Ever since I read the first forty days The Essential Art of Nourishing the New Mother by Heng Ou, I have become obsessed with bone broths and making my own. Ou’s book is a lovely dive into the cultural differences of the postpartum period, specifically focusing on differences between traditional eastern customs contrasted with western ones.

One thing that stands out throughout this text is the importance of nutrition for the postpartum mom to continue changing, replenishing, and pouring out for the newborn. Bone broths are great for a multitude of reasons: they are easy to make, they freeze well, they’re nutritious, and they can be consumed solo or mixed into other recipes. As Ou states:

The broth that’s made by cooking them (animal bones + vegetables) for hours on end will flood your body with a host of minerals in ultra-absorbable form- essential for every activity in the body- and lots of gelatin, the jelly-like substance in a rich broth that boosts our collagen. It’s a boon not just for youth and beauty (think: great hair, skin, and nails) but also helps wounds recover..(p.127)

There are some amazing recipes in the first forty days, including ones for stews, congees, bowls, and smoothies. And while when starting out these recipes are great, once you get some experience, you can really make it however you like with whatever you have, which is what I usually do! Below is the recipe, which can be adapted to your liking!

Bone Broth

Ingredients

2-4 pounds of bones* (chicken or beef work really well)

1 onion cut into quarters**

3-6 whole stalks of celery

3-6 whole carrots, cut into coins

3-5 green onions

1-2 inches of ginger

salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

1. Using a large stock pot, place the bones into the pot and cover with a generous amount of water. Bring bones and water to a boil and then lower heat to medium-low and simmer for 30 minutes.

2. Add vegetables, ginger, salt and pepper to taste, to the pot and lower heat to low. Continue simmering for 2-4 hours, or whatever time you can allow.

3. Once the time has elapsed, turn the heat off. A lot of the meat should have fallen off the bones during cooking; feel free to save and add back to the broth or use for another purpose. You can also add the vegetables to the broth to eat as a soup, if desired.

4. For bone broth, strain out meat and vegetables and store to eat later. Broth can be stored in Mason jars, tupperware, or reusable bags. Broth can be stored in the fridge for 5 days or the freezer for up to 3 months.

   *Preparation notes:

   Chicken bones- can be a whole chicken, or parts, including chicken feet which have a very high amount of collagen. Organic or free range birds are preferred, if available to you.

   Beef bones- marrow, short ribs, neck or joint, or oxtail bones- whatever you can get and your butcher should be able to help you. Grass-fed or grass-finished or organic are preferred, if available to you.

   Vegetables- I love to save my vegetable scraps in a freezer bag for these broths. For example, I will add carrot skins, celery tops, green onion parts, whole garlic, etc. When I have it, I add the whole vegetables but the leftovers or scraps from other recipes also work and reduce food waste.

Recipe adapted from the first forty days bone broth recipes.

Andrea Yates at Caring for You Doula is a postpartum doula in Hoboken, NJ, serving families across northern NJ. She is passionate about the postpartum period and helping parents navigate it with confidence and ease. Contact her today to set up a free consultation on how she can help care for you and your family during this amazing time.