Homemade Vegetable Broth

I love making homemade stocks and broths, not only because it saves me money, but because I can use up ingredients that would otherwise be wasted. Whenever I have wimpy celery I know it is time to make stock and the other ingredients are fairly flexible. This can be done all day in the slow cooker or stove top in a large pot.

Ingredients

• 1 onion, peeled and quartered
• 2 carrots
• 2 stalks of celery
• 4 cloves of garlic, peeled
• 3 other veggies (potato, zucchini, yellow squash, 1 c. mushrooms) or add more onion, celery, and carrot.
• 1/2 tsp. black pepper
• 2 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. oregano
• 1 tsp. parsley
• 1/2 tsp. thyme, basil, or bay leaf
• water to fill

Directions

1. Add all ingredients to large pot or slow cooker and fill with water. 
2. For slow cooker, set on low for 8 hours. 
3. For stove top, bring to a boil and then reduce heat to low and let simmer for 2 hours.
4. Let cool some and then strain stock thought a fine strainer or sieve into freezer-proof containers. Carolyn and I use mason jars or reuse plastic containers that have a lid. Only fill containers 3/4 full since liquids expand a lot on the freezer. Do not screw on lids onto the mason jar until it is frozen through. I have broken quite a few and wasted my stock by over filling and not leaving enough room for expansion. I like to freeze in amounts similar to what would be in a can of stock (14 oz.- almost 2 c.) since most recipes call for broth by the can.
5. Label and freeze.