Homemade Veggie Stock – no sodium

So, it’s fall which means yummy soups & stews, & the flu.
Which means I need to stock up my freezer with frozen soup & stock up my pantry with homemade stock!
I like to make my own stock because I can control what goes in it. Plus it’s just yummier!
Oh, & it makes the house smell wonderful when I leave it to simmer all day. 😉

I start with saving the ends & peels & unused leaves of the veggies I cook with through the week. I save them in quart freezer bags & freeze them.

& I’m not picky with what goes in my stock; squash, bell pepper, onion, carrot – you name it! If I’ve bought it & cooked with it, it goes in my stock. 😉

So this week I used celery, red bell pepper, carrot, red onion, yellow onion, butternut squash, & garlic.

Here’s what you’ll need:
Stock pot with lid
Spoon
1 quart ziploc frozen veggie ends, peels, & leaves
2 tbsp peppercorns
water

Start by filling the pot with water, leaving about 4″ to the brim.
Heat the water until it simmers, then add in the peppercorns.
Simmer the water & peppercorns for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add in the frozen veggie ends, peels & leaves & cover.
Let simmer for 6 hours, stirring every 45-minutes to an hour.

When finished, your stock should be dark & rich, & will be ready to use or can.

Pro-tip: onion peels make a darker, richer stock. 😀

This recipe yields about 5 quart size jars.
*Remember to use the proper canning procedures for safety!