Homemade Vegetable Stock

I'm frugal.

Could be my Dutch background. Maybe it's just a habit I've developed. Either way I love it. And I love a deal, or a solution to what would otherwise cost money.

There are many things I don't like spending money on, stock or bouillon cubes are among that list.

Making your own stock, whether it by chicken or beef, fish or vegetable, if just so easy and cheap. And perhaps most importantly, so much more natural than those bought on the shelf.

All week long I have saved my onion peels, carrot and celery tops and bottoms, garlic skins, pepper tops - any veggie scraps I have. Then on the weekend I simply simmer all my scraps with filtered water and bay leaves, usually for about 2 hours, strain and can. Done. Then use within the week or freeze in mason jars for later use.

It costs nothing since you're just using scraps that you would normally throw out or compost.

Vegetable Stock

Ingredients:

Any tops and tails and peels and scraps from any vegetables - avoid adding broccoli or cabbage or any thing from the same family - the taste will over take the flavour of the stock.
Bay leaves

Directions:

1. Add all the scraps to a large pot. Cover with clean, cool, filtered water.
2. Add the bay leaves and bring up to a simmer.
3. Simmer for at least an hour and up to 3 hours.
4. Strain and pour the stock into clean jars for storage.
5. Keep in the fridge for up to a week, or in the freezer for 6 months.

Note: Your stock will take on the color of any bold colored vegetable that you include in the stock. This week I used a lot of red onions and so, have a darker stock than normal. Also, if you use veggie scraps from veggies in the cabbage family your stock will be bitter - better to omit.