How to make vegetable broth
Ingredients
- 8-10 cups vegetable and fruit scraps
- 15 cups water (filtered or spring)
- 3 bay leaves
Instructions
- Fruit and veggie scraps are saved in a tub in the freezer.
- When the container is full, I make the stock, adding 3 bay leaves.
- Add water to just about full and bring to a boil. Turn down and simmer 1 hour.
- Let cool, then strain into containers, label, and freeze or use.
- You can take everything from this pot and put it straight into your compost. No waste! This makes about 15 or so cups of stock. I keep one container in the fridge and freeze the rest. Taste before storing, just to make sure the flavor is good. If you get a batch that's bitter, water your outdoor garden with it.
Notes
Technically, stock is the term for unseasoned liquid. Once it is seasoned it is properly called broth. Since most terms are used interchangeably, I wanted to be clear. Use the same process for chicken stock, with a few additional steps. If you are making a whole chicken, throw all the innards (neck, skin, etc.) into the freezer tub. Throw any parts you are not using (the back, the wing tips) in there. Throw in all the bones after cooking. If you buy rotisserie chicken, throw in all the bones and skin as you eat up the chicken. The cooking process is the same. Strain into the containers, let cool, then place in the fridge overnight. Remove all the fat with a spoon after it hardens, throwing it in the trash (NOT down the drain). Then label and store as above. You should not compost this afterwards, unless you remove all the animal pieces and have a hot/active compost pile. Animal products and oils should not go into compost piles.