Taking Stock: Veggie Stock from Scraps
Lately, I've been really conscious of how much waste I've been creating through my cooking projects. It's hard not to get excited, rush out, and buy lots of one-time-use ingredients for a project you can't wait to make. One way I've been trying to reduce kitchen waste is by making stocks. For instance, at Thanksgiving, I broke down the carcass and froze it later for turkey stock. I've also been storing a freezer-safe gallon bag in my freezer for scraps of shallots, onion tops, cilantro stems, and well-washed potato skins. Once I've saved about 4 cups, I go ahead and roast them to bring out the fullest flavor possible.
The best part about making homemade veggie stock is how flexible the "recipe" is. While I wouldn't advise using cabbage, broccoli, or chard, the possibilities are nearly endless. I've used mushroom stems, mushroom caps, the tops of jalapenos, onions, baby carrots that were a bit too rubbery to enjoy alone as a snack, the tops of bell peppers, and stems from wilted parsley and cilantro. Fresh herbs add more depth, but honestly, I've used dried herbs with as much success. I will say that charring the veggies in the oven gave them an added richness, but again, if pressed for time, or your oven is in use, skip this step, too!
Recipe:
4 cups of assorted vegetable kitchen scraps
Preferred herbs: I've used fresh rosemary, dried thyme, bay leaves, and peppercorns successfully, but add in your favorite herbs!
Fresh water.
Directions:
Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. Spread veggie scraps on a cookie sheet. I would recommend using parchment paper, or else you'll have to scrape the veggie leaves off the sheet by hand. Roast for 40 minutes. The veggies will look blackened; you are trying to get that rich flavor out of the char.
Add the veggies to a 5-quart pot. Add in 12 cups of fresh water, herbs, peppercorns, and/or bay leaf. Bring to a boil and then put on low heat for an hour. Taste the stock, if it's bland, allow it to go for another 30 minutes, but mine was good to go after an hour. Remove large veggie scraps, and then strain the mixture through a sieve into a large bowl. Add the stock to mason jars and allow them to complete cool. In the above picture, I'm using non-freezer safe mason jars, and if you are, too, then they need to be refrigerated. Otherwise, freeze them for use. Enjoy.
The best part about making homemade veggie stock is how flexible the "recipe" is. While I wouldn't advise using cabbage, broccoli, or chard, the possibilities are nearly endless. I've used mushroom stems, mushroom caps, the tops of jalapenos, onions, baby carrots that were a bit too rubbery to enjoy alone as a snack, the tops of bell peppers, and stems from wilted parsley and cilantro. Fresh herbs add more depth, but honestly, I've used dried herbs with as much success. I will say that charring the veggies in the oven gave them an added richness, but again, if pressed for time, or your oven is in use, skip this step, too!
After you've boiled your stock, you'll want to store it in the fridge for immediate use, or, if you don't have any recipes that will need it anytime soon, store it in the freezer. Just make sure that your jars are freezer-safe. If not, they will develop cracks along the outside of your glass, and you will spend your Thanksgiving morning cleaning up cracked jars, not that I'm speaking from recent experience!
Recipe:
4 cups of assorted vegetable kitchen scraps
Preferred herbs: I've used fresh rosemary, dried thyme, bay leaves, and peppercorns successfully, but add in your favorite herbs!
Fresh water.
Directions:
Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. Spread veggie scraps on a cookie sheet. I would recommend using parchment paper, or else you'll have to scrape the veggie leaves off the sheet by hand. Roast for 40 minutes. The veggies will look blackened; you are trying to get that rich flavor out of the char.
Add the veggies to a 5-quart pot. Add in 12 cups of fresh water, herbs, peppercorns, and/or bay leaf. Bring to a boil and then put on low heat for an hour. Taste the stock, if it's bland, allow it to go for another 30 minutes, but mine was good to go after an hour. Remove large veggie scraps, and then strain the mixture through a sieve into a large bowl. Add the stock to mason jars and allow them to complete cool. In the above picture, I'm using non-freezer safe mason jars, and if you are, too, then they need to be refrigerated. Otherwise, freeze them for use. Enjoy.
I never thought to char the veggies prior to making stock. Great idea. I do it when I make salsa and the char definitely adds that extra bit of magic.
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