Making vegetable broth from scraps is a simple and easy way to get the most out of the food you buy. Learn how to make nutritious vegetable broth from your kitchen scraps by reading the tips below.
Where we live, the most common vegetable broth available in the store is vegetable bouillon cubes.
I read through the ingredient list on a pack we had a while back and was surprised by what’s actually in the cubes. Listed in order of appearance: salt, vegetable fats, potato starch, yeast extract, sugar, onion powder (2.3%), carrots (1.5%), herbs, spices, tomato puree powder, red bell pepper (0.2%), caramel syrup, flavourings, leek, maltodextrin.
So in essence, salty water.
I’ve been hesitant to use store bought bouillon cubes because the flavour is so salty. I knew that making vegetable broth from scraps was pretty straight forward but for some reason, didn’t give it a try until a few months ago!
(Here are other simple food and drink ideas to try!)
Now that I’ve been making it for a while, I can’t believe it took me so long to get started.
Homemade broth doesn’t only add a depth of flavour to your soups and stews. Making your own vegetable broth from scraps is also an economical way to use all parts of your food and get nutrients into your family. You’ve already paid for the food – you might as well use part of it!
Watch the tutorial
How to make vegetable broth made from scraps
1. Wash your vegetables
If you plan to use your scraps to make broth, it’s important to wash the outside of your veggies.
To make this straightforward, consider saving all of your scraps for a week and making a large batch of stock that you can freeze and pull out over many months.
For my vegetable broth, I like to use carrots, onions, squash, celery, broccoli, peppers, garlic, and potatoes. I will give these veggies a good wash before peeling them and then set the peels aside to be frozen.
2. Save your vegetable peels and ends
Every time you peel or cut the ends off of a vegetable, set the scraps aside. I use a resealable ziplock bag or glass container that can be sealed and put into the freezer. Every time I’m chopping or peeling, I pull it out and add the new scraps.
3. Consider chopping up your scraps
Once you have a few large ziplock bags of scraps, you’re ready to make a large batch of broth. You want your scraps to be on the smaller side, to fit into your soup pot. So you may need to chop large pieces (like the end of a celery stalk or butternut squash) into smaller pieces.
4. Next, add your scraps to a large soup pot
5. Cover the scraps with water and bring to a boil
6. Once there is a rolling boil, turn the heat down
Allow the scraps to simmer for about 45 minutes.
7. Remove the pot from the stove and strain off the scraps.
8. Store the homemade vegetable broth in the fridge or freezer
You can store the broth you will use within the week in a glass jar in the fridge. Store the rest of the broth in one or many freezer safe container(s), that you can pull out whenever you are making soup or stew.
FAQ
Should I add salt to the scraps?
I do not add salt to my scraps when I am making broth. I instead at salt to the broth whenever I’m using it to make soup or stew. That way I can tweak the salt levels depending on the application.
How long does homemade vegetable broth made from scraps last?
These homemade vegetable stock will last about a week in the fridge and 2-3 months in the freezer.
What are good vegetables to make broth with?
You can really use anything. My favourites are:
- Broccoli stalks
- Sweet potato peels
- Onion skins
- Garlic skins and cores
- Celery tops and bottoms
- Pepper tops
- Carrot tops
- Butternut squash peels
- Pumpkin peels
What are your favourite vegetables to make broth with? I’d love to read your recipes in the comments below!
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