Brag to Your Friends

In the theme of my money-saving posts this week, I am going to show you another thing I have started doing to save cash when I cook: I make my own chicken/vegetable broth. I tend to just call it "scrap" broth because it's made from all the vegetable and chicken scraps that I save over a period of time. Basically, I don't ever buy the sodium-rich broth from stores anymore, I find a use for my scraps before I just toss them, and I get to brag about how that makes me a gourmand. Gourmand?

About how that makes me all gourmet and stuff.

This is actually a SUPER easy thing to do, you already have the stuff for it anyway, and it's great especially in the Fall when soup season begins.

Basically, the starting point is a plastic baggie in your freezer where you will start placing all your leftover scraps. My scraps usually consist of things like leftover chicken bones from roasting, corn cobs, bell pepper tops, onion peels, broccoli stems, carrot and bean ends, celery stalks, potato peels, squash ends. Pretty much any vegetable is usable.

I save up my scraps in my freezer until I have two baggies like this:

When you're ready to make some broth, empty your two baggies into a large pot and add enough water to cover, plus about a half inch more. What I like to do next is add a few of my favorite herbs like rosemary, sage, and thyme. Set the heat on your stove to medium-low and let the pot simmer for about an hour and a half.

When your broth is done simmering, take a slotted spoon and remove all the large scraps. I like to put them into a plastic bag before putting them into the trash to help control the smell.

Next, get a measuring cup and a small strainer. You'll strain the broth into a measuring cup (it's easier to pour into a storage container) and then place the storage container in the fridge. Let the broth sit overnight.

Letting your broth sit overnight allows any remaining fat or fine herb particles to solidify on the surface so it can be removed before freezing. The next day, you'll restrain the broth back into a measuring cup to remove all the extras. Then, pour the broth into either ice trays or muffin trays to go into the freezer.

TAKE NOTE of how much broth fits into your freezing trays so you know how much you have for future use. I usually let my broth freeze overnight so it's thoroughly frozen. Once it's frozen, pop the broth out of the trays and place cubes into freezer storage baggies. Mark the baggies with the quantity of broth and the date it was frozen. Use within 3 months in soups, sauces, and anything else to add healthy, virtually free flavor and nutrients!