Zero-Wast Veggie Broth

Make a delicious and vitamin-packed broth this Winter with your veggie scraps to boost your immunity. We encourage you to think beyond how you might typically use your harvest and try something new. Here are some of the varieties we like to include:

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Ingredients

8 cups Mixed Vegetable Scraps

  • 8 cups Water

Recommended Vegetable Scraps:

  • Onion skins & ends

  • Garlic Skins

  • Carrot peels, ends, or old pieces

  • Celery ends, core, or old pieces

  • Leek ends

  • Stems & leaves (basil, thyme, oregano, sage, rosemary)

  • Kale or Chard stems

  • Mushroom ends

  • Collard green stems

  • tomato tops

  • lemon peels.

Instructions

1. GATHER: Prior to starting this recipe, you’ll need to save up the vegetable scraps from cooking for 1-2 weeks prior. Save any of the recommended vegetable scraps listed above, and place them in a container in the freezer until you have saved enough to make a batch of broth. Avoid saving any vegetables with high water contents or subtle flavors, such as lettuce, eggplant, squash, potatoes, and cucumbers, or typically sweeter herbs like mint or lavender.

2. BOIL: Take all your saved vegetable scraps (frozen or thawed) and place them into a medium-sized pot on the stove. Add in 8 cups of water, and turn the stove onto medium-high heat. Once the water begins to boil, cover the pot and reduce the heat to medium-low, and allow the vegetables to gently simmer for 1 hour. After 1 hour, remove the lid and test out your broth. It will be slightly bland but have a strong aroma. Add in any additional herbs or vegetables needed to balance out the flavors, or even a bit of salt if desired. Raise the temperature slightly, allowing the vegetables to simmer uncovered for 15 minutes.

3. COOL: After the broth has reduced slightly, take it off the heat and allow it to cool until it reaches room temperature. Once cooled, strain the broth and vegetables through a reusable fine mesh straining bag into a bowl underneath. Be sure to squeeze out the straining bag and vegetables to get more broth and flavor out. Once the broth is drained, the cooked vegetables can be placed into the compost, and the broth transferred to an airtight container. Store the broth in the refrigerator for up to a week, or in the freezer for up to 6 months.

Thank you to simpleecology for this recipe

Siena BeachamComment