Homemade Vegetable Broth

I keep a container of vegetable peels, skins, stalks and stems in the freezer. When I have a good quantity, at least a few cups, I make vegetable broth.  This is a great way for you to save money, avoiding the need to buy store bought containers of broth that you then chuck in the landfill. Making your own broth uses up the scraps and adds a bunch of nutrient density to your recipes.

The broth that I am making today has onions, parsley, celery, carrot, tomato and garlic scraps. Any vitamin or mineral that comes from those foods can be extracted into your broth.

The pieces can be sautéed and softened with water in advance. If I don't have time, I skip this step. Then I add water to cover the vegetables, add some on hand herbs, some sea salt and a bay leaf. Today I used a handful of organic all purpose seasoning from the spice drawer. Experiment and have fun. You will begin to learn new seasonings and tastes that you like. And you will add essential minerals.

Bring the pot to a boil. Reduce it to simmer. Put on the lid. And let it go for a flexible amount of time. I aim for anywhere between 1-2 hours. Then I strain out the veggies and put the stock in glass canning jars. I usually use the broth within the week.

When I have a recipe that calls for water, I substitute nutrient rich broth. It's good in soup, stews and wherever a meat-based broth is called for and I don't have one on hand.

Start collecting your scraps, save money, add nutrients to your recipes and keep boxes out of the landfill.