Homemade Stock
One sustainable and delicious way to reuse vegetable scraps and bones is to make your own stock! It’s so easy, and tastes much, much better than anything you can buy at the grocery store. Bonus: you can tailor the vegetables to meet your desired tastes and needs, and reduce you sodium intake as this is salt free!
Whenever I am butchering or roasting a chicken, I always keep the bones. I keep them in a freezer safe zipper bag and freeze them until I’m ready to make stock. I do the same with vegetable scraps that I don’t compost.
When I need more stock, I pull out the frozen veggies and bones and dump it all in a large pot. Then cover everything with water. Put it on the burner. Bring everything to a boil and then reduce to simmer. Allow the stock to simmer for 4+ hours. I usually take a set it and forget it approach. The longer it simmers, the more flavors will be pulled from the scraps.
Once it’s simmered away, remove it from the burner. Allow the stock to cool completely. Then strain out the liquid into your desired container. I keep mine in freezer safe tubs that I portion out to be used in various ways.
Notes:
1. You can add salt if you desire salted stock. I choose not to so that I can better control the sodium levels while cooking.
2. You can skip the bones and just go with straight vegetables for a vegetarian/vegan alternative!
3. You can also do this with fish bones and shrimp shells for fish stock, or beef bones for beef stock! The possibilities are endless!!
My Urban Homestead by Sarah 