Homemade Vegetable Broth
The first time I made my own vegetable broth at home, I was hooked. The broth looked so deep in color and rich and added so much more flavor than the broth off the supermarket shelf. Just grab a freezer safe container and every time you cut vegetables, save the skins and stems and keep them in your freezer. When your container is full, simmer them in a pot of water with some herbs you have lying around and you’re set! The skins and stems have so much flavor in them- don’t let it go to waste. Use the broth to boil rice, add to a sauce, or deglaze a pan. You can even use it in baby food purées to add some pizzazz to that babies drab food lol jk ;). But seriously you can add it to that.
A couple of tips: DO NOT use vegetables that can turn bitter (broccoli stems, cauliflower, zucchini, bell peppers or green beans) also potatoes, and eggplant can be gummy and cloud the broth. *Stick to root vegetables; carrots, celery, onion, garlic, mushroom stems, and fennel.
Ingredients:
-a gallon sized ziplock of leftover veg (and fresh veggies if you have) *see above for specifics
-2 bay leaves
- 4 thyme sprigs, a handful of parsley stems (not the leaves)
- a Parmesan rind (if you have it)
-1 tsp black peppercorns
In a large pot, add the vegetables, herbs and 4 quarts of water. Place over medium high heat and when you see tiny bubbles start to emerge around the sides of the pot, turn down the heat to maintain that low simmer. Simmer the vegetables for 45 minutes to an hour (or more if you’d like!) Using a fine mesh sieve, strain the broth over a large bowl. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Pour into airtight container and store in the fridge for 3-4 days or pour into ice cube trays and freeze. Once frozen, pop them out and store in an airtight container for 4-6 months.
