Using vegetable scraps for stock

[Rosyrain]

A few months ago I realized that I could save the scraps and leaves from my vegetables to make soup stock with, and I feel much better now that I am not throwing these things away. I save my celery leaves and cores, carrot pieces, onion skins, and anything else that I think will make the stock taste good. I have a large ziplock bag in the freezer that I just add veggie scraps to and let them accumulate until the bag is full. One gallon size bag of scraps equals a tasty vat of broth. Do anyone of you do this as well?

 

[marlingardener]

Yes, and also with chicken carcasses, beef bones, and even pork scraps and bones. By the way, the chicken carcasses are not from OUR chickens, but store-bought chicken.
I always have a supply of beef stock, vegetable stock, chicken stock, and pork stock in the freezer.
Do you add a few herbs to your stock? I like to throw in parsley and a bay leaf, and a few black peppercorns (which can be strained out with the rest of the bits and pieces.)
For the vegetable stock the only thing I avoid using is turnips. They add an earthy flavor to the stock that we don't enjoy.

 

[Beth_B]

I haven't done this in a while (saving scraps in the freezer) but have done so in the past. I probably ought to start doing it again because I made some amazing stock that way! I also saved bones and some meat scraps. Makes for some really good soups and stews and also fantastic for boiling rice and pasta and potatoes.

 

[Esther Knapicius]

yes, I do veggie scraps. and I do the end of a roasted chicken, a turkey etc. of course freeze a ham bone. I also freeze small hunks of roasts we do not feel like finishing for a quick stew one day. Use up bits for a pot pie also.

 

[headfullofbees]

Using the water used to cook veg makes a good stock for soup, and I realized, some years ago, that it was far cheaper to buy whole chickens and butcher them myself, than to buy the constituent pieces, and the carcasses, which make excellent soup stock, are an added bonus.

 

[claudine]

Sounds like a good way to save some money
I've never done it, because I can't cook. I tried to make a vegetable soup for my boyfriend only once and he didn't want to eat it

 

[Beth_B]

I get emails from a food site and coincidentally this one about using all parts of a vegetable dropped in my inbox last night.

 

[IcyBC]

Yes, I made my broth with vegetable scraps and bone scraps too. It is a good way to use those left over and not wasting.

 

[Corzhens]

Pardon me for this comment if you feel that I am being a smart aleck of sorts. The Chinese was the original in these vegetable stocks. Instead of throwing away cabbage leaves and other greens, they had invented the dish called Chop Suey. It is made from sauteed broth of meat and those extra vegetables. That dish is very popular here although they don't use stocks anymore but choice parts of broccoli, Chinese lettuce, cabbage, etc.

 

[Trellum]

I don't do this, but I might actually try it if I manage to buy organic produce only. I will definitely want to save every bit and scrap of it. I was wondering... how do you store that stock for later use??? Is there a safe way to do so?? I'd like to freeze it, but now sure what I can use for that. Been thinknig about freezing bags, but not sure that is safe.

 

[Rosyrain]

Yes, and also with chicken carcasses, beef bones, and even pork scraps and bones. By the way, the chicken carcasses are not from OUR chickens, but store-bought chicken.
I always have a supply of beef stock, vegetable stock, chicken stock, and pork stock in the freezer.
Do you add a few herbs to your stock? I like to throw in parsley and a bay leaf, and a few black peppercorns (which can be strained out with the rest of the bits and pieces.)
For the vegetable stock the only thing I avoid using is turnips. They add an earthy flavor to the stock that we don't enjoy.

I also save the chicken carcasses when I buy roasted chicken at the store. That goes in one bag, and the veggies go in the other. I add parsley, bay leaf, thyme, and a little rosemary to the stock while it is cooking and then strain in all out into mason jars when I am done. I made 12 cups of stock the other day and the whole project cost me less than $5. This is a huge savings over store bought stock.

 

[Claire]

I make beef bone broth and chicken stock using bones, but my veggie shrapnel all goes in the compost bin. Now that I'm gardening and have a place to compost, it is much easier than saving and storing. I've even found myself composting some paper items that previously went into recycling.

I agree though that anything that prevents more trash in the landfill is definitely a good thing.

 

[marlingardener]

Trellium, I usually freeze stock in ice cube trays and then put the cubes (which are about 1 tblsp. of stock each cube) into a plastic freezer bag. I can pull out what I need for a sauce, reduction, or to flavor rice or pasta.
I don't understand why you think freezer bags wouldn't be safe.
Claire, I compost paper towels (and it's getting harder to find paper towels that don't have cutesy little prints on them--I don't need a paper towel telling me to "dream, imagine"!) and any brown paper bag I get that I can't reuse. We have a couple of Ace Hardware paper bags that have been around the block for several months!
If the local landfill depended on the gardeners on this site, it might as well shut down!

 

[Rosyrain]

I have not tried making beef stock yet, but that is next on my list. The only reason I do not make it is that I hardly ever need beef stock. Every recipe that I get usually calls for chicken stock. Would be good for a beef stew though.

 

[headfullofbees]

Pardon me for this comment if you feel that I am being a smart aleck of sorts. The Chinese was the original in these vegetable stocks. Instead of throwing away cabbage leaves and other greens, they had invented the dish called Chop Suey. It is made from sauteed broth of meat and those extra vegetables. That dish is very popular here although they don't use stocks anymore but choice parts of broccoli, Chinese lettuce, cabbage, etc.

Au contraire. Your input is most welcome.