RECIPE: This Healing Bone Broth Is Your New Diet Staple

The nutritious food-loving sisters Jasmine and Melissa Hemsley of Hemsley + Hemsley have a healthy eating news flash for you: Bone broth is big, and this particular food fad is well worth following.

"We’ve been saying #BoilYourBones for ages," Melissa Hemsley tells Z Living. "It's been great to see more and more people making their own bone broth at home and also seeing new small businesses start-ups making broth to sell."

The bone broth trend recently reached the boiling point in New York City, where hundreds have queued up for cups of broth at Brodo; the Hemsley sisters also sell mugs of miso bone broth in their London cafe at Selfridges. "People love it as a pick-me-up at any time of day, it’s so delicious and nourishing," says Melissa.

But why buy bone broth when you can make your own? Here's how the Hemsley sisters do it:

 

Ingredients:

• 6 lbs. beef or lamb bones (you can usually get these free from your butcher) or a leftover chicken carcass

Optional:

• A splash of apple cider vinegar or lemon juice
• Onion, leek, carrot, or celery ends
• 1 tbsp black peppercorns
• A few bay leaves

Directions:

1. Place the bones and any optional ingredients in a large stainless steel or ceramic pot, and cover with cold water. The water should cover the bones by two inches, while still leaving room at the top of the pot.
2. Cover with a lid and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer, with the lid on, for at least 12 hours for beef or lamb bones and 6 hours for chicken.
3. Strain the liquid, using a fine mesh strainer for chicken. Use immediately or leave to cool before storing. Bone broth will keep in the fridge for several days or up to a week if undisturbed, as a layer of fat will form on the surface and keep it sealed from the air.

Hemsley + Hemsley's Tip: The longer the bones simmer, the more nutrients are released. Bigger bones like lamb or beef bones have more nutrients to give, so the broth will be more concentrated. You can strain this broth at half-time, refill the pot with fresh water, and cook the bones again to make a double batch of broth.