I have a not-so-glamorous secret. I save my vegetable scraps. Carrot peels. Onion skins. Apple cores. Soft tomatoes. Even peach and plum pits.
I keep a big scary looking ziploc bag in my freezer. Every time I have some vegetable (or fruit) scraps, I toss them in.
By the end of the week, the bag is usually bulging with scraps. That means it's time to make stock.
I dump all those nasty scraps in a colander. I turn on the hot water and rinse and rinse and rinse and rinse and rinse.
Then I dump it all in a pot, add some bay leaves, dried mushrooms, kombu seaweed or dry wine if I have some handy, and cook it up for a couple of hours.
When it's cooked through and through, I pull out the colander and drain it, discarding the veggie scraps and saving all that nutritious stock.
And I've got healthy, flavorful stock for whatever soup I want to make!
Do you make stock? What's your secret?
Linking this up to Weekend Bloggy Reading.
That is awesome!
ReplyDeleteI was quite speechless with surprise reading this - so easy, so natural, so why have I never thought of this before? With the amount of vegetables I eat and, therefore, scraps that accumulate, I'll be able to make stock pretty soon. Bookmarked!
ReplyDeleteWhat a great idea! I have the same freezer bag full of scraps...but I dump it in the compost! Never thought of using it---you're a genius! :)
ReplyDeleteI'm good about saving protein scraps (bones/shells/etc.) but I really need to get better about those veggie scraps.
ReplyDeleteThat is wonderful idea, I buy lot of veggies , I have to use idea of using these scrapes and make them into stock.
ReplyDeleteHey, that's a great idea!!! Will have to do this when my garden starts producing. ;)
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for joining my Weekend Bloggy Reading party (and for linking back-I appreciate that!). Hope you'll stop by Serenity Now again soon. :)
The only stock I ever had growing up was from a can so I have no tips to share with you but I've got lots to take notes on from this post. I never even knew vegetable stock was an option until a few weeks ago. I LOVE using up every part of the food I make and when I recently made and Asparagus Gratin using the ends of the asparagus I knew I had a new trend to latch hold of.
ReplyDeleteOh Iam so glad you did this. I have done my own chicken and beef stock but never veggie. Never really knew how! Awesome recipe and tip for any cook!
ReplyDeleteHow simple. You've made us all a better cook. :)
ReplyDeletebrilliant! Admittedly, I have never made stock. But now, I think you have convinced me I should get on it! :)
ReplyDeleteI do the same thing....It makes wonderful stock that I use for soups for my weekly lunches.
ReplyDeleteThat's a great idea to keep the scraps in the freezer until you need them. That will come in handy, thanks for the tip.
ReplyDeleteFor my own frugal broth, anytime I serve a roast chicken, I boil the scraps down into broth, which I detail at http://artofnaturalliving.com/2011/01/07/no-brainer-chicken-broth/
ReplyDeleteI will have to try this--although our guinea pigs would miss the carrot peels ;-)
I have tried this before but my broth turned out incredibly bitter. I think I need to try it again but perhaps be a bit more selective about what vegetable scraps I include
ReplyDeleteI'm like Katie, have tried this before but wasn't too choosey what scraps I added to the pot. You've inspired me to give it another go. Thank you :-)
ReplyDeleteI do this and find that my stock is a little bitter but once in a stew or soup it adds great flavour
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