More About Broth

In addition to making homemade chicken or other meat broth, I like to make my own veggie broth out of veggie scraps. What I do is keep a large plastic container with a lid in the fridge, and whenever I'm prepping vegetables for cooking, I put the scraps & trimmings that aren't exactly compost but aren't really the good parts into the broth-to-be container, which then goes back into the fridge. Things like mushroom stems, the bottom ends of asparagus stalks, celery leaves, and the top & bottom of the onion you're going to chop are perfect. You can even use the peels from potatoes, yams, or carrots, as long as you wash them well before you start peeling. You don't want to keep anything rotten or dirty or otherwise bad (compost those parts), just those trimmings that have good flavor and nutrients but for one reason or another aren't what you need for your current cooking project.

Once the container in the fridge is full of vegetable odds & ends (it usually takes me about a week to fill it up), you are ready to make broth. Just empty the veggie scrap container into a pot and add enough water to cover it, and cook on low for a couple of hours, until the veggies are limp and pale. Then strain out the remains of the veggies (toss them in the compost) and season the broth. Depending on the mixture of veggies you've collected in your veggie scrap container, your broth will have different flavors that you'll need to take into account when seasoning, but I find that a couple good squirts of soy sauce or braggs is a good place to start. Once the broth has cooled you can use it right away, or freeze or refrigerate it for later.

Once you get in the habit of saving your good veggie trimmings for broth making it really is fun to do. Plus, whenever I use the broth I've made I feel really good about having made it myself. It not only saves money and packaging waste vs buying store bought broth, it also prevents good food from going to waste!

Tips from Addie