complete protein, it is high in the amino acids arginine and glycine which enables the body to more efficiently utilize the complete proteins that are consumed. For that reason broths are known as “protein sparing” because with broth your body can make better use of the protein you do eat, therefore not require as much.
  • Gelatin strengthens hair and nails, minimizes wrinkles and prevents and heals cellulite.
  • Gelatin may be useful in the treatment of a long list of diseases including peptic ulcers, tuberculosis, diabetes, muscle diseases, infectious diseases, jaundice and cancer.
  • Gelatin is unusually high in the amino acids glycine and proline. A vital function of glycine is detoxification. Proline aids the body in breaking down proteins for use in healthy cells and is used in making collagen, tendons, ligaments and heart muscle. Adequate proline is beneficial for the tratments of conditions such as osteoarthritis, soft tissue sprains and chronic back pain.
  • Gelatin assists in neutralizing intestinal poisons causing problems during an intestinal bug or flu.
  • Research has shown that broth aides in normalizing stomach acid levels for those with too high or too low stomach acid – which can have a profound impact on digestion.

Despite the abundance of our modern food supply, traditional diets contained far more gelatin than ours do today. Broth was a mainstay in French, Italian, Russian, Japanese, South America, Middle Eastern, African and other cuisines.  In the honored traditions of food, none of the animal went to waste (ironically, probably due to the scarcity of their food supply!)

People would eat soups made from bones all the time and doing so supplied their bodies with the whole family of glycosaminoglycans, which used to protect people’s joints. Now that few people make bone stock anymore, many of us are limping into doctors’ offices for prescriptions, surgeries and, lately, recommendations to buy over-the-counter joint supplements containing glucosamine.  (Shanahan, 2011).

Broth is economical and therapeutic food.

One can spend exhorbitant amounts on supplements containing glucosamine and chondroitins, but these capsules do not hold a candle to the efficacy of the the whole spectrum of glycosaminoglycans in a well made broth.  Whereas a supplement will contain only a few targeted ingredients, a well made broth provides the entire nutrient complex of joint building substances – some of which have likely yet to be discovered.

In that sense, bone broth represents a wonderfully inexpensive therapeutic food.  What a bargain!  A twenty five cent cup of broth offers an unparalleled small fortune in supplements: excellent levels of bioavailable minerals such as calcium, magnesium, potassium and phosphorus are supported by gelatin, chondroiton sulphate, bovine cartilage, glycine and hyaluronic acid.

Best of all, broth tastes great.

You can enjoy it warm in a mug at the end of a long day, or create delicious nourishing soups, stews and sauces.  It’s a pantry item to keep on hand in fall and winter.  Making homemade broth is not only very nourishing, but the utilization of the rest of the animal also qualities broth as a nutritional virtue and a wonderful manifestation of stewardship eating.

Of all we consume, may we always eat thankfully, wisely and well.

 

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Nourishing Broth Recipes:

Vegetable . Mineral . Broth

Chicken Broth

 

additional resources:
Broth is Beautiful by Sally Fallon

Why Broth is Beautiful: Essential Roles for Proline, Glycine and Gelatin by Kaayla T. Daniel, PhD, CCN

Gelatin in Nutrition and Medicine by N.R. Gotthoffer

Proline Amino Acid Benefits  LiveStrong

summer salsa

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This time of year is all about preserving the freshness and bounty of the season… and that usually requires me to act fast, you know what I mean?  There comes a week, during the peak harvest, when the farmer’s market surplus of tomatoes reduces their cost  to $15 dollars for a 30 pound box – at least around here!  Tomatoes for 50 cents a pound!  It’s an irresistible sight I both long for and dread.  With so many tomatoes, one needs to act quickly or they will go bad – let them sit even overnight and you are guaranteed to loose a few to the compost.

So the season of harvest has me re-thinking our methods of preserving.  As a mom and student of holistic nutrition, I want foods teaming with life and nourishment for my very vibrant family.  A few years ago I learned about a different method of preservation… fermentation.

Unfamiliar with fermenation?

The art of fermentation is as old as humanity, but one that has largely disappeared from our western diets.  Fermentation is fairly simple because it preserves without the use of hot water baths and pressure cookers.  Conventional canning methods kill all bacteria; whereas fermentation is actually a cooperation with the bacteria (germs!) that are naturally available on the environment of the produce.  In fermentation, the naturally present bacteria feed on the sugar and starch in the food which creates lactic acid and that preserves the food, while also creating beneficial enzymes, b-vitamins, short-chain fatty acids, and various strains of probiotics.

Fermentation not only preserves produce, but also transforms ingredients into a more digestible state and creates more nutrition than it’s original vitamin content.

These foods nourish us deeply because through fermentation, nutrients become more absorbable – pregested like the lactase in yogurt which has been broken down and is why those with lactose intolerance may be able to handle yogurt or aged cheeses.
Ferments are laden with probiotics -which have numerous health benefits.   Historically, people would get a large portion of the healthy bacteria necessary for their digestive systems in the form of fermented foods.  Studies show that these good bacteria- probiotics are integral and critical to good health.  Our modern food industry, instead, has left us as a generation that turns to supplements to re-innoculate our digestive tract.  Yet with a traditional ferment, each morsel of can provide trillion of beneficial bacteria- far more that you can get from a probiotics supplements. (Mercola)  That’s pretty amazing!

Through the fermentation process, many foods accumulate increased levels of B vitamins, including thiamin (B1), riboflavin (B2) and niacin (B3) as compared with the nutrition of the raw ingredients prior to fermentation.

In a nourishing sense, fermentation is a virtue!

The finished product – through the slowness of time and the inner-working of a microbial community becomes greater than it’s original constituent ingredients.  And,  it lasts!  It’s true to say that ferments and the art of nourishment requires patience and time and nurturing.

In our day, that is a choice, one that more and more of us gladly make – for the very word nourish means to feed or cherish, to preserve, look after or suckle.  In that sense, nourishment means relationship… one involving care and love.

Fermented products can be an acquired taste, but some well known examples of fermentation include sauerkraut, kimchee and brined pickles.
Ready to give ferments a try?  A great introduction to fermented foods is a fermented salsa that a friend shared with us.  It is delicious and a family favorite – even with the kids!  For a small batch, you’ll need:

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3 lbs of fresh tomatoes – chopped – do not discard the juice
1 bunch of cilantro or basil (our cilantro has died out, so we are using fresh basil)
1 small onion (about 3/4-1 cup)
3 tablespoons sea salt
1 head garlic – peeled and chopped finely
Optional – 1 jalapeño chopped – with or without seeds depending on your tastes
1 lime – I try to use only local ingredients in my ferments – so I usually skip this
2-3 clean mason jars
Clean bowl and spoon.
All your utensils, cutting boards and bowls should be clean.  It is not necessary to sterilize them.

Rinse tomatoes and wash your hands.

Chop ingredients to the salsa consistency you prefer.  It is not necessary to discard the juice as this becomes our brining liquid.  Mix all ingredients well in bowl.

Spoon into jars and either with a wooden spoon or your clean hands press the salsa below the liquid.
Seal tight and leave out of direct sunlight on the kitchen counter for 3-5 days.

Open the jars periodically as this will release some of the gases and also make sure to continue pressing your salsa below the brine line if necessary.  Frequent tasting – once the ferment has reached the taste consistency you love, enjoy some and then move it to the refridgerator.  The cooler temperature there slows down the fermentation process.

 

A taste of this salsa in winter will unleash the vibrant delicious flavors of summer!  It can be enjoyed with your favorite organic chips, with scrambled eggs, on a taco or anywhere that you normally would enjoy it.  One word of caution that I offer… if this is your very first ferment or your diet is generally spartan of probiotic rich foods, please start out with just a tablespoon per day for about a week to build up your internal probiotic community slowly.

Fermentation is making a niche comeback and one that has been recognized by culinary mega-giants like Williams Sonoma which now sells vessels for fermenting.  This is great news!