Have you ever wondered if all bone broth is the same or if one, in particular, is the healthiest and best bone broth of all? If so, this article should help clarify this for you!
Most people would agree with the old adage that chicken soup is good for the soul as well as for colds and flu. It’s also a great remedy for digestive problems, arthritis, pain, and recovery from all sorts of illness. (1)
When it comes to how to truly prepare healthy soup from scratch, however, the majority of folks would not have a clue where to begin.
Let’s be very clear about the dangers of store-bought tetrapak broth, canned soup or stock, and bouillon cubes. They are never healthy options even when organic. Most do not realize as these processed foods are loaded with neurotoxic MSG and artificial flavors with little to no redeeming nutritional benefit. Watch out for the packaging too, which presents its own laundry list of endocrine-disrupting toxins.
The rise of agribusiness is responsible for this decline in food quality. Since the 1950s, the trend has caused the consumer to gradually lose contact with a local butcher who would sell them a variety of bony leftovers. Our thrifty grandparents and great-grandparents used them to make nutritious stocks and soups. They are typically tossed in the trash today!
Almost all culinary traditions from around the world include meat or fish stocks. Shockingly, most American kitchens are missing a basic stockpot, considered essential equipment just two generations ago!
Dr. Francis Pottenger MD promoted the stockpot as the most important piece of equipment in the kitchen. He advocated liberal use of homemade stock because it attracts digestive juices to itself in a manner similar to raw foods. Foods that attract digestive juices are much more easily digested and assimilated by the body.
Homemade stock also contains natural gelatin which not only aids digestion but assists with the healing of many chronic intestinal disorders such as colitis, Crohn’s disease, Colitis, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, and others.
During time of frugality, homemade stock helps keep the food budget in check by allowing health to be maintained with only small amounts of meat in the diet. This is due to large amounts of two amino acids in the broth which act together as a protein sparer, allowing more efficient utilization of the complete meat proteins that are eaten once or twice a week.
Homemade stock used frequently in the diet offers protection from gastrointestinal illness, as the natural gelatin acts a neutralizer of intestinal poisons helping to relieve diarrhea and even dysentery.
Ok, enough already! So you’re already sold on the benefits of bone broth.
Now what?
Which Bone Broth is the Healthiest?
In our modern era, time in the kitchen is limited at best.
Which stock or broth should you focus your time on given the many options available: chicken, turkey, goose, duck, venison, beef, pork, fish, shrimp etc?
While I would argue that it is a good idea to rotate your bone broth and make them all if possible as each contains a slightly different profile of nutritional benefits, for those with thyroid problems, the winner is fish stock as it is the best bone broth of all!
Broth and soup made with fishheads are rich in iodine, thyroid-strengthening substances, and fat-soluble vitamins.
Although a fish does not have an actual thyroid gland, but rather diffuse thyroid follicles with many located in the head (notably around the eye area and the pharynx), the good news is that these follicles are very similar to mammalian thyroid tissue.
Make Fish Broth with Non-Oily Fish
Bone broth made from fish should be made with a non-oily species like snapper or rock fish. Classical cooking texts do not recommend making fish stock with oily fish like salmon. This is possibly because the smell can be overwhelming. In addition, the plentiful amounts of unsaturated fish oils become rancid during the hours-long simmering process.
If you live anywhere near the coast, you should be able to find a good fish merchant who will save the fish carcasses and heads for you if you ask. They should even be free as they are normally thrown away, but even if there’s a charge it should be minimal.
I personally feel that fish stock is one of the top five basic cooking skills to teach your children before they leave home. It’s so easy to make. In fact, it’s the fastest of all bone broths. What’s more, fish heads are cheap and easy to find in most major metropolitan areas.
Most Budget-Friendly Too!
I recently taught my teenage son how to make a super-fast bone broth from fish heads. He couldn’t believe how easy it was. Make it once and you won’t forget!
It’s also great for a young adult on a limited budget with limited space. Because you can make a pot in just a few hours, you can make it as needed rather than making huge batches and freezing large quantities. Just a dollar or two can make a gallon of stock in a hurry.
This compares with a pot of chicken stock which takes 24 hours to make with quality pastured chicken very expensive and sometimes hard to find. Beef bone broth takes even longer with quality grassfed bones also a typically expensive purchase.
Below is a video I filmed on this most important and best bone broth to incorporate into your culinary routine, not just because it is the best bone broth of all, but also because it is the fastest and most inexpensive to make too!
The argument “I can’t afford Real Food” does not apply here!
Best Bone Broth
I encourage you to try making this recipe below for the most affordable, healthiest, most nutritious bone broth possible. If the thought of making fish stock is just too overwhelming, there are other ideas for making other types of bone broth that follow later in this article.
Best Bone Broth Recipe
A simple recipe for making the healthiest and best bone broth for your family.
Ingredients
- 3 quarts filtered water
- 2 lbs fish heads and bones fish heads alone is fine
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar preferably raw and organic packed in glass bottles
- sea salt to taste
Instructions
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Place water and fish heads/bones in a 4 quart stockpot.
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Stir in vinegar while bringing the water to a gentle boil.
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As the water first begins to boil, skim off any foam that rises to the surface. It is important to remove this foam as this is impurities and off flavors.
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Reduce heat to a simmer for at least 4 hours and no more than 24 hours.
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Cool and then strain into containers for refrigeration.
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Freeze what you will not use in one week.
Recipe Video
Other Bone Broths That Are Healthy Too!
Turkey broth is a must after Thanksgiving dinner. You will get a couple gallons of some of the best-tasting bone broth you’ve ever tried with no extra cost out of pocket.
Duck broth is possibly the richest tasting bone broth. Duck is not so easy to source, but if you find a quality provider, it is worth the effort to make.
Rabbit broth is not very popular in the United States, but quite common in Europe where rabbit is more accepted as a meat source. It tastes very similar to chicken stock, but is much more affordable especially if you source pastured rabbit.
Pork broth is like rabbit broth in that it is typically very affordable to make compared with grassfed beef broth or pastured chicken broth. The issues with eating pork are not a problem when making broth from pastured pig bones or even conventional ones. It is the meat from pigs that should be prepared traditionally to avoid issues with microcirculation from eating pork that has not been either marinated, smoked, cured, or slow cooked.
Beef and chicken broth is the typical stock that most people make. It is very affordable given that many butchers will give you beef bones for free. Chicken stock is also very affordable. Just make sure you buy whole chickens and not boneless pieces like most people do.
Shrimp stock is a quick stock to make that requires only the shells from peeled shrimp that you sourced for a meal. The color is pinkish and delightfully mild. It makes a fantastic base for seafood gumbo or clam chowder.
Bonito broth is another option for stock, although it does not offer all the health benefits of bone broth. Taking only a few minutes to make using dehydrated tuna packets from an Asian food store, it is a good place to start if you don’t have the time to make bone broth, but wish to ditch commercial broth right away.
Another neat way to enjoy the health benefits of broth is to make it using bones that have been smoked. Barbecue bone broth has a slightly smoky flavor that is tantalizing and gives old standby soup recipes new life. You can use a mix of bones from different animals to make it too! For example, beef, chicken and pork bones work very well together.
Can You Buy Healthy Bone Broth?
There are now companies that are making authentic bone broth for sale. While the broth itself is fine, most are packed in plastic or aseptic tetra packs. This is problematic from my perspective as this type of packaging has the potential to leech toxins into the bone broth. This is especially true with aseptic tetra packs where the broth is boiling hot when it is poured into the plastic-lined cartons. All plastic leeches when exposed to high heat, even so-called “non-leeching” plastics.
I only buy two types of bone broth from the store. The first is packed in glass that is shelf-stable for many months. This brand of broth is a good option for traveling or college dorm rooms.
Another safe option is frozen broths (such as this vetted brand) where the liquid is cooled to room temperature before packaging in the plastic bags.
Bone Broth FAQ
5 Reasons Why Your Stock Won’t Gel
MSG in Bone Broth
Stock versus Bone Broth
How to Avoid Lead in Homemade Broth
The Perfect Simmer on Your Bone Broth
We love fish broth, and it does not taste fishy. We add some carrots and onion to ours as it simmers. Sourcing fish heads is a problem–they are extremely expensive here, and our Whole Foods stopped selling them to us at the bones price and will only sell them at the higher whole-fish price…then they decided they won’t sell just the heads at all. Apparently, red snapper is popular for the entire fish and carcass here (Colorado), and they are quite pricey–more than $12 per pound!
Do you have an Asian market near you? Their prices may be better (although I doubt they throw many fish heads away).
I make and use chicken broth all of the time but have never tried fish broth…..I really want to now…..but how do you use it? I don’t think I’d be able to drink it. Do you use it in cooking? Only fishy recipes? I would love some suggestions…. I live by the sea in the UK and I’m sure I can easily access fish bones and heads. Thank you 🙂
I find it delicious … got hooked on it while traveling through Japan. It isn’t fishy tasting at all … very delicious. As an alternative, you can use it as a base for gumbos or chowders.
Love the health value of this stock yet as far as cooking with it besides the gumbos or chowders is there anything else? Just hate the idea of letting such a healthy stock go to the waist side because I do not know what to do with it!!
I made fish stock using your recipe once before that called for two red snapper heads. It really made the house smell. Does using grouper help with this? Thanks, Sara
No, grouper is much the same. Did you cover the broth while simmering? Turning on the oven fan helps too. Also, make sure you don’t simmer too high!
I make my stock in a purple clay slow cooker, and I actually put mine out in the attached garage. The smell just about makes me gag, so I put it out where I don’t have to smell it! It is really delicious in fish chowder though!
Thanks for posting this. I was wondering how “fishy’ the broth tastes. I can barely tolerate fresh salmon or cod and when it comes back out of the fridge a day or two late as a leftover, forget it. I can’t stand “fish” taste/smell. So I will not be making or eating fish bone broth, unfortunately! We go through meat broth (simmered about 6 hours) like crazy here and the leftover bones don’t ever wind up having enough stuff left to “gel”. I usually just make beef or lamb bone broth. But again, we go through so much broth that I can’t keep up with bones for it. Bones are actually not easy to come by where we live. The farmers that are supplying the healthy animals in our area have smart customers that value all of these pieces and parts. So there is none to spare, and the bones are not often able to be purchased unless buying bulk quantity of meat (like side of beef). So with that, I wind up freezing our bone broth into small quantities (the gelled stuff I let cool and then scoop into heaping tablespoon sized balls and freeze, then transfer into a container). The subsequent batches that don’t have as much gel I freeze into ice cube trays. Then I add these frozen cubes to other things I make. Although I wish we could get more of it in our systems and in larger quantities, I figure some is better than nothing!
Sarah, I’ve only ever made beef, turkey and chicken stocks and broths. Will have to give fish stock a try.
I make chicken and beef bone broth all the time. What to use fish bone broth in? Does it taste fishy? Or can it be used in any recipe I would use beef or chicken bone broth in? Thank you~!
Hi Sarah;
I get lots of fish racks when I’m in Wellfleet {cape cod} in the summer. My fish store gives me the most wonderful halibut racks. These filleted fish have still have lots of meat on them, so I poach the racks to just done and pull the meat from the carcasses; this I chill down and use for salads, cakes, add to risotto, rice, etc. The bones continue to simmer in the pot for broth. I’ve served this to people who say they don’t like fish, and they loved it. I add fresh herbs to the bottom of the cup, and a dab of butter on top. I’ve used the broth to make tomato soup and people can’t guess the “secret ingredient”.
First of all, thank you so much for the how to videos. They are extremely helpful as I begin to learn more about traditional cooking.
I don’t live very close to any coasts. I’ve been calling, researching, asking people on local traditional cooking fb pages, trying to find a good source of non oily type fish heads. I finally found one that will have catfish in tomorrow. Have you ever tried fish bone broth with catfish. Will that work?
.. we readers are served best by also given the option for a vegetarian/vegan option as well .. just as nutritious, if not more.
Unfortunately, there are no vegetarian bone broths available … by very definition. Plants don’t have bones!
Hahaha!
Just wanted to chime in here and share a meatless-boneless broth recipe that I recently found. This Kombu-Shiiitake stock recipe by Rebecca Wood and Leda Scheintaub in the latest issue of Well Being Journal. I personally think it would be best with fish stock, but nevertheless it is a classic Japanese stock known as dashi. The recipe follows:
1 (6-8) inch strip of kombu seaweed
3 or 4 dried shiitake mushrooms
7 cups of water
unrefined salt
Place the Kombu, mushrooms, water, and salt to taste in a large saucepan and soak for at least 15 minutes or as long as 10 hours. Place the pan over medium-high heat and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat and simmer for 5 to 10 minutes, then remove the kombu and reserve it for another use, such as another soup, a stew, or a braised vegetable dish, or discard it. Continue to simmer for an additional 5 to 10 minutes, until the mushrooms are softened. Remove the mushrooms and reserve them for another use; you could slice them and add to a soup or stir-fry for example.
This broth is said to have remarkable medicinal properties. Shiitake is a blood and qi tonic that detoxifies and reduces inflammation, and has antiviral properties and numerous other phenomenal medicinal benefits. Anyway, this is one I think Sally and hopefully Sarah will agree is one we should include along with all our other wonderful bone broths, and is suitable for the vegetarian person who was sadly ridiculed :>)
Anthony, I respect your dedication to a certain diet/lifestyle. But Sarah’s site is VERY MUCH Weston A. Price based, and he believed HEAVILY in the nourashing powers of meat, bones and organs as making up a huge part of a healthy diet.
You may find disappointment if you come here for vegetarian encouragement.
Hi Sarah, Thanks for the great info. I was wondering if fish stock would have some of the benefits found in fish oil. My family is on a tight budget right now and COL is not an option, but I have four kids, several with what may be attention deficit disorder. I am looking for ways to naturally feed their wonderfully bright, but forgetful brains. This seems like an easy, but cheaper option. I DO NOT want to medicate…
Fish stock is not a substitute for fermented cod liver oil. Completely different type of food. Do both if you possibly can.
Thank you, Sarah, for your posts on equipping our children to navigate their own kitchens in college and beyond! You make my job as mom all the easier!
Make sure your child knows how to make bone broth *especially* if they plan to compete in college sports. Regular consumption of bone broth reduces the risk of injury and if there is an injury, faster recovery.