Did you know April 30 was Stop Food Waste Day? I know it’s passed but I think every day is a good day to not waste food. I figured it was the perfect time to show you something I’ve been doing for years, making my own vegetable broth from food scraps.
A trip to the grocery store these days will make your jaw drop. Everything’s gone up sky high. Lucky for me (and now, lucky for you), I don’t have to buy broth. I make mine from all the little bits most people toss without thinking.
I keep a bag in my freezer just for vegetable scraps. My husband gets a little twitchy about it (he’s always asking why there’s “garbage” in the freezer) but it’s my way of making sure nothing goes to waste. If the end of a bag of carrots starts to go soft, or the celery is more bendy than snappy, it all goes into the scrap bag.
Here’s what I freeze:
- Onion skins and ends
- Carrot peels and tips
- Celery tops and bottoms
- Wilted herbs
- Garlic skins
- Bits of zucchini, peppers, mushrooms, and even corn cobs (if I have them)
Once the bag is full, it’s broth time.
Cover all the scraps with enough water to cover. For mine in was about 4 cups of water.
I also add some herbs. Usually what has a few bits left and I need to get a new jar. There’s always a bay leaf, and oregano. I skip salt because I don’t think it’s necessary but I do like peppercorns in mine. You do you!
Set the slow cooker on low and leave it alone for a whole day. And I do mean a whole day – as in overnight. The house will smell amazing but resist the urge to shut it off early.
Once its done, stain the broth through a mesh strainer. You will have a rich broth.
After straining the broth, I use my Souper Cubes to freeze blocks in 1 and 2 cup sizes. It makes it easier to grab what I need.
Homemade Vegetable Broth from Scraps
Ingredients:
- 1 gallon-sized freezer bag of vegetable scraps
- Enough water to cover the contents
- Optional herbs (bay leaves, oregano, basil, thyme—whatever you have leftover)
- Whole peppercorns (I use about a teaspoon)
- No salt (I prefer to add salt when I use it later)
Instructions:
- Dump your frozen veggie scraps into a crockpot.
- Cover completely with water.
- Add your herbs and peppercorns.
- Set your crockpot on low and let it simmer for 24 hours.
- Once it’s done, strain the liquid through a fine mesh strainer to remove all the solids.
- Pour the strained broth into freezer-safe containers. I use SuperCubes and freeze in 2-cup and 1-cup portions, but ice cube trays work great too if you want tablespoon-sized bursts of flavor.
A Few Tips from My Kitchen:
- I don’t add salt to the broth because I’d rather control the seasoning when I use it in recipes.
- The longer you let it simmer, the deeper and richer the flavor gets.
- Your house will smell amazing. Don’t be surprised if the family wanders into the kitchen thinking you’re making a gourmet dinner.
- I use this broth in everything from soups and gravies to cooking rice and roasts. Last weekend, I popped a few frozen cubes under a pork roast . . .chef’s kiss!
This method doesn’t just save you money. Broth is so easy to make that it’s impossible for me to spend even a few dollars on store bought. It also keeps perfectly good food out of the landfill. It’s a small change that makes a big impact.
So next time you’re about to toss those onion ends, stop and pop them in the freezer. Before long, you’ll have the best homemade broth money can’t buy.
If you found this tip helpful, go ahead and share this post on social media! Someone else out there might be about to toss perfectly good flavor down the drain.
