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It's been two years since I adopted the mindset that
less is more. Since then, I've focused on
making greener choices to reduce our household waste. And I've changed how I shop for and store our food to reduce our food waste.
Our family is making progress, but we still have a long way to go.
Early on, I made a list of food items I wanted to stop buying and to start making at home. At the top of that list? Cartons of broth and stock.
It's simple to make homemade vegetable broth. And using vegetable scraps to do so makes the task all the sweeter.
Saving vegetable scraps for broth or stock has become second nature for me. Whenever I'm cooking, I'll set aside onion skins... carrot and potato peels... the ends of celery stalks... mushroom stems... Anything that would make a flavorful broth.
I store my vegetable scraps in gallon-size freezer bags (that I wash and reuse as many times as possible). When my inventory of homemade broth in our chest freezer runs low... I pull the vegetable scraps out of the freezer and get to work.
How to Make Homemade Vegetable Broth with Scraps
- Place vegetable scraps in a large stockpot or Dutch oven.
- Add any fresh vegetables you need to balance the flavors.
For example, if I have more onions or celery scraps than carrot scraps, I'll add a whole carrot or two. If I have any wilting greens or parsley or thyme in the refrigerator, I'll throw those in, too.
- Add two bay leaves and 10-12 whole black peppercorns.
- Fill the pot with cold water until the scraps are just covered.
- Cover and bring the water to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for at least 30 minutes.
I tend to let my broth simmer for at least an hour to draw out as much flavor from the scraps as possible.
- Place a large sieve over a bowl and pour the contents of the stockpot through the sieve. Press on the solids to squeeze out any extra liquid. Discard the solids.
I put the cooked vegetable scraps in our compost bin.
That's it!
Homemade vegetable broth will last a week in the refrigerator or up to three months in the freezer. However, for the best flavor, it's recommended to use the broth within two months.
Whenever I make vegetable broth this way, the yield is typically 20-24 cups or 5-6 cartons!
Now, you may be wondering whether it's worth the time or effort to make homemade broth. I can tell you that it most certainly is. The flavor is so much better than the stuff in the carton, and using homemade broth makes a huge difference in the overall flavor of whatever you use it in.
I highly encourage you to give it a shot!
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