Food - Bone Soup

Bone soup is very popular right now. It is inexpensive to make and can be high in vitamins and minerals. The bones include marrow and cartilage, which contain the ingredients used to make up supplements for treating aches and pains and bone and joint problems. It is very healthy for people of all ages. Home made bone soup is far healthier than store bought, canned and packaged, broth. Making bone soup is easy. While there are many recipes online, this is the simple way I make it. Bones can be from chicken, turkey, beef, pork, mutton or even duck. For a darker broth and a richer flavor, (my preference) brown the bones in the oven first before boiling, but it is not necessary. Put the bones, with a bit of meat on them if possible for more flavor, in the crock pot and cover with water. I prefer the have the crock pot at least 1/3 full of bones. Let them cook all day in the crock pot. I add salt and a teaspoon of vinegar to dissolve some of the calcium into the broth. I cook it at least 10 to 12 hours. If too much water evaporates, a bit of boiling water can be added (not cold water which can crack a crock pot). If the bones are small, such as with chicken, duck or turkey, I remove them before adding other ingredients. Sometimes, I put the cooked broth in a glass container in the refrigerator over night. If desired, fat that rises to the top as it cools can be skimmed. As it cools, some bone broths will turn to a jell. That's all the healthy stuff. Once the bone broth is ready, any vegetables can be added as desired. Possibilities include, garlic, onions, carrots, celery, greens such as spinach, mushrooms, potatoes, corn, peas, beans, tomatoes, root vegetables, squash and anything else you like. Do not add all of those ingredients at once. Add flavors you like that compliment each other. Adding a starch food, such as rice, noodles, pasta, spaghetti or potatoes is very good, inexpensive and filling. I like to add herbs and spices to my broth, depending on my mood at the time. A broth can be made spicy by adding cayenne or red pepper flakes to the broth. (I am not fond of spicy food.) I like a bone soup, either chicken or beef, cooked with rice, a handful of mushrooms and sometimes a bit of celery or onion. It's wonderful comfort food and not expensive. In Asia, where noodles are king, bone soup will be made of pork bones, and noodles and a few vegetables, such as a carrot or green onions, will be added to the cooked broth. It is very inexpensive. If you choose ingredients that are inexpensive, and that you like, this soup is very economical and satisfying.