One Hundred Dollars a Month reader Barbara left this comment on the How Much Food Does the Average Family Throw Away in One Year story and I thought it served as a great reminder that we should all do what we can to prevent food waste in our own homes.
Here’s what she said:
“I began to wonder what I could do to improve my family’s waste. I will begin saving the peelings and ends of veggies in the freezer to make veggie stock. I will save all the bits of veggies and meat from dinner to make a soup and use the stock. Even if we go out and there is only a little bit of food on the plate, I will bring it home {rather than have the restaurant throw it out}. Hopefully, these simple steps will help to reduce food waste from my house!”
Homemade vegetable stock {scraps or no scraps} is so easy to make. Here’s the recipe I use {the ingredients list is always changing based on what I have on hand}.
Ingredients
- 14 quarts water
- 1 bunch green onions
- 1 onion, quartered
- 3 carrots, large, broken in half
- 5 celery stocks
- 10 mushrooms, halved
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
Directions
Place everything in a large stock pot, cover pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 1 hour.
Strain.
Once the vegetable stock has cooled, use a funnel and place the stock in mason jars until ready to use. The vegetable stock should keep for 5 days in the refrigerator or up to one year in the freezer.
Have you ever made vegetable stock from scratch before?
Do you add anything special, or just use what you have on hand?
~Mavis
Lisa says
Some may consider it wasting food, but I toss my peelings into the compost heap. I have tried making stock, but it’s really not worth my time and effort. I don’t use it often, so I don’t mind buying it when I do make a recipe that needs it.
I guess I am wasteful throwing out chicken carcasses too. But, I have tried boiling them, and the sight is just too unappealing to me to want to eat the resulting broth!
My dogs get most of my plate scrapings. On the rare occasion I eat out, I will ask for a “doggy bag” and mean it, since it’s really for the dogs! That’s only if there are lots of meat trimmings left.
Michele says
When I boil down chickens for making pot pies and things, I take the stock and freeze in muffin pans then pop out & bag. Then when I need a little flavor, I have 1/4c discs to toss in. Makes 3gal of stock when I do it. I only use carrots, celery, onion, and fresh herbs from the garden.
gina says
I LOVE this idea! I have been freezing jars of chicken broth (because I’m having trouble with my pressure canner) but lots of times I have too much for my recipe in the jars. I think I’ll measure and then freeze these smaller increments in muffin tins and then bag up. Duhh! LOL. Why didn’t I think of this? Thanks!
Michele says
I did the muffin tin for lack of another way to freeze (no jars and out of Ziploc bags). When I popped out the little disks I found I was ingenious! I defrosted one disk in a measuring cup and it was 1/4c. Now its perfect to pop in to a meal or get exact cups worth for recipies! It’s time consuming to do this with just one muffin pan, took nearly 2 days for me, but in the end it was worth the effort.
Madam Chow says
Folks should avoid using cruciferous vegetables when making stocks because it gives or can give them a funky flavor. By that I mean cabbages, Brussels sprouts, etc.
Sarah B says
Good to know! Thanks!
Holly Burnham says
When I blanch my asparagus for freezing, I freeze the water from the pot and use it for broth to make asparagus soup.
Kathy G says
I keep a bag in the freezer for veggie scraps, peelings, ends of onions, parsley stems, you get the idea. Once a week the crock pot comes out and Ii make stock(chicken or beef) for soup. I don’t have chickens(yet!) so this uses the scraps that would be tossed or composted.
Laurie says
I almost always make my own chicken stock. I typically buy two rotisserie chickens from Costco each month and come home and dismantle them for quick meals and lunches. I toss the carcasses in the freezer until I’m ready to use them. I fill up my large crockpot with the carcasses, veggie scraps that I’ve frozen and some fresh herbs and let it simmer for a full day. I freeze in 2 c. and 4. c. containers.. Oh my gosh, it makes the best base for soups. I have some veggie scraps that I think I’ll make some veggie stock with tonight. What do you use your veggie stock in besides soups?
Karen at A Glimpse Into My Reveries says
I always make chicken, beef and pork stock when I have enough bones. I add a tablespoon of vinegar to help leach out the calcium and other minerals from the bones, making it more nutritious. Strain the stock if its looks in appetitizing after boiling down.
Emily says
I make my own vegetable broth in the crock pot. I save up leftover vegetable pieces in a gallon ziplock bag in the freezer. When it’s full, I pour the contents in the crock pot, cover with water, and add a couple bay leaves and garlic salt. I let it simmer all day and then strain it.
gina says
I’ve made vegetable-only potpies, normally in the summer when I have garden vegetables like potatoes, peppers, squash, onions, etc. Vegetable broth (thickened as I would meat broth) would make a great “gravy” to use in the pot pie. You really don’t miss the meat in potpie when you have great vegetables in there. Last time, I used chicken broth from my freezer but I’m thinking vegetable broth would be just as delicious and would eliminate just that much more waste from my kitchen.
Thanks!
Randy says
Your recipe is easy, I will also add rutabagas, turnips, parsnips, a fresh clove of garlic, and green beans if available. I often then use the vegetables when done in a pot pie, mashed or just as boiled mixed vegetables.