When preparing vegetables, instead of putting the ends and peelings into the bin I put them into large yogurt pots that I have kept. I then keep these in the freezer. Once I have two pots completely full I use them to make vegetable stock, or chicken stock when I make a roast chicken. I’ll make that into its own recipe one day as I can’t do it in my slow cooker.
The sections below are less ingredients, and more things that either can be, or shouldn’t be, included. For all of them that you include, you can put in any part that you chop off. Tops and tails of carrots and leeks, garlic cloves and skin, the skin of onions, anything. This can also save vegetables that are starting to turn, if I see garlic starting to sprout I’ll put in the entire bulb for instance. You can also include various herbs, or black peppercorns to add to the flavour.
Unlike most recipes I’ve seen for this, I don’t bother to add salt. I find it’s easier to judge the quantity when seasoning the recipe that it’s used in, rather than the stock itself.
Things to add
- Carrots
- Onions
- Celery
- Garlic
- Leeks
- Black peppercorns
- Bay leaves
- Parsley
- Thyme
Things to avoid
- Potato will make it cloudy and starchy
- Beetroot will turn it pink
- Large amounts of cruciferous vegetables can make the stock bitter, for example:
- Broccoli
- Brussels sprouts
- Cabbage
Method
Tip the lot into a slow cooker, fill to the brim with boiling water, and put on low for around 8-12 hours, or high for 4-6 hours. Cooking it on the higher setting will cause the stock to be slightly cloudier, but it’ll still taste great. Don’t remove the lid when it’s cooking, otherwise it takes ages to get back up to temperature.
Fold a muslin cloth over a couple of times, and place it into a funnel. Place the funnel into a bottle, and then cover with a sieve. Use a measuring jug to scoop the stock out, and pour it through the sieve carefully. This will drip through the muslin cloth, which acts as a filter. After a while you might need to rinse it out a little.
I end up using a ladle for the last bits.
Once cooled, it should keep in the fridge for 4-5 days. It can also be frozen indefinitely, although it will start losing flavour after a few months.