Use what you’ve got (everything but the oink)
I’m a firm believer in getting the absolute most use possible out of the things you have. As the joke goes, it’s like using everything but the oink from a pig.
One example of that: I make my own vegetable stock from kitchen scraps. This is a great way to clear out your fridge of any vegetables that might be, well, looking kind of sad; using the extra bits of vegetables that are inedible (the skin of onions or butternut squash, the leaves off the celery, etc.); saving yourself money by not having to buy veggie broth at the store; and improving your quality of life by giving you delicious vegetable stock to enhance the flavors of soup, rice and lots of other dishes.
I usually save up all my little vegetable scraps in a container or two in the fridge. Once I have bits and pieces from at least five different types of vegetables, I check to make sure nothing’s gone bad and I wash them thoroughly. The I toss them in our (knock off) instant pot and just hit slow cook for hours and hours. Once I feel like it’s done, which basically means whenever I feel like it, I strain out the scraps and pour the resultant both into plastic containers. Those containers go into the fridge or freezer for use whenever.
For my latest batch, I actually started with water I’d used to boil carrots and potatoes for that night’s dinner recipe; after I drained out the carrots and potatoes, that water then became the base for the broth, to which I added scraps from cabbages, broccoli, zucchini and celery.
A few caveats: My husband and I are not terribly picky eaters, so I don’t care too much about consistency from batch to batch. That is, I don’t care about every single batch of broth coming out the same as the previous one. I’m also not terribly particular about getting a particular taste to my broth. Different vegetables will of course have their own tastes, but any scraps going into that pot are, by definition, from vegetables we like and eat anyway.
I’m also very lazy, so I hit the slow cook function for 13 hours and then just get the broth out whenever. I have also been known to, uh, hit a second 13 hours on that thing when I don’t feel like taking it out the first time around. This has never been a problem for me, but definitely be aware of how long you’re cooking your broth.
Personally, I do not add any extra spices. I have seen recipes online from people who add thyme or rosemary or whatever, but again, I am both lazy and not picky. My kitchen will never get a Michelin star, and that is fine with me.
Caveats aside, though, I really do enjoy doing this. It’s a small, low-effort thing I can do that nonetheless makes our lives better and saves us money — pretty perfect combination!
