Homemade Chicken Broth

When I was pregnant with my son, I tried to avoid taking medicine as much as possible and started researching natural remedies. Chicken soup has a reputation for curing colds, but in my experience  chicken soup was not a very effective remedy - apart from being a comfort food and warming meal. I realized the reason it was ineffective was because the chicken soup I was eating was either canned chicken noodle or made from bouillon cubes. 

"According to The Best Recipe cookbook, the FDA and Department of Agriculture set no standards of definition for chicken broth or stock. The authors were wondering why commercially available broth was so flavorless, lacking in body and generally inferior to the homemade version. Their conclusions were that the ratio of water to chicken must be high, giving a dilute result, and that the high, long heating involved in canning destroys the flavor compounds. Canned broth that tasted good to them had high sodium and MSG." I have also read that because there are no standards for chicken broth, many store bought broths do not even contain chicken! Chicken bouillon powder or 鸡精 is essentially chicken flavored MSG. Here are the ingredients in a chicken bouillon cube: Iodized Salt, Hydrogenated Palm Oil, Wheat Flour, Flavor Enhancers (Monosodium Glutamate, Disodium Inosinate, Disodium Guanylate), Chicken Fat, Sugar, Yeast Extract, Onion, Spices (Turmeric, White Pepper, Coriander), Parsley, Caramel, Chicken Meat. 

I have no doubt that MSG is bad for you, although I am not sure it is as bad as people make it out to be. After all, the Japanese use MSG a lot and have for years and they have the longest life expectancy in the world. That said, my family already consumes more MSG than I would like when we eat out, so I avoid it as much as I can at home. 

One reason homemade broth or stock is so healthy is because it is rich in minerals and gelatin. Minerals are as important as vitamins in a balanced diet and are especially easily absorbed in the form of broth/soup. Gelatin has wonderful healing properties. In Chinese medicine, gelatin is used to strengthen the body's resistance to disease and aid digestion. 

Homemade bone broth is by far my favorite home remedy! Since I started making it, it has really reduced the severity and duration of my colds. 

When I first started making broth I bought frozen whole chickens, however whole chicken is relatively expensive. A few weeks ago, a Chinese friend recommended I  make soup from the chicken frame instead. The frame is the cheapest cut of chicken at my local market for just 4.5 rmb/lb. I tried it and my broth turned out to be just as good, for a fraction of the cost!

Ingredients:

2 chicken frames*/ 鸡架 jījià

2-3 T vinegar

Filtered water - just enough to cover the bones

* You can use any cut of chicken. Chicken feet have the most gelatin, so if you are making this as a remedy you can add  feet too. I don't always add them because they are an expensive cut of meat in China. ( You might be able to get them for free in the West :-) 

Optional Add-ins:

Carrot peels

 Onion

 Leek

5-8 Peppercorns

Garlic - if you are making this as a remedy use a lot! 

Celery stalk & leaves - celery is on the dirty dozen for pesticides so wash it well!

2 Bay leaves

Goji berries - a superfood high in vitamin A.

Spinach stems

Parsley

Method:

1. Put the chicken in a pot and cover it with water (I use tap water), bring it to a boil. When the chicken turns white, take the chicken out and dump out the water. Return the chicken to the pot and cover with filtered water. I do this to wash the chicken and also instead of skimming of any impurities.

This is a chicken frame/ 鸡架 I bought two for 9 RMB. 

2. Add the vinegar and add-ins to the pot, cover and simmer for 3- 12 hours. The vinegar is very important as the acid helps to draw the minerals from the bones, this step causes the broth to have a higher mineral content. 

3. After the chicken is cooked, take the chicken out and remove any meat from the bones and refrigerate for later use. Return the carcass to the pot. I usually get about 2 cups white meat from 2 chicken frames.

4. Line a colander with cheesecloth and strain the broth. Refrigerate for up to 5 days or freeze. A good broth should gel when refrigerated. If your broth does not gel, use less water and more bones next time. 

"Good broth will resurrect the dead." - South African Proverb