An interview with Kate Brown, Founder – BRAISED Bone Broth
CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT WHY YOU STARTED PRODUCING BONE BROTH?
A: Mom’s homemade broth and soup are some of my favorite memories of home. In my early twenties, I learned how to craft it myself and would take a huge thermal carafe of Mom’s broth (slightly reinvented) to work to sip on during the day. I point to this habit as a big reason my digestion and overall health improved so significantly. As a nutrition professional, I began selling bone broth from my home to clients and friends over a decade ago and eventually it evolved into what is now BRAISED Bone Broth Co.
WE READ THAT BONE BROTH HAS BEEN A PART OF YOUR DIET FOR 10 YEARS! CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT SOME OF THE BENEFITS YOU’VE SEEN?
A: The regular consumption of bone broth (which is key) was what I believe helped me the most with my IBS-like digestive concerns. Most of my formative years were spent in bouts of anorexia and disordered eating primarily because food did not make my body feel good. This all changed for me during that year I spent sipping on bone broth consistently. My symptoms resolved and my relationship to food and eating healed. I really felt nourished and whole for the first time. Of course there were other things I did that contributed to these changes, but I feel it was the bone broth that provided that nutritional foundation for good health. This journey continues yet today and each year I feel better than the one before. What I can tell you with confidence is that (our) bone broth is nutrient dense, REAL food that when consumed as a dietary staple can support a great deal of systems within the body – digestive, immune, nervous, and skeletal to name a few.
WHERE DO YOU SOURCE YOUR INGREDIENTS?
A: All our ingredients are consciously sourced – organic or better – and must pass our standards for quality and nutrition. Our bones and chicken feet come from family farms using sustainable, pasture-raised, and non-GMO agricultural practices. One of our favorite farms specializes in heritage breed birds and is really leading the industry in all the aforementioned standards. Our kombu is sourced from the Atlantic Ocean to avoid possible radiation contamination on the Pacific side, and we use Redmond’s Real Salt – a family-run company that harvests its products from the dry sea beds in Utah yielding a highly mineralized salt that the body loves. We also go beyond sourcing to make sure our broth is as nutritious as it can be, for instance like leaving the onion skins on and using the “press then rest” method for garlic to capture the most phytonutrients.
WHAT MAKES YOUR PRODUCTS DIFFERENT THAN OTHERS ON THE MARKET?
A: Of course I’m biased, but I believe ours tastes the best. We purposely craft our broth to taste robust, flavorful, and enjoyable enough to sip on. With featured stir-ins like grass-fed butter, Bulletproof XCT oil, anti-inflammatory spices, and Redmond’s Real Salt – we think it is even more delicious and crave-worthy! I think the other things that make us different are our history with the product, our focus on optimal nutrition, and our ingredient sourcing that cannot be beat.
HOW IS BRAISED BONE BROTH MADE?
A: We use the authentic crafting process – a low and slow simmer of at least 24 hours to gently pull all the delicate nutrients from the bones, vegetables, and spices. Our kettles are unique in that they heat from the inside-out (versus the outside-in of standard cookery) which has been found to be more efficient at extracting the nutrients from the bones. We then filter out all the solids and fat to create a consistent and clarified broth. Broth made by the home cook contains a higher fat content. We purposely separate it for our retail product because the fat binds to any impurities in the broth (serving as a filter of sorts) and it can make the finished product taste greasy. We are not opposed to fat, however! We like to stir our own healthy fats back into the broth once heated to help the body assimilate all the important nutrients like collagen and gelatin and to add flavor, umami, and nutrition.
DO YOU HAVE OTHER FLAVORS OF BONE BROTH BESIDES CHICKEN?
A: Not at this time. As a self-funded small business we have found it necessary to pace ourselves in the creative tasks and focus mastering one layer at a time. This is also why we promote the different stir-ins and encourage a level of self-crafting at home for your own mug. There are so many ways to add your own love to our product – fermented sriracha, warm coconut milk, and raw herbs are some of our favorites along with the others already mentioned. We are in the R&D phases for grass-fed beef and a medicinal mushroom stock that we hope to bring to market in 2018.
WHAT IS THE BEST WAY TO USE YOUR BONE BROTH CONCENTRATE?
A: Each 8 oz container of condensed bone broth gelatin yields 72-80 oz of sippable bone broth (or about 10 single servings) once water is added to rehydrate. When ready to use, thaw the product in the refrigerator and use within 30 days. For single-serving application, take a knife and score a # into the gelatin. Slice the middle square in half to yield 10 servings. Scoop one serving into a saucepan with 7-8 oz of filtered water and stir on low/med heat until the broth gelatin melts. Remove from heat within 10 seconds of reaching a low rolling boil, pour into your favorite mug and enjoy. Some customers just pour boiling water over the cube of broth in the mug (more like a tea) for simpler rehydration.
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