Thursday, March 19, 2015
How to Make Vegetable Broth Using Your Slow Cooker
Yum! A big bowl of brown liquid!
Its spring break in our house, and I couldnt be happier. I feel the most at peace when were all home together---even when the peace is broken every 2.7 seconds with bickering or boxes of spilled cereal.
For the record? If a brand new box of Cinnamon Chex cereal is "accidentally" dumped onto your freshly-mopped kitchen linoleum, the cinnamon and sugar will ADHERE to it and the floor will be speckled and sticky (and smell like a churro factory) for pretty much ever.
and youll want to move.
or at least go outside and drink your coffee all alone while practicing your lamaze yoga breathing.
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| Napping garden gnomes make everyone happy |
I have a recipe for vegetable broth that I want to share. Its free, its easy, and its healthy.
If vegetable broth isnt your thing, thats okay. You can make beef or chicken, instead!
PS: vegetable broth and vegetable stock are the same thing. There are no bones, so Im sticking with the term broth.
The Ingredients.
makes about 4 quarts
thoroughly washed vegetable peels
thoroughly washed vegetable ends and parts
water
salt (I do not add salt now, but prefer to salt to taste when using in a recipe)
The Directions.
Use a 6-quart slow cooker. This is a "free" recipe! When cooking, save your vegetable ends and peels. Many people have a large Tupperware container in their freezer that they use for just this purpose. In order for this to be safe, youll need to wash your vegetables well and scrub off all of the dirt. Id highly highly highly (three highlies!) recommend using certified organic produce when making broth/stock---or better yet, organic vegetables that youve grown in your own garden.
Some great veggie-broth-making candidates are: carrot peels, onion skin, celery ends, bell pepper stems, and garlic skins. Dont bother with potato skin, its too starchy and has an overwhelming earthy (dirt) flavor.
Put the (washed) vegetable skins and pieces into your slow cooker and add a bunch of water. I dont measure, I just make sure the skins and pieces are submerged (you may need to poke them down a bit with a wooden spoon). Cover and cook on low for 10 to 12 hours. Place a colander in a large stock pot, and carefully strain the vegetable pieces from your broth.
Cool completely and freeze in containers until you are ready to use in your favorite recipe.
The Verdict.
Its quite interesting how garlic and onion peels infuse the water with so much flavor. This is a very customizeable recipe---if youd like a greens-packed broth, save the ends from spinach or chard---its really up to you! If you use even the tiniest amount of beet skin, youll end up with pinkish red broth. Neat!
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| Turtle prefers it when I save vegetable skins/pieces for her |
2008 Flashback:
March 24: Baked Ziti
March 25: Walnut and Sage Potatoes AuGratin
March 26: Split Pea Soup
March 27: Perfect Gluten Free Bread
March 28: Smoky Refried Bean Soup
March 29: Honey and Cinnamon Glazed Carrots
March 30: Ratatouille
March 31: Pot Roast with Red Wine and Cranberries
April 1: Easy Taco Night
April 2: Bread Pudding
April 3: Eggplant "Parmesan" with Feta
April 4: Roasted garlic
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