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Vegetable broth

Tirvine

ancient grey sweatophile
This is so easy and so useful. It makes the perfect base for a quick minestrone and is also great in risotto.

Keep a one gallon freezer bag in the freezer, and whenever you have vegetable trimmings that would be good in broth, toss them in. I use onion, carrot, and celery ends (the classic), tomato navels, mushroom ends, lettuce cores, and zucchini ends. i avoid things with certain strong tastes like broccoli, asparagus, Brussel sprouts, and cabbage. If like many households you find yourself with the mixed greens or spinach in those big plastic tubs getting iffy before you can use it all, toss it in here! When the bag is bulging full, dump the contents onto a jelly roll pan, sprinkle and toss with a little olive oil (optional), and roast at 400 F until soft and browning but not burnt. There will be enough vegetable liquid (save it) at the bottom that the stuff on the bottom will not brown. Toss the roasted vegetables into a big pot with about six quarts of water, a dozen pepper corns, a bay leaf or two, about three tablespoons of salt (I use Diamond Crystal. Use a little less for most other salts.), and herbs of your choice. I usually use about a tablespoon of herbs de Provence because it is easy since I keep a jar of it on the counter. Bring the broth almost to a boil, rack it back to a simmer, and simmer it about two or three hours. Strain into freezer tubs or bags if you want to use it later. The spent vegetables, having no bones or meat with them, can go into a compost pile. Because the broth has no meat, you can let it cool at your leisure before straining and freezing and it won't need the skimming required with other broths. Since it has no dominant meat flavor it works well with any meat.
 
I keep a bag of iffy strawberries going now in the freezer, slice off the tops and any soft spots, and either will make some jam, or lately been using it to make strawberry sauce to top angel food cake with.
The veggies is a nice idea, I need to work my way thru the freezer and make some room first.
 
This is so easy and so useful. It makes the perfect base for a quick minestrone and is also great in risotto.

Keep a one gallon freezer bag in the freezer, and whenever you have vegetable trimmings that would be good in broth, toss them in. I use onion, carrot, and celery ends (the classic), tomato navels, mushroom ends, lettuce cores, and zucchini ends. i avoid things with certain strong tastes like broccoli, asparagus, Brussel sprouts, and cabbage. If like many households you find yourself with the mixed greens or spinach in those big plastic tubs getting iffy before you can use it all, toss it in here! When the bag is bulging full, dump the contents onto a jelly roll pan, sprinkle and toss with a little olive oil (optional), and roast at 400 F until soft and browning but not burnt. There will be enough vegetable liquid (save it) at the bottom that the stuff on the bottom will not brown. Toss the roasted vegetables into a big pot with about six quarts of water, a dozen pepper corns, a bay leaf or two, about three tablespoons of salt (I use Diamond Crystal. Use a little less for most other salts.), and herbs of your choice. I usually use about a tablespoon of herbs de Provence because it is easy since I keep a jar of it on the counter. Bring the broth almost to a boil, rack it back to a simmer, and simmer it about two or three hours. Strain into freezer tubs or bags if you want to use it later. The spent vegetables, having no bones or meat with them, can go into a compost pile. Because the broth has no meat, you can let it cool at your leisure before straining and freezing and it won't need the skimming required with other broths. Since it has no dominant meat flavor it works well with any meat.
Great idea!
 

Ravenonrock

I shaved the pig
This was a practice of mine that I’ve gotten away from. My son is a vegetarian, veggie trim made a steady flow of stock, but I’ve gotten lazy and have been reaching for the store bought stock, a vastly different flavour. Thanks for sharing, I‘m inspired to re visit that practice again.
 
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