I am usually very conscious of my waste stream.
I feed the wormies food scraps, feed the birdies bread scraps, and recycle/reuse everything possible…. You can even use those ‘unusable’ parts of the veggies, which is another ongoing project. But I’ve been missing a large component of this for a long time now. I’ve finally undertaken the project of making my own broth.
The first week: corn cobs, carrot tops, kale stems, golden beet stems, broccoli stems, lots of fennel fronds, fresh onion, gobo, and herbs from the garden.
before…
The second week: kale stems and cabbage stems, mushroom stems, parsnip and carrot tops, lots of leek tops, more fresh herbs… and some sea salt
little bit of this, little bit of that…
How to make your own vegetable broth: Toss all the scraps/peelings into a big stockpot (mine is 8 quarts). Simply add water to cover the vegetables, then bring to a boil. Simmer for two hours or so. Season to taste with dried herbs, salt, pepper, shoyu, what-have-you. If there is not enough flavor, simmer for another hour.
The results: Two big jars of broth which can become a flavorful base for soups, grains, pasta, or eaten as-is for simple broth-for-dinner kinda nights.
and after!
Becky and I started doing this a few months ago. It is so good. I use it in everything.
i love that you guys do this too! i was amazed that there was so much flavor without all the salt and other weird additives like in ‘better than bouillon’ or whatevers. i am so stoked that we are moving into a new house with an actual fridge and freezer, so now i can save everything! wishing you well my friends
[...] some suggestions for using the ‘unusable’ parts of the veggies: making broth, eating the stems and eating carrot peels, of course! And the New York Times has a great article [...]
[...] Essential Sauces- and it was a hit with the students. Use the most flavorful broth you can find, or make your own for the richest gravy possible. Serve with mashed vegetables, drizzled on grains, or smothered on [...]
[...] And this technique is versatile — you can use it to make other broths, like turkey, beef, and vegetable. Use the broth in place of water when cooking rice, barley, or quinoa to amp up the flavor. Or let [...]
[...] cup extra-virgin olive oil 2 cups diced onion 2-4 cloves garlic, minced 6 cups vegetable broth 1 (14-ounce) can crushed tomatoes 1 cup small elbows, macaroni, or spiral 1 cup diced carrot 1 [...]
[...] Make Soup. Most unused vegetable chunks can contribute to the flavor of a homemade stock or broth, whether chicken, beef, seafood, or vegetable. Keep a zip top bag in the freezer and toss in leftover or not-so-fresh chunks of onions, carrots, celery, greens, and herbs. Come up with your own flavor combos by adding unconventional stock-making ingredients, like lemons, squash, or peppers. Homemade broth is easy to make, stores neatly in the freezer, thaws quickly, and tastes great. Take a look at this simple chicken broth recipe and some creative combinations for vegetable broth. [...]