make homemade stock

... the only way to go….

I use all my vegetable scraps, and anything from the garden that I am not eating and voila… easy peasy…

And I’ve done it before.

And I will live to make stock again!

Veggie stock is versatile and SO cheap. You literally use trash.

Save the waste you create from chopping veggies (like onions, celery, carrots, apples, pears, green beans, etc but NOT cruciferous veggies like broccoli and NOT peppers) in a plastic bag in the freezer. When the bag is about 1/2 to 3/4 full, put the contents into a big stock pot with water. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and simmer till it smells good and has turned a deep brown color. Voila! Veggie stock for FREE! Plus, you just kept waste out of the landfill. Look at you! Saving the earth. Your mother would be proud.

I keep a bag in my freezer to save vegetable scraps… celery and carrot trimmings, parsley stems, onion bits and skins (yes, the skins go in too… adds color!) mushroom stems, etc. That way I’ve always got a good (and cheap!) supply of veggie bits to throw into the pot if I want to make some stock. Then when the stock is done, I boil it down and freeze it in ice cube trays… saves space and lasts longer, and I can grab as much or as little as I need.

You control everything, the flavor, the taste and most important of all the quality.

Everyone who roasts chicken should make stock with the carcass… Cover carcass (or two) with water. Add salt (more than you think), celery, onion, garlic and whatever herbs smell good. Boil for much longer than you think you should (until the ends of the leg bones are mushy). Strain, taste, adjust seasoning and/or boil down to concentrate flavor. Voila! Chicken stock!

Awesome, I made about 2 gallons of chicken stock following Alton Brown’s recipe on Food Network. Not sure what I’m going to use it for yet, probably some chicken noodle soup and various other dishes.

I’ve been living out of those expensive boxes of stock for way too long, it’s time I make some bulk homemade stock and freeze it in easy to use 1 cup cubes. I think this will really improve my cooking and cut down on costs, all at the same time.