Don't crap the scraps!

Looking to make your own stock or broth from scratch?

If you frequently cook from scratch, use a lot of fresh vegetables, have or want a garden, and have, or even, thought of composting? Keep reading.

Anytime we cook with vegetables, there's a process: Wash, trim off any bad parts, and cut off the ends and toss them in the trash....STOP!

All of those vegetable scraps: the butts of onions, the stems of mushrooms, tops of tomatoes, skin of onions and garlic - you name it! If it's not moldy or bad - grab a resealable plastic bag, or I just use a produce bag from the grocery store, fold under and/or tie.

Each time you cut up vegetables, slice up some garlic - remember to grab that bag out of the freezer and just keep adding vegetable scraps to it! You can get really creative and specific and have different bags for different soup concentrations you're planning on making!

This last batch that I made, I think may be the best vegetable stock that I ever have made; the deepest, and most rich color I have seen produced out of my kitchen! I have been using a lot of vegetables in the last month, so my collection of scraps over the last month was quite vast in varieties...and large in quantities! It was about a medium saucepan's worth full of vegetable scraps!

Now, years ago I had done research - and you may have already done some research for yourself just to find the base and basic measurements of how to get started. Within that research, they suggested to use veggie scraps within 2-3 weeks of storing in freezer. I believe they recommend this due to freshness and quality control, but I'm here to tell you - I've waited 2 months before and never, ever had a problem. The only thing that I think it could effect if waiting longer than 2 weeks, is the strength in flavor profiles and possible freezer burn. But, if you're like me and have an entire pot full of veggie scraps to use, I think you'll just be fine on flavors - so don't fret or think you're going to die if you wait 3 weeks or more. But, I'm not a doctor - I'm just talking from my own experience!

So, now what to do with all these various veggie scraps!?

Grab a large pot - I generally use the largest I have - which, I believe, is a 6 quart pot.

I generally put the veggie scraps in first and THEN grab my PUR water pitcher and add filtered water on top. I have done it the other way around, and you can imagine what can happen. You fill up with too much water, and then your veggies make it overflow. You also need to take into consideration, the veggies also have moisture that will be released during the simmering - and also remember the water will evaporate during this as well if uncovered.

Making homemade stock or broth is honestly one thing you cannot screw up.

Once you have the veggies and the water in the pot, turn up the heat to medium, and get it to a nice boil, reduce heat, simmer and cover. Now, I have made stock covered and uncovered. Uncovered, you will deal with some evaporation and you may have to add more water during your simmering, and cook longer. But, you also will find you get the most concentrated flavors this way. I prefer uncovered.

I like to simmer for a long time for the richest flavors. I have read to not simmer over an hour due to "there's only so much flavor vegetables can emit or produce after simmering" Well, I call BS. I have simmered for 2 hours, and have had some incredible stocks and broths created from it. I suggest that you experiment. It's just vegetable scraps - there's more where those came from, right?

If you're just making a base stock - I wouldn't suggest adding any spices other than basic spices, such as salt, pepper, until closer to completion. Adding them in the beginning could surprise you at the end, and it's hard to correct too much salt in a soup.

You may ask what's the difference between stock and broth?

Well, stock is something you make that can be used across the board in other recipes and meals. For instance, if I just make this stock with no spices - I know that I can cook rice in it and add spices when I create it, same with marinating a piece of chicken in the stock and adding fresh garlic, cumin...whatever is on your menu for that day! A broth is a stock with several spices, such as thyme, rosemary, sage, oregano, salt, black pepper, parsley, etc...etc...

If you'd like to just make this a stock and worry about all those other spices later, that's what I like to do. Easy peasey.

Once you've taste tested and determind your stock is good to go - take a mason jar or container of your choice with a seal-tight lid and strain your stock and store. Fancy bloggers that own cheese cloth tell you to use that or a coffee filter. I don't mind all the tiny bits of veggies floating at the bottom as it sits in the fridge. I feel it intensifies the flavor profiles that much more. However, if you're trying to be a crowd and kid pleaser, we know people, and children, can be extremely fussy.

With this last batch, and others in the past, I wanted to get at least 3 mason jars out of it - so with all the veggies at the end - I actually squeezed some of them, like the mushrooms that absorb liquid like a sponge. It actually helped fill up half the mason jar with really concentrated stock squeezed from the vegetables. That's pretty spectacular, in my book! Chockful of flavor!

Look at that rich, deep color of stock!! <3

Now, make sure you label and date your jars and store them in the fridge if you're not using right away to make a soup or meal. Shelf life (fridge life) is up to 2 weeks. Also, I let my jars cool down naturally to room temperature before sticking them in the fridge - I have reasons....

I heard a big pop in the middle of the night and I opened up my fridge to a big mess and glass everywhere. Yeah, science class, people.

If you made A LOT of stock like I did - store one or two in the freezer. It's good up to 4-6 months.

Viola! That's it!

WAIT!

Remember those veggie scraps? THEY'RE STILL USEFUL!

Do you want to feel even better about yourself, what you just did, and be eco-friendly, too??

If you've ever thought of starting your own urban farm or garden in your tiny little back patio or deck - you can! AND you can make a wholesome compost chockful of nutrients - from your vegetable scraps!

Next week I will discuss how easy it is to begin - because gardening season is approaching!!!

Until then, grab a tupperware container and toss the leftover scraps in there if you'd like to begin composting. Also, stock up on some free daily newspapers as we'll be using those....toss in your coffee grounds, tear open those tea bags and dump them in with your scraps as well. Trust me. ;)

Now go create something yummy!

~ CROME ~