New Kettle & Fire Bone Broth Updates Ancient Paleo Magic

This is not a new concept.  Bone broth has been used for thousands of years by cultures around the globe.  Home cooks, including my Czech mom who went to French cooking school,  have used meat, bones, vegetables, herbs and spices to create broth and stocks.   Soups were then used as the full-flavored, nutritious foundations for sauces, stews, and basting recipes. They were also consumed as medicinal tonics. (what better cure for the flu than homemade chicken soup?)

Basically, however, wonderous as bone broth is,  it is a pain to make, from obtaining the bones at the butcher shop (not to cheap anymore!)  to simmering over a hot stove three times.  Classic bone broth is prepared by slow simmering the bones of chicken, beef, or fish for a minimum of 12 hours.

So this makes  Kettle & Fire’s handy, wax-lined container of broth a heaven-sent gift to the kitchen pantry.  Kettle & Fire broth remains fresh for two years, unopened and stored at room temperature! Once open, it can be stored in the fridge for 7 to 10 days, pretty much as other boxed soups. The packaging process allows this remarkable storage even though there are no preservatives, hormones or additional sodium in the broth.

I had high expectations of Kettle & Fire and they were exceeded on every count.   The liquid broth is absolutely delicious on its own  –   so rich, refined, light and yet substantial.  That’s because Kettle & Fire adds vegetables and seasoning into the mix.  This simmer also extracts amino acids, collagen, and minerals from the bones into the broth for a nutritious soup also high in protein.

I’m sure that there are fun ways to utilize Kettle & Fire bone broth in various recipes although I prefer mine “straight.”  Two of them are noted below, as well as cooking tips.   And there are more on the Kettle & Fire website.

When hot, bone broth looks just like any other basic liquid stock – except there is no obvious fat in it. Once cooled, the soup gels and becomes slightly firm. It is analogous to bones.  The brothers write that bones are comprised primarily of collagen, which converts into gelatin when cooked and takes a solid form when cooled.

Frozen broth cubes are a practical way of storage – especially useful with added herbs or spices. This also works for those who don’t care for the beef or chicken flavor because cubes can be blended into smoothies with other healthy ingredients.

The story behind the product is dramatic.  The healing effect of bone broth was on Justin Mares’ mind when back in 2013, his brother, Nick, tore his ACL. Justin wanted to send him some bone broth to aid in his recovery, but could only find frozen broths, made with non-organic, non-grass-fed cattle.

So, he and Nick, along with a hired professional staff that included an Iron Chef, worked to create a delicious, organic, shelf-stable bone broth.

The fresh bone broth can be used in a multitude of ways, including eaten right out of the container as a hot soup; as soup stock in place of water or bouillon, and as a braising liquid for meats or vegetables.

Green Bone Broth Smoothie

The Green Bone Broth Smoothie blends  fruits and vegetables, which includes spinach, banana, and apple, that we add to our bone broth ice cubes.   Note: Keeping the peel on the apple enhances the color while adding fiber.