Healing with Food Article

Traditional Bone Stock (Gelatin)

Accompanying recipes: Bone Stock and Chicken or Turkey Stock  (Also see Vegetable Stock)

Here’s how the classic energy tonic, bone stock, deliciously soothes whatever ails you. It increases endurance and strengthens the gastro intestinal tract and the immune system. Plus it sublimely increases the flavor and texture of savory dishes.

How does purchased stock compare to home-made? Like cut glass to a diamond. It is stock that ultimately determines the success of a dish. Thus cooks world-wide and through the centuries have regarded silky, gelatinous, marrow bone stock as an essential ingredient for soups, sauces and pilafs.

Because gelatin is concentrated protein, you may regard it as the original--and healthful--protein isolate. These long chained protein molecules may be extracted from animal skins or bones.

Today’s commercial gelatin, however, is derived only from animal skins, it is a protein source, but that’s all. It is not an energy tonic. Whereas, gelatin extracted from bones is a nutritious source of protein as well as collagen, calcium, minerals and the amino acids proline and glycine. Bone stock is a remarkable and healing food.

Thus a traditional chicken stock made of the carcass is fondly dubbed “grandma’s penicillin” for its effectiveness in combating the flu. Stock made from poultry or other bones increases endurance and strengthens the immune system and veins, arteries, muscles, tendons, skin and bones. It also soothes and heals the gastro-intestinal tract and is thus a potent medicine for people suffering from food sensitivities and digestive or bowel problems.

Even vegetarians use this gelatinous tonic medicinally because bones, like leather, are a by-product. Thus, no matter your dietary preferences, health or age, you’ll benefit from bone stock.

The secret to a bone energy tonic is long cooking with a little solvent such as vinegar or wine to extract nutrients. Because bones are dense it takes a long time to draw out all their nutrients.

Excessive cooking will break-up the earliest-released gelatin molecule chains and produce (when chilled) a thin—instead of a thickly quivering—gelatin. Therefore, for thick gelatin, you may extract three different batches of stock from one pot of bones.

Stock is a forgiving recipe that easily accommodates your schedule and a little under- or over-cooking. Do try it and soon you’ll gain a sense of mastery and your own stock rhythm.

I make a week’s supply of bone stock and use it liberally in any savory dish that calls for liquid. Or, for a quick pick-me-up, I season it to taste and drink this consommé as an on-the-spot restorative.

May you be well nourished,

Rebecca Wood