I make lots of soups, and often use broth to flavor other dishes like rice and quinoa. I realized that I never put up a recipe for homemade broth. It is simple to make, and tastes so much better than store bought. Plus it ensures avoidance of msg, excessive sodium and other nasty additives. And it is very economical, I can make a whole gallon of broth for less than the price of a 1 quart box. I freeze the extra in glass quart canning jars. Once you've made your own vegetable broth, you'll never want to go back to store bought.
Homemade broth is a great way to use up an over abundance of vegetables, those that are past the peak of freshness, and avoid wasting any organic scraps and peelings that would normally be thrown in the trash. When I am cooking, I place any unused veggies such as mushroom stems, celery tops, carrot peelings, etc, into a container in the freezer to save for making broth. Leeks, scallions, garlic, turnips, rutabaga, parsnips, zucchini and sweet potato are all nice additions to broth. Mushrooms and potatoes add a wonderful depth and richness to broth.
Another nice thing about making it yourself is that you can change it up and make it different each time. Vary the veggies as well as the seasonings. During winter I like to use bay leaves, in summer I add fresh dill from my garden. Have too many of something in your CSA box or garden? Throw them into your broth. Just be cautious about adding too many strong flavored veggies such as broccoli, brussels sprouts and cabbage as they can easily be overpowering. It isn't necessary to finely dice all your veggies, just make sure they are well cleaned and coarsely chop- most can be quartered or halved. Like I said, this is simple. In about an hour you'll have the best tasting fresh, nutritious broth you've ever tasted. Here is the recipe for my latest batch of broth, use it as a guide and add the veggies, scraps and seasonings of your choice. I did not add any salt to this. I do not use much salt and prefer to add it when I use the broth in other recipes. So salt to your own taste.
April 17, 2024
