What is your favorite part of catching the flu? Despite the running nose, I do love the steaming hot broth that I use as a remedy to unblock my stuffy nose. Nowadays, broths are not only used for running noses but some restaurants serve them on their menus as appetizers and beverages.
You don’t have to be a chef to differentiate bone broth vs broth vs stock or how you can use them interchangeably to make delicious beverages and meals. Today, bone broth and stock are quite famous, but people do confuse the terms, sometimes referring to one as the other. But today, we will look at bone broth vs stock vs broth, their differences, and how you can use them interchangeably.
Bone Broth vs Broth vs Stock
To differentiate them you need to know what each of these is and how to prepare them.
What Is Broth?
This is made of simmering meat in water, both raw and roasted meat scraps, cooked in less than two hours. They are mostly what granny gives us when we are feeling under the weather. It is a clear, more translucent liquid made from chicken or beef.
Besides meat, it can contain roasted or raw meaty bones, simmered vegetables, herbs, and spices. When using raw beef bones or chicken bones to prepare a broth, simmer for a shorter period to prevent the release of all the nutrients, so it does not have a thick gelatinous texture.
With broth, there’s something for everyone! Chicken lovers can prepare chicken broth from simmering chicken meat while beef lovers can enjoy this beef broth by simmering beef and adding their favorite aromatic vegetables and spices. Dear vegetarians can enjoy vegetable broth by using leftover water from blanching their vegetables.
For bone broth vs broth, the latter is lighter and of a thin consistency and because of the rich flavor, it can be drunk on its own.
What is Bone Broth?
This is where most people get confused, myself included! Bone broth is made from simmered meaty bones cartilage, connective tissue, and ligaments for 12-48 hours. Doesn’t this make it a stock? Well, bone broth is the hybrid baby of stock and broth.
Allow me to make it make more sense. It is more like stock because it is made from roasted bones but sometimes made from meaty bones. Why is bone broth cooked for a long period? This is because other than releasing the gelatin from the bones, the goal is to also glucosamine, amino acids, collagen, calcium, and electrolytes.
This one has collagen, gelatinous texture, Bone broths are good for gut health, skin, hair, and nails. It is strained, seasoned, and drank alone, just like broth.
People on a fat-free diet or with fat-metabolism disorders, can get zero fat and make zero-fat bone stock. This process is time-consuming and labor-intensive because you will have to use toasted or roasted bones and skim them or use a layer of egg white on top to make it zero fat.
Because vegetables don’t have bones, you can’t have vegetable bone broth. You toast your vegetables to add a depth of flavor and achieve caramelization, then they are simmered.
What Is Stock?
Stock is made from simmered bones or shells for 4 to 8 hours. This longer time compared to broth allows for the release of gelatin and collagen which make it a richer, fuller, and more flavorful liquid, with a jello-like consistency when refrigerated. Knucklebones, also known as stock bones, are the best for good stock since they are gelatin-rich. You can add vegetables to your stock for a richer flavor.
Stock makes for a great flavorful foundation for your meals. Vegetable stock is made from vegetables like celery, onions, mushrooms, and carrots simmered together and used as an ingredient for your gravy and sauces.
If you want to use your stock as a soup base and foundation for sauces, soups, and gravy, then you don’t have to add seasonings. Add your sea salt and seasonings when preparing the main dish.
Stock is used for cooking because it is concentrated. It is not drunk on its own but is great for binding, and can be used as an alternative to butter and cream. You can use it as a broth, just add more water to make it thinner and less concentrated.
Bone Broth vs Broth vs Stock Nutrition
When looking at the nutritional facts, bone broth is the most nutrient dense of the three. Broth has about 38 kcals per serving (chicken broth) which is half of the calories found in stock which is 86 kcals per serving. The stock has more carbs, fat, and proteins than broth, but less fat and protein than bone broth. It also contains more vitamins and minerals than broth, however, fewer amounts than bone broth.
Other key differences between the three include:
Cooking Time
Bone broth takes the shortest time to prepare (2 hours or less), stock takes about more than 4 hours but less than 8 hours while bone broth cook time is 12-48 hours.
Ingredients
The broth is based on meat, chicken meat for chicken broth, and beef for beef broth. In addition, a lot of things can go into broths. You can add herbs, sea salt, and seasoning to your broth, giving it a rich flavor.
Stock is made from animal bones with little to no connective tissues. It mainly uses marrow bones to release nutrients and collagen. Moreover, you do not add seasoning to your stock, chicken stock, and vegetable stock. There is no added salt to stock because you will add it when preparing your main dish to avoid over-seasoning.
Unlike stock, bone broth is made from animal bones with a lot of connective tissue to release gelatin and other nutrients. Short ribs have a lot of connective tissues and fat which when cooked for a long time melt into your bone broth. You can also season it with fresh herbs and spices to add flavor and make it tastier.
Concentration
The long cooking time of bone broth brings the concentration difference between stock and bone broth. When it comes to stock vs broth, the latter is less concentrated because it takes a shorter time to cook. The longer the time for cooking the richer the liquid. Bone broth harvests more collagen, amino acids, and gelatin making it the most nutritious of the three.
The concentration also affects the taste. Bone broth has a more pronounced taste since it is most concentrated.
Consistency
The broth is thinner and more liquid because it is cooked over a shorter period, and it’s made from meat mostly. Also, not a lot of nutrients are released.
The stock is made from simmering bones rather than meat. Boiling the bones for more than 4 hours allows for the release of collagen and bone marrow.
To make bone broth, bones with connective tissue and ligaments are boiled over a longer time, releasing gelatin which gives its fuller and thicker consistency. Bone broth firms up when it cools due to its high gelatin content.
Appearance
The real difference between stock, bone broth, and broth is appearance. The broth is clear and translucent while the stock is brown if it’s beef stock, chicken stock, or veggie stock. Your bone broth color ranges from golden brown to dark brown due to the collagen-rich bones used to prepare the broth.
Use
When looking at what to use, bone broth vs broth vs stock, you should pay attention to the concentration of your broth. Stocks are used mainly for cooking, broths are drunk on their own while bone broths can be used for cooking and taken on their own.
The high gelatin content is what makes stock and bone broth good for cooking. Broth has a better flavor to the pallet making it a good beverage choice. It’s all in the food styling when serving broth, to make the finished product appetizing.
Bone Broth Recipe
Making this is as easy as ABC if you have all the right ingredients, including patience!
Ingredients
- Roasted bones (whether you will go for beef, chicken, chicken wings, or knuckles)
- Preferred herbs (rosemary, bay leaves, and thyme are good choices)
- Vegetables of choice (celery, onions, and carrots)
- Apple cider vinegar
- Seasonings (red flakes pepper and black pepper)
Method
- Soak your bones in apple cider vinegar and cover them with water for an hour in a large pot or slow cooker. This will help suck out nutrients from your bones.
- Bring your water to a boil.
- Once the water has started boiling, add your veggies, seasonings, and herbs, and reduce your heat to a simmer.
- Simmer between 12-72 hours. Keep in mind that the longer the bones are simmered, the more nutrients, gelatin, and collagen your bone broth will contain.
- Once bones and vegetables simmered, remove the veggie scraps and bones.
- Pour your bone broth into an airtight container and allow it to cool.
- Your bone broth should have a jelly-like texture since it is high in gelatin and collagen.
At your local butcher, picking bones from grass-fed animals is better to avoid the consumption of antibiotics and growth hormones found in factory-farmed varieties.
Can I Use Bone Broth Instead of Beef Broth?
Yes, you can! You can use bone broth, broth, and stock interchangeably. If your online recipe calls for chicken broth but you have only chicken stock, don’t fret! You can substitute it for stock and bone stock for broth and vice versa. However, the exception comes in for consommé which calls for broth only, and demi-glace which only uses stock.
Home cooks should note that for a better burst of flavor, use the same type of broth or stock as the meat you’re preparing. Using beef broth in a chicken sauce will bring out an overwhelming flavor while using chicken broth in beef recipes won’t bring out a pop in flavor required in gravy and sauce.
Bone Broth Vs Chicken Broth Taste
Bone broth has a more profound flavor than the one from chicken. You can have your chicken broth ready in 6 hours tops, but your bone broth can simmer for up to 48 hours just to have all the nutrients released.
For this reason, you use chicken broth as a base for other dishes instead of bone broth which can be overpowering if used to make a sauce or in other recipes.
Bone Broth vs Chicken Broth for Fasting
Bone broth can break your fast because it contains 40-50 kcals per cup serving. One cup of homemade chicken broth contains 38 kcals, so it can break your fast as well. However, I would recommend bone broth to break your speed keto since it will replenish your minerals and vitamins.
What Is Bone Broth Fasting
Bone broth can be good for intermittent fasting. Due to the inflammatory, gut, and energy-boosting benefits of bone broth, it can be used as a weight loss method. Get a whole chicken from your local butcher, throw it in a pot with some vegetables and herbs cook for 24 hours. This recipe is amazing to help you break your fast.
Which Is Healthier Bone Broth Or Stock?
The nutrients are in the bones. Adding vegetables simmered with meat and herbs in your stock recipe makes for amazing flavors. Bones are rich in calcium and magnesium and are a great source of collagen and gelatin which promote healthy skin and gut health.
Boiling your meat on medium-high heat, then lowering the heat for more than 18 hours when preparing bone broth allows for amino acids, glutamine, and glycine which are good for the gut.
The former is more nutritious than stock for the following reasons:
Promotes Joint Health
As mentioned, bones are healthy in calcium and magnesium which are essential in strengthening bones and joints. Connective tissues have a high concentration of glycosaminoglycans necessary for healthy bones.
Glucosamine is usually recommended for supplementation to manage osteoarthritis. Chondroitin sulfate is a building block for cartilage and together with glucosamine, prevents osteoarthritis.
Hyaluronic acid is a glycosaminoglycan that promotes the production of synovial fluid and reduces joint pains in patients with osteoarthritis.
A study showed that the administration of hyaluronic acid and quadriceps strengthening exercises were effective in treating osteoarthritis in adults younger than 70.
Nutrient-Dense Food
It contains protein, minerals, and essential amino acids to assist with the proper growth and functioning of the body. Simmering the bones in a slow cooker on very low heat over a long period increases the concentration of nutrients.
Gut-Health
A study’s evidence suggests that Nano-particles from bone soups restored intestinal microbiota dysbiosis by increasing the diversity and richness of the gut microbiome. They also inhibited the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines thus regulating inflammation of intestinal tissues.
Detoxification
Bone broth contains glycine, a compound used in the making of detoxifying and antioxidizing agent, glutathione. Glutathione prevents hypermethioninemia, the build-up of excess methionine in the blood. One of the causes is the overconsumption of animal proteins leading to inflammations.
Other Benefits
Bone broth contains essential nutrients that support the immune system, promote skin health, assist with digestion and boost energy levels.
What About Store-Bought Stock or Broth?
In my opinion, homemade stock or broth is better. Although, you can use store-bought stock and broth because they are less time-consuming and more convenient. Reach out for the boxed and canned stock rather than bouillon cubes because they are high in sodium, and when combined with other dishes will lead to the consumption of sodium above recommended guidelines.
Once your vegetables have simmered, add store-bought stock and herbs and boil over low heat. Once ready, cool, pour into air-tight jars, and freeze. You can use this for over six months and the flavor will remain the same.
Conclusion
Making your stock or bone broth is better than getting those from the store. the ingredients are easily available at your local butchery and grocery store. Enjoy both the flavor and nutrient benefits of bone broth by adding eat to your intermittent fasting and keto diet lifestyle.
Let us know if you try this recipe and rate it on a scale of 1 to 10. Also, tell us how you make your bone broth vs broth and stock at home. Do you prefer broth on its own or do you like pairing it with other dishes? Tell us all this in the comment section below!
