Homemade Vegetable Stock

Making your own vegetable stock makes perfect sense, as it has been for generations.

I love old New Zealand cookbooks and have a handful of absolute gems published 1920’s through to 1950’s. Making everything from scratch was the norm. The huge array of sauces, soups, bread, casseroles and dessert recipes are impressive. Buying condiments or stock for that matter, wasn’t considered common practice – not when you could make your own. It wasn’t until the 2000’s where convenience, at no matter what cost, seemed to take over from economies of food.

Hopefully after reading this you will (a) never throw away vegetable scraps and (b) never feel compelled to buy vegetable stock again. Not that I’m against supermarket stock – it’s convenient and flavoursome; but being able to make your own from the very scraps that you’d otherwise throw in the compost, it just makes perfect common sense.  We know much of the nutrition in our fruit and vegetables is rich within the skin itself.

Perfecting homemade Vegetable Stock

The principle of stock is very simple – a flavoursome broth, depending on what you put in it!

I’m a pescatarian and eat fish or seafood 2-3 times a week. The rest of the time, I’m happy vegetarian and adore the flavours that I’m able to bring to the kitchen table every day. I have plenty of vegetable scraps after preparing the evening meal, but rather than throw them away, I’ve been squirreling them for a vegetable stock.

Vegetable stock can be the base for soups and chowders, stews and risottos – to plump up and flavour couscous, gravies and sauces.

Freezing Scraps?

If you don’t intend to boil them down for a very fine stock while fresh, freeze them (fish and vegetables separately) until you have the urge.  Off cuts literally can include fish heads, skin, frame (it will all boil down and you’ll strain off the bulky bits) and vegetable peelings, ends – you name it, it all adds to the stock flavour.

If freezing, just add new ‘contributions’ into the bag you’re collecting in the freezer, resealing each time, until you have enough to warrant a cook-off.

What vegetables can you use?

Anything grown in the soil is perfect. To keep the flavours neutral you may wish to steer away from copious amounts of chilli and garlic, but each to their own.

Vegetables that work well are:

• potato peelings
• onion tops
• mushroom stalks
• beans ends
• pea pods
• stubby ends of carrots
• leek green tops
• pumpkin skin
• celery sticks
• tomatoes and spinach – they cook quickly so add nearer to the end of cooking process
• beetroot – a wonderful flavour but naturally will taint the colour of the stock

Method

1. Wash off any obvious dirt. Unless you are going to make stock immediately, then keep in the freezer in a plastic bag. Keep adding to it over the days and weeks (resealing each time) until you have a pot full!
2. Combine veggie scraps with fresh herbs (anything you can find: fennel, parsley, coriander, rosemary, thyme), a teaspoon of whole peppercorns and salt to taste. You needn’t stay with the basics. Pour in wine, soy sauce and bay leaves and just about anything you fancy.
3.  Throw into a big saucepan, cover with water (just enough to cover but you can still stir the pot without spilling). Cover and bring to the boil, but only just, then quickly turn down and simmer.  Take off the lid and allow to simmer for approx 1. Don’t reheat to boiling point, just keep at a simmer temperature otherwise stock could go murky in colour and potentially taint the stock with a bitter flavour.
4. As the stock cooks the water will reduce, but don’t panic. This will intensify the flavour. Give it a stir every wee while. Be careful when handling the pot as contents and handle will burn, but scoop out as much of the large chunks of vegetables as you can. Then, using a fine mesh cloth or a sieve, strain the liquid over a big bowl. The result should be a delicious broth – no peppercorns, no foreign objects! If you are not using immediately, allow to cool then divide the stock into containers, or sealable bags ready to freeze.

If time is on your side and you want an intensely more flavoursome stock, you may like to roast the vegetables first. Preheat oven to 180ºC. Simply lay scraps onto a baking tray, drizzle with olive oil (mix about with your hands to ensure everything is coated) and bake for approx 45 minutes, checking every 10 minutes to remix and avoid burning (as some of the vegetable scraps will be thinner than others). This will intensify the flavours. Transfer the veges into the stock pot then cook as above.

What to do with the leftover cooked vegetables?

If they are ‘straight vegetables’ (ie: no onion skins or hard herb stems) you can puree them in a blender, or mash with a fork to use as a thickener for a stew or pasta sauce. Or, stir through some sour cream, olive oil and herbs to make a dip or vegetable spread for crostini or vegetable stack!  If time doesn’t allow, they make perfect fodder for the worm farm.

Age old tips?

The rediscovery of being economic with food is joyous. Housewives wouldn’t dream of throwing away food.

Here is an extract from a 1939 Self Help Cookery Book that I came across earlier this year:

The stock pot or saucepan used for stock should have a tightly fitting lid and must not be made of iron. Cold water should be used and salt added before it is put onto cook in order to draw out the goodness.

Vegetable Stock

• Haricot beans and lentils, 2oz each
• Carrot, onion, turnip, tomato 1 each
• Celery, 1 stick
• Rhubarb, 1 stick
• Cold water 3 pints
• Salt and pepper

Note: in hot weather leave out the turnip. Lemon juice may be substituted for the rhubarb.  If allowed to boil rapidly the lentils will make the soup cloudy.

Have fun creating your stock!  I’ll be making plenty this winter season for sure.