Make Your Own Vegetable Stock For Free

In nature, nothing is wasted, and everything is transformed. This stock is a way to recreate this magic in your own kitchen. Making your own stock is free, easy, and healthy. It’s also empowering and a little addictive. You get to be in control of the flavor, and also the ingredients, which is not true for store bought stocks. It’s a great money saver, too, and uses what you would normally be throwing away to make something delicious, nutritious, and free!

Here’s what to do.

Save Your Scraps in the Freezer

Get a plastic freezer bag, or other freezer proof container, and keep it in your freezer. 

Whenever you are cooking and chopping vegetables, take everything you would normally throw in the garbage or compost, and throw it in the freezer bag instead. This could be onion and garlic skins, carrot and potato peels, kale and chard stems, the butts and ends of celery, you get the idea.

You can also do this with herbs like parsley and rosemary stems. Just keep in mind whatever you use will take on a subtle or strong flavor in your stock, depending on the herb and how much is used. I’m hardcore with my stock and throw in broccoli and cauliflower stems, too, even though my husband hates the smell of those when they’re cooking. Feel free to leave them out if you agree with him!

Once your freezer bag is full–this could be a week or a month–depending on how often you cook, you are ready to make stock! 

Stove Method

You can definitely do this on the stove. Just put all your frozen scraps in a stock pot and fill with filtered water. Bring it to a boil and then simmer for a couple of hours. Then strain it and store it in jars.

Instant Pot Method

I love to use my Instant Pot for this, though! Simply dump your frozen scraps into the pot (the 8 quart works best, but you can do smaller quantities, too), and cover the scraps to the max fill line with filtered water. These are the only things I put in my stock. I don’t use salt, so that I am able to control the flavor better when I use the stock in other things later. Set your Instant Pot for manual high pressure for 45 minutes. Make sure the lid is sealed. Then let it release naturally for as long as you like; it’s pretty foolproof. 

Once it’s cooled, remove all the scraps with a large slotted spoon. Now these will go to your compost bin (or your garbage can if you don’t compost). 

Storing Your Stock

Secure a cloth bag (Here’s an affiliate link to buy one, if you need….As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. https://amzn.to/3wDqbRu) into a half gallon sized  mason jar by attaching with a ring lid. Just screw the ring over the cotton bag. Then pour the stock in the jar. The bag will strain out the last bits of debris, which can be disposed of, as well. This recipe will fill more than one jar, although not completely. 

Once it cools you can keep the jars in the fridge for a week or so. They can also be frozen. If you freeze them, make sure to leave extra space in the jar since liquids expand when they freeze. You don’t want any shattered glass in your freezer! You can also pressure can these if you’d prefer to keep them in your pantry.

Now your (Free!) stock is ready to use in soups, stews, and sauces. Besides all of the cost savings, you get to control all of the ingredients here. Store bought stock can have tons of harmful ingredients, and you have to really read the labels carefully. This nutritious homemade stock is quick, easy, and saves you the trouble. 

Last tip! When you’re finished with the freezer bag, you can just throw it back in the freezer, so it’s ready to use next time. You can rinse it out if it’s dirty, or take my lazy method and just throw it back in the freezer! 

Recipe

For a quick video tutorial, click here.

Ingredients 

1-2 freezer bags full of vegetable scraps (you may also use herbs)
Enough filtered water to cover the scraps and go to the max fill line of your Instant Pot

Method Add scraps to Instant Pot. Cook on manual high pressure for 45 minutes. Let release naturally.

Strain into mason jars with a cloth bag.

Store in the fridge for a week or so, freeze, or pressure can according to manufacturer’s instructions for long term pantry storage.

I hope you give this a try, and please let me know if you do! I’d love to see how it works out for you!

Are You Ready?

If you’re ready to start your own thriving urban homestead, click here!

Come Say Hey!

I would love to get to know you more and see your garden (or your dreams of one)!

Please join our facebook group, Urban Homesteading, to ask questions, share stories and photos, and get to know others with similar struggles, goals, and dreams.

Looking for more information? Follow The Little Green Shoot on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest, where I share tons of free tips and ideas.