Herb-Infused Bone Broth
Herb-Infused Bone Broth
Courtesy of CoreyPine Shane
Stay healthy this cold season with a warming and nourishing medicinal broth. CoreyPine Shane’s version utilizes immune boosting astragalus, a tonic used in Chinese medicine, and medicinal mushrooms, such as shiitake or maitake (aka hen of the wood). Nettle leaf, onionskins, and potato peels all lend an incredible amount of potassium and other electrolytes, while the vinegar helps extract minerals from the animal bones.
4 lbs. stock bones (chicken, oxtail, or beef recommended)
1-2 qt. vegetable scraps (onionskins, potato peels, and mushroom stalks recommended)
1/4 cup dried astragalus root
1/2 cup dried shiitake or maitake mushrooms
1/2 cup dried nettle leaf
2-3 garlic cloves
1/2 tsp. thyme
1 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar Water
Place bones, vegetable scraps, astragalus root, mushrooms, and nettle leaf in a Crock-Pot, and cover with water. Simmer for 12 to 48 hours. (A film may accumulate on the top in the first 15 minutes of boiling. Skim and discard if so.) Adding the garlic and thyme in the last hour will help retain their flavors, or add them earlier for more medicinal effect. When finished, let cool and strain in a colander. Broth can be used as a base for soups or gravy, and it adds an excellent flavor and nutrition to any grains cooked in it. Or it can just be warmed and drunk by itself as a delicious beverage. To freeze it, fill a canning jar three-quarters of the way and store the jar on its side. Refrigerated, the broth will last about five days.
Check out our story, "Going Natural," to learn more about the healing power of plants through three pioneers in the field of herbal remedies.