Here is one of my favorite things to do – making my own vegetable stock! This little primer shows how I make mine. I use NO salt or any other spices. Only 2 ingredients – vegetable scraps and water.
Download the Primer for Making Vegetable Stock Here
When I originally posted this on Facebook, there was some debate regarding whether water-bath canning was the correct method for jarring this stock. The facts are that this is, indeed, a low acid food and the experts say you should pressure can it. I see it differently in this case since there is no meat or vegetable bits in it when sealed. It is vegetable water and I have not had any issues to date however, I do not claim to be any kind of expert and it is up to you to decide which method is best for your family.
It’s my intent to open people’s eyes and encourage them to see how incredibly easy this is, not to mention the money you save on a superior product! Out of a one gallon bag of frozen vegetable scraps, I get back 5 quarts of stock (give or take a quart). Sometimes I will add a little more water and bring back to a boil to get full quarts. Here are the numbers:
A 32 oz (quart size) box of ‘low sodium’ stock is roughly $2.50 at the grocery store here. Each time I make stock I get 5-6 quarts of stock so that is $12-$15 saved. I am using scraps so that is already paid for. The lids cost about $0.21 each. I never include the price of the jars due to how many times they are reused. You have not only saved money, you have gotten your full money’s worth from the vegetables you bought or grew in the garden.
The Equipment I Use
I know exactly what is in it, how it was processed, and am certain that it is superior to anything I could buy in the store when it comes to quality. The taste of the food I use this in is all the convincing I need! It takes roughly 45-60 minutes for the whole process, if water-bath canning. A great side trick: You can easily turn this into a beef or chicken stock by adding bullion cubes for flavor when cooking. Since the stock has no sodium added during processing, the bullion cube will not make it overly salty. Great for those watching their salt intake! Download the free PDF above and start making vegetable stock of your own today!
I have tried several times to make my own veggie stock, but it always tastes bland. Do you ever get a batch that just doesn’t have a lot of flavor? Do you think the type of veggie scraps makes a difference?
I believe that what veggies are in there will make a difference in taste and color. The bland taste is also in mine, but that is because I do not add any spices to it when I make my stock. I prefer it that way so that I am not stuck with a dozen “garlic vegi” flavored jars. Leaving it ‘bland’ or in its natural state allows you freedom to make it taste however you want it to for that recipe!