Turn Your Vegetable Scrap Garbage into No Waste Multi-Purpose Broth!
Have picky eaters?
Vegetable broth is nutrient dense. This is the best and sneaky way to load those picky eaters up with the beneficial vitamins found in vegetables.
Love natural flavor in your food?
This adds new layers of natural flavor to your dishes. Let your imagination guide you to infuse flavor in your favorite dishes by substituting garbage broth for water in almost any recipe:
- Any Broth Use!
- Instant Pot Mac n Cheese Water Replacement
- Spaghetti Sauce Base Water Replacement
- Gravy Water Replacement
- Soup Water Replacement
- Stew Water Replacement
- Bone Broth Water Replacement
- Instant Pot Recipe Water Replacement
It is also easy!
All you need to do is add your vegetable scraps to a gallon bag and store it in the freezer. Once your gallon bag is stuffed, it is time to make your garbage broth!
Beautiful Way to Preserve Summer Farmer Market Finds into Winter
By December, January and February we are longing for the fresh vegetables we were able to get at farmer’s markets in the summer. This is a creative way to “preserve” those summer harvests and enrich your winter dishes.
We shop at Farmer Markets from June to October and rarely step into a grocery store. We only buy & eat what is seasonal in our area. My favorite “garbage broth” pairing is asparagus season into tomato season. I make a very delicious Spaghetti sauce using garbage broth water replacement, heavy with asparagus, peppers, onions and celery. Oh and the fresh herbs in the tomato sauce too, YUM.
What Types of Scraps Should I use in my Garbage Broth?
Scraps matter! I have “base scraps” then just everyday toss away scraps from just whatever I am cooking, fruit scraps and then big nope scraps.
Best Base Vegetable Broth Scraps
Onion (including skins,) celery, garlic and/or cutting celery
Recommended Vegetable Scraps
- Carrot Tops
- Asparagus Bottoms
- Mushroom
- Peppers
- Green Beans
- Vegetable Scraps Nearing Expiration Date
Can I Add Fruit to My Vegetable Broth?
Absolutely! It adds a slight layer of sweet to your finished broth. Our personal favorite fruit to add is apple peels. I do recommend that you do not add too many fruits.
Best herbs to add to vegetable broth.
I personally prefer: Thyme, Bay Leaves, Sage, Cutting Celery, Parsley. Let your creativity guide you!
What NOT to add to your garbage broth!
Anything in the citrus (incl oranges, lemon, lime,) nightshade (incl tomatoes, eggplant) or cabbage (incl broccoli, kale, brussel sprouts) family. When in doubt on what you may or may not add to garbage broth: google it and read a good 3-4 articles to form your opinion.
Portion and Freeze For Later.
Using an 8 quart Instant Pot, I yield approximately 12 cups of delicious goodness from this recipe. I generally make it when I am making something else that uses the broth. Then, I portion off the rest, in 4 cup increments, and freeze it in one gallon freezer bags.
Zero Waste is a Beautiful Thing!
Instead of sending your veggie scraps down the disposal or to the landfill, you are recycling them into nutrient dense food! When you are done, you may compost the pulverized scraps.
Crock Pot Variation
In the event you do not have an Instant Pot (one of my fav tools in the kitchen!) you may cook your garbage broth in your similar sized (8 quart) crock pot. The only difference is the long cook time. You will start it on high for two hours and then turn it to low for 8-10 hours.
Ingredients
- 1 Gallon Bag Frozen Scrap Vegetables
- Water (Fill to Max)
- 5-10 Sprigs Fresh Herbs, Each (Your Choice, Recommended Thyme, Sage, Parsley, Cutting Celery)
- 1 Clove Garlic
Instructions
- Remove your bag of frozen vegetable scraps from freezer and place them in an 8 quart instant pot
- Add water to the fill line of your 8 quart instant pot
- Set instant pot on soup/broth mode for 45 minutes. Turn off "keep warm" button. Allow natural release.
- Strain broth mixture through a fine mesh sieve or colander with cheesecloth.
- Use or divide and freeze for future use and freeze in gallon sized freezer bags.
Notes
Grow Your Own Culinary Lavender & Herbs!
All lavender and herb plants come with extensive growing and care instructions + recipes. These herbs may be grown inside during the winter and then planted outside during the summer.
Buy the Cookbook or Grow Your Own Culinary Lavender & Herbs!
All lavender and herb plants come with extensive growing and care instructions + recipes. These herbs may be grown inside during the winter and then planted outside during the summer.
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