Homemade Vegetable Stock

Happy Holidays everyone!! With all this cooking and family parties, wouldn't it be nice to make something with your cooking "trash"? Don't throw all the vegetable scraps away but save them to make ZERO cost homemade vegetable stock. The key to delicious vegetable stock is the famous combination of produce: celery, carrots, and onion - also known as mirepoix. Every time I use these vegetables in the kitchen, I save the peels, ends, and "ugly" pieces in a gallon freezer bag. Over time the bag gets full and that means it is time to whip of a big batch of deliciously heathy stock.

Store bought stocks are great to use when making soups, casseroles, and such; however, they can be high in sodium and some brands even add unnecessary preservatives. Skip all of these additives and save the money in your pocket by making your own at home.

To make the stock, take your full bag of frozen vegetable scraps, some fresh herbs of your liking (I prefer bay leaves and thyme), and a pinch of salt/pepper. That's all it takes to get flavorful, rich, low sodium, fresh stock. Its not only good for your health but also good for your wallet when trying to eat healthy on a budget!

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Vegetable Stock

Yield ~ 24 cups

Ingredients:

1 gallon of non-starchy vegetable scraps (carrots, onions, celery, mushrooms, green onion, etc.)

2 T olive oil

Bay leaves

Fresh thyme

Parsley

Water

Salt and pepper

Directions:

1. Prepare by saving all your vegetable ends and peels in a gallon freezer bag. Once the bag is full, it is time to get cooking.

2. Heat the oil over medium heat, saute the veggies for about 5-10 minutes to begin releasing all the flavors.

3. Add enough water to cover all the vegetables and add the herbs (you can get creative here and create your own herb combination). Bring to a boil then reduce the heat to simmer for 30-45 minutes.

4. Strain your mixture and season with salt/pepper if desired. You can either use the stock immediately, save some in your fridge, or freeze for later long lasting flavor. If you choose to freeze it, portion into 2 cup portions for easy measuring later while cooking.

5. Enjoy!