How To Make A Vegetable Stock.

Basic Vegetable Stock.

This is a great way to use up excess vegetables, just roughly chop away & toss in the pot.

Put in ends of beans, celery trimmings potato peelings, parsley stalks or mushroom stalks the list is really endless.

One tip to abide by is: AVOID any vegetable with a strong flavour they can make the stock bitter or acidic. For example: artichokes, tomatoes, capsicums, sprouts, cabbage cauliflower, bok choy or broccoli. Use turnips in small amounts, I use only the peelings.

It is worth the effort of making stock, use a slow cooker, then you don’t have to worry about watching the pot, so to speak!!

A good vegetable stock is a must in any dish where there is no meat. It is important to have a good base as vegetarian cooking requires an extra depth of flavour, which, can be missed by leaving out the meat, thus making the meal bland.

You can make up a batch with left over vegetables at any time either use a large saucepan or slow cooker. When ready, cool, then place any unused stock in little zip lock bags, about a portion per bag.

Pop them in the freezer & use from straight from there, it keeps for 6 months here. Alternatively stock will keep in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

Rough Guide of ingredients for those who feel they need it:

1½l Water.
2 Onions. Keep the skins on for extra colour.
4 Carrots.
3 Garlic Cloves.
2 Potatoes.
4 Celery Stalks.
½ bunch Parsley.
2 Bay Leaves.
½ tsp Salt.
6 Peppercorns.

What to do:

• Roughly chop everything

• Add to a large saucepan or crock pot

• Cover with water bring to the boil then reduce the heat & simmer gently until the vegetables have a dull colour or cook overnight in the crock pot on a low heat.

• Strain, use or store.