Here’s How To Make Homemade Vegetable Stock With Excess Scraps

When you’re chopping up your vegetables for dinner, it’s tempting to just throw away all those tops, bottoms and skins. But just because you’re not using a carrot top in your salad doesn’t mean it has to go to waste. In fact, you can use these leftovers to make a vegetable stock that you can use in a number of other recipes. Not only will this help reduce food waste, but it can even save you money the next time a recipe calls for stock.

Vegetable stock can be used for soups, risottos or even as a replacement in recipes for chicken or beef stock, if you’re trying to go meatless. You’re not limited to using any specific vegetables, and you can just toss in what you have, from leftover potatoes, to onions, mushrooms and even different herbs. Just be sure to avoid Brussels sprouts, broccoli and cauliflower, which can add a bitter taste to your stock.

Inspired to make your own veggie stock at home? Just check out this super helpful video from BuzzFeed, along with some instructions below.

Ingredients:

• Any tops, bottoms and stems of any vegetable you’ve already prepared! In the BuzzFeed recipe, they use onions, celery, carrots, mushrooms, garlic, potatoes and parsley.
• Water

Instructions:

1. Fill up a large ziplock bag up with vegetable scraps.

2. Add the vegetables to a large pot, and fill it up with water 3/4 of the way full. The scraps should just begin to float.

3. Bring water to a boil and then reduce to a simmer, covering and cooking for at least 30 minutes.

4. Using a strainer, drain the liquid (the part you will keep), and toss the vegetables.

5. Use in a recipe, or store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days, or freeze for up to 3 months.

Check out the Buzzfeed video below for full instructions!