Homemade Veggie Broth

Homemade Veggie broth is SUPER simple!!!  There are so many reasons to make your own.

1 - You know exactly what's in it.

2 - It's green.  You can reuse the jars over and over.

3 - It's cheaper....honestly it is.

4 - It tastes better.

Veggie broth can be used in a ton of different recipes and is detox friendly.  Tastes great in place of water when you make rice or quinoa.

I don't really have a recipe, it's really more of a method.

I start with my giant canning pot and fill it full of organic veggies and scraps.

For this batch I used leeks, carrots, onions, potatoes, celery, mushrooms, parsley, marjoram, thyme & a couple cloves of garlic.  I scrubbed the veggies clean with a strong bristle brush, chopped them in large chunks & added them to the pot.

My pot was about 3/4 of the way full with veggies.

I then added filtered water to about 2 inches from the top of the pot.

Bring to a rapid boil and then turn down to a simmer.  Simmer for about 4-6 hours.  The stock is done when it has a golden hue.

Next I use a large ladle and wire mesh strainer

 and strain the broth into a pitcher.  I put a small strainer on top of 1 of my jars and pour the broth into the canning jar.  I double strain because the potatoes become mush and can cause your broth to be too thick.

Fill jars but make sure you leave 2 inches of headspace, especially if you plan on freezing the stock.  Another note, you must use wide mouth jars to freeze your stock.  I use wide mouth quart jars.

Allow your jars of stock to cool overnight in the fridge before putting in the freezer.  Also, make sure to not screw the lids on too tight.  All of these things will help to keep your jars from cracking in the freezer.

Another note, you could add salt to your broth for more flavor but I prefer to not have the added sodium.

This method typically makes 12-14 quart jars of stock.

You can feed the leftover mushed veggies to your chickens or add it to your compost pile. 

Happy Healthy Eating Friends!