No Fail Vegetable Stock Recipe - Going Zero Waste (2024)

FAQs

Is making vegetable stock wasteful? ›

By making your own stock from scraps, you'll save money by using the bits of veggies that you might otherwise discard – plus you know exactly what's gone into your stock. You can also easily adjust the flavor.

If you don't keep stock on hand but you don't want to lose out on flavor, McKinnon suggests dissolving bouillon cubes in water. Bouillon powder (which, like cubes, is made of dehydrated veggies and seasoning) is another easy way to add flavor to your vegetarian cooking.

Beet roots and onion skins should also be avoided, unless you don't mind your stock turning red or brown. Spoiled vegetables: Although stock is a great way to use veggies that are wilted or slightly past their prime, be sure not to use produce that is rotten or moldy.

Remove the tops/bottoms/skins/stems from any vegetables you are preparing (avoid vegetables like Brussels sprouts, broccoli, or cauliflower as they will add a bitter taste to your stock) and place them in a ziplock bag - they can stay frozen up to 6 months. Note: You can add many other vegetable scraps (think sweet!)

Steer clear of any member of the brassica family; broccoli, cauliflower, kale and cabbage among others. These will ruin your stock with a sulphurous and bitter flavour. Softer vegetables such as potatoes or pumpkin are no good as they break down too easily, creating a cloudy stock.

It's unbelievably easy and cheap, and it tastes SO much better than any broth you'd find at the store. Don't worry – I'll never blame you for reaching for store bought broth when that's the most convenient option (I still use it sometimes too!).

Foods in the Brassica family, such as collards, are too strong for stock/broth and can impart a bitter taste. Corn doesn't add a lot of flavor and can make the stock/broth cloudy. Excellent for making stock/broth. Avoid bitter greens and members of the brassica family (kale, cabbage, Bok Choy).

Save those vegetables that may have lost their crunchy appeal for a flavorful veggie stock. Even if stored properly, celery and carrots may become floppy after some time, but don't let them go to the compost. Throw in your onion skins, potato peels, and other veggie scraps from cooking to add more flavor to the mix!

Um, as you're cooking with stock, the the vegetable, the vegetables will release the nutrients and the flavor into the water and what you're left, um, what you're left to it is just kind of a mushy vegetable. It doesn't have a lot of taste.

NOTE: Avoid cruciferous veggies like cabbage or brussels sprouts as they can result in a bitter stock. Other fun ingredients to add: Fresh herbs like thyme and parsley are lovely in stock but be careful of intense/woody herbs like rosemary as they can overpower it.

What veggies are not good for stock? ›

Tomatoes and tomato skins: Some of my favorite leftover vegetable scraps to add are tomatoes and tomato skins. These pantry-classic ingredients add a bright and sweet flavor to any homemade broth. Vegetable peels: Nearly any vegetable peel will work in this flavorful stock recipe, from carrot peels to squash peels.

It has always struck me as a huge waste to compost the spent veg, though, so I always try to find a way to eat them. Mashed up with olive oil or butter, say, they make a lovely side dish, or turn them into curries, soups and stews.

Full of nutritional benefits, homemade veggie broth is made with a variety of vegetables, including their leaves and stems, full of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. Minimal hands-on time. Once the ingredients are added to a pot, you simply simmer for an hour!

By simply reducing any stock down before storing or freezing it, you will not only concentrate the flavors and thicken the liquid, you will speed up the reduction time later when adding it to a pan sauce or other recipe.

Homemade stock adds a depth of flavour and richness to dishes such as soups, stews and sauces that's hard to match in shop-bought varieties. It's healthier, too, because shop-bought stock cubes tend to be higher in salt and may contain artificial ingredients.