What’s the Deal with Bone Broth?!

Remember when I lived in Vermont, and I joked that I was a homesteader? I had that big ol’ kitchen, and a humongous stock pot, and I made homemade Golden Bone Broth 10 jars at a time and stored them in the chest freezer on our porch?!

Yeah, I buy my bone broth now.

And there are a few reasons why.

First, the space. I have a small European fridge, so I don’t have the freezer real estate to store multiple jars of bone broth. Second, the taste. Sometimes—when I got the combination of bones just right—my broth tasted awesome, and sometimes it was only so-so and was demoted to use in other soup or stew recipes, instead of for sipping. Third, convenience.

Let’s be real: There are phases in life where you might have time to simmer a pot of bones for a day or two—like my stint as a pretend homesteader in Vermont—and there are phases in life when you just need to eat healthy, delicious food without a bunch of fuss. Now might be one of those times! The holiday season has officially kicked off, and that means more socializing, more activities, possibly more stress—and less time to play in the kitchen. Make your life a little easier, my friends, and buy your bone broth.

Kettle & Fire Bone Broth

I 100% recommend Kettle & Fire Bone Broth. It’s my favorite commercially produced bone broth because the flavor is rich and velvety enough to sip on its own—and it tastes fantastic in other recipes. Plus, take a look at the ingredients:

Chicken Bone Broth (Filtered Water, Organic Chicken Bones, Organic Apple Cider Vinegar), Chicken Broth, Organic Portobello Mushrooms, Organic Celery, Organic Roasted Poblano Pepper, Organic Green Pepper, Organic Onion, Organic Carrots, Organic Garlic, Organic Scallions, Organic Tomato Puree, Organic Lion’s Mane Mushroom Powder, Organic Herbs (Parsley, Thyme, Rosemary, Basil), Organic Spices, Organic Black Pepper, Sea Salt.

That all means it’s ridiculously nutritious and flavorful.

To amp up the umami (and the health benefits), Kettle & Fire has introduced a new variety of broth: Mushroom Chicken Bone Broth. It adds lion’s mane and portobello mushrooms to their already-fabulous chicken broth, and it’s loaded with flavor which means you can really just sip it on its own. (I also like to add a little grated ginger or chopped chives to the mug.)

What are Lion’s Mane Mushrooms?

I’m glad you asked! Lion’s mane mushrooms are a superfood of the fungi world and have long been used in traditional Chinese medicine. They’ve been shown to enhance brain function, support the health of the heart and circulatory system, improve digestion, decrease inflammation, and possibly protect against cancer.

Bonus! They look like this:

Why Kettle & Fire?

Short answer: Because Kettle & Fire makes the bone broth the way you would if you had the time and a giant cauldron. This bone broth is made from all organic chicken bones, then it’s slow-simmered for flavor—for more than 12 hours—with the organic lion’s mane and portobello mushrooms, veggies, salt, and herbs. It has super-high amounts of collagen (bring on the glowing skin and healthy gut!) and, thanks to the ultra-long cooking time, a solid amount of protein is extracted from the bones (10g per serving!). Unlike my bone broth jars that languished in the freezer for months, Kettle & Fire is never frozen. It’s packaged while it’s hot and the way its packaged means it has a 2-year shelf life. In fact, Kettle & Fire is the only brand of bone broth that doesn’t require freezing and is not shipped in styrofoam with dry ice.

Isn’t Bone Broth Just… Broth?

Yes, it’s broth, but it’s special broth. Dismissing bone broth as “just broth” is like saying Thor is just another guy with a hammer. Does this look like just another guy with a hammer to you?

While that statement may be technically true, it doesn’t convey the awesomeness of his super powers. Likewise, bone broth is broth with super powers. It contains tons of collagen—the protein that makes up bones, tendons, ligaments and other flexible tissues—so it helps keep your joints healthy and flexible, and adds luster to your hair and skin. Bone broth also contains amino acids (glycine and glutamine, if you want to drop some big names into cocktail party conversation) that help maintain the integrity of your intestinal wall to prevent leaky gut. (Pro tip: Maybe don’t say ‘leaky gut’ at that cocktail party.) And it contains essential minerals like magnesium, potassium, and calcium.

Get Yours Now

Head on over to Kettle & Fire to check out all their delicious bone broth flavors. Once you’ve got your stash of broth, you can sip in anytime of day for a warming pick-me-up, or use it to make satisfying soups and stews—like these and these.