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If you’re anything like me, you’re probably always looking for an easy way to save a buck.
A couple months ago I got a crazy idea to add up how much I was spending on chicken and vegetable broth each month. Since I’m busy and need quick and easy meals, I ended up using way more than I thought with all those slow cooker meals I rely on. I actually added it up one day and I ended up spending between $20 and $30 each month on broth alone! And I’m just cooking for me and my husband. That’s enough for a quick date night!
That was just too much for something I knew other people made themselves.
So, I decided to give it a shot and make my own broth from my vegetable scraps.
Boy oh boy, was it successful! I’ve been able to make so much broth I actually have a hard time using it all. And the best part? It was free!
Plus I knew there weren’t any weird additives that could affect my brain function and overall health.
Additives and other toxins are just one of the many things that contribute to brain dysfunction, memory issues, and Alzheimer’s disease. You can read about the other contributors and how to get started protecting your brain today by reading my post about the 8 steps to prevent early aging and cognitive decline. Click here to open the post in a new tab to read after this one.
Anyway, by using my vegetable scraps, I not only cut down on the waste from my food, but I’m also able to keep my fridge stocked with lots of broth for cooking and drinking. All for free!
Let me show you how I do it, so you can start saving money too.
What You’ll Need to Make Homemade Vegetable Broth
You can buy fresh vegetable ingredients, but that costs money and we’re trying to save money here.
Instead, I recommend saving the scraps from the veggies you’re going to be cooking with anyway. I save mine in a half-gallon glass jar.
I like it because it’s big and fits perfectly in my fridge. We eat a lot of veggies, so I actually have two. Click here to check out the exact one I use and get one for yourself.
It doesn’t really matter what veggies go in your broth, so you can save anything. I’m talking onion skins, broccoli stems, pepper and tomato ends – literally anything.
My only word of caution is to not have too many cruciferous veggies in there. These include things like broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, and kale. This is just because they can make your broth bitter. Don’t be afraid to use them, just don’t make them the majority of your broth ingredients.
If you want a classic tasting vegetable broth, make sure you get some onion, carrots, and celery in there. I’m usually pretty good about having onions and carrots in my scraps jar, not so much with the celery. Mine tastes delicious regardless.
This is also a great way to use veggies that are starting to go bad, but haven’t yet molded.
When your vegetable scrap bin is full, it’s time to make some broth!
How to Make Homemade Vegetable Broth
Step 1: Gather your materials.
This will simply be the vegetable scraps and a stock pot or slow cooker. To gauge how big of a stock pot you’ll need, I usually aim for the veggies to occupy ¼ to ½ of the stock pot.
Since I have two scrap jars, I usually use a rather large stock pot. Click the image below to check out a great one just like the one I use.
Step 2: Dump your veggies in and add water to about ¾ full.
Step 3: Bring to a boil.
Step 4: Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 4-6 hours.
When you’re done, it’ll look something like this.
Step 5: Strain your veggies out of your broth.
At this point, you can throw away your veggies.
Step 6: Pour the broth into glass jars and let them cool.
I usually get 9 to 10 pint sized mason jars out of one container’s worth of veggies scraps (double that if I use both jars of scraps).
We not only use it to cook with, but also heat it up to drink during our fasting days. For more information on why I fast, look out for my upcoming post about it.
My broth usually keeps in the refrigerator for 2-3 weeks.
Top Tips for Delicious Vegetable Broth
Tip #1:
To strain the veggies from the broth, I usually put my colander in another stock pot and just pour. My contraption looks like this.
Straining this way makes it fast and easy, but adds another dish to wash. It’s worth it for me.
Tip #2:
For extra flavor, add a bay leaf or two or even a clove of garlic to the veggies while you’re boiling them. Yummy!
Tip #3:
I always season my broth. While it has a good undertone of flavor, it can taste pretty bland because we’re used to bolder flavors. I usually use salt, garlic powder, onion powder, and maybe something else if I’m feeling it. This might be paprika, oregano, or even rosemary depending on my mood.
Whether you’re a money-saving guru or just getting started, making your own broth is one of the easiest things you can do to save money.
You don’t have to stop with vegetable broth either! You could add some chicken bones or roasted beef bones to make a delicious bone broth full of collagen. That’s my next step.
For more health tips, check out my post on the 8 steps to prevent early aging and cognitive decline. Click here to read it now.
If you’d like for information on how to eat to optimize your brain health and prevent cognitive decline, download my free guide! Just fill out the form below and I’ll send it right over.
Click the image below to save this recipe for later!
