How to Make Vegetable Broth from Scraps

Gobs of my recipes call for vegetable broth. Even, say, soup that could have chicken in it. The main reason is obvious: most of what I make starts out vegetarian, the meat added later to only a portion for my resident carnivore.

So, a few years ago, I started saving my veggie and herb scraps and freezing them in a gallon freezer bag. When the bag is packed to the brim, I brew up a big old pot of vegetable broth concentrate. Then I freeze it in measured portions and take it out as I need it, adding water and sometimes salt and, voila: veggie broth!

What is vegetable broth made of?

My homemade vegetable broth recipe always contains the following foundation vegetables:

• Carrots
• Celery
• Onion

Other vegetables that work well in vegetable broth:

• Shallots
• Mushrooms
• Parsnips
• Turnips
• Rutabagas
• Leeks
• Scallions
• Parsley leaves & stems
• Sage
• Thyme
• Rosemary

In addition, my vegetable broth contains:

• Water
• Salt
• Bay leaves
• Peppercorns

To get a gallon-bag full, I just throw my scraps in a designated bag and once it’s full, I make some broth! I peel an onion – the peel goes in the bag (after washing). I chop off the ends of a bunch of celery – into the bag. A couple of carrots languish in the bottom of the produce drawer. I stick them in the bag before they go bad. You get the drift.

Not only do I save a ton of money by making my own vegetable broth from my discards, it adds such a wonderful depth of flavor to dishes that I never quite get from store-bought broth. And I love being able to control the amount of salt that goes into a final recipe.

Prep: 15 mins

Cook: 2 hrs 30 mins

Total: 2 hrs 45 mins

Homemade Vegetable Broth from Scraps

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Freeze your veggie and herb scraps in a gallon freezer bag, then when the bag is packed to the brim, brew up a pot of vegetable broth concentrate. Then just freeze and bring it out when you need it. Easy, delicious, and free!

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Yield: 8 cups concentrate

Ingredients

• One-gallon freezer bag full of assorted vegetable and herb scraps: onion ends and peels (celery bits and leaves, carrot peels and ends, shallots, parsnips, turnips, rutabagas, leeks, scallions, parsley stems, sage, bits of thyme, rosemary - anything you want, really, though I do avoid lettuce and cucumber.)
• About 12 cups of water (to start)
• One or two bay leaves
• 1 teaspoon peppercorns

Instructions

• After you've amassed a gallon-sized freezer bag full of veggies from days of diligent scrap-gathering, dump the frozen contents of the bag into a large stock pot.
• Fill the pot with water about 3 inches from the top - I end up adding around 12 cups of water initially.
• Add the bay leaves and peppercorns.
• Lightly push the vegetables down with a wooden spoon. Avoid stirring at any time during the process - that can make the broth cloudy.
• Over medium heat, bring to a boil. Lower heat to medium-low, keeping at a steady, simmer.
• Simmer until the liquid has reduced by just about half - this takes about an hour.
• Add enough water to return the liquid to its former level. Push the veggies down every once in awhile.
• Bring to a simmer again, and again continue to simmer until the liquid has reduced by half, about another hour.
• Remove from heat and allow to cool.
• Strain the broth concentrate by first pouring it through a colander and then pouring it through a fine-mesh sieve.
• Pour the broth concentrate into containers in 1/2 cup, 1 cup, or 2 cup increments. A standard muffin tin is 1/2 cup, and works well here.
• When the broth concentrate has frozen completely, remove from the freezer and place the chunks in a labeled freezer bag.
• When you're ready to use the broth, bring out a broth concentrate cube and place it in a bowl. Pour an equal amount of hot water over the broth cube (if the broth cube is 1/2 cup, add 1/2 cup water) and and, if desired, add 1 teaspoon of salt per 1 cup of finished broth.
• You may need to microwave the frozen broth concentrate to thaw it completely, or let it sit on the counter for a bit until it thaws. Depending on the recipe, I'll just add it frozen and adjust the recipe times accordingly.