Homemade stock is so easy and is a great way to reduce food waste. We love to save the ends of veggies we are using, placing them in a ziplock bag in the freezer. When the bag is full just take it out of the freezer and you have the base of a tasty veggie stock without the sodium and preservatives found in so many store-bought versions. It is also so satisfying to use stock you have made from scratch.
Homemade Stock
INGREDIENTS
1 leek, top half + end of stalk
½ a bunch of celery, leafy top and stems, chopped into large chunks
1 onion, skin on, halved
1 carrot, sliced in half
3 cloves of garlic, slightly crushed, skin on is fine
2 bay leaves
1 tablespoon of peppercorns
1 tablespoon of himalayan salt
2 cms of fresh ginger
1 good handful of parsley, including stalks
6 cups of water
Any veggie off cuts or ends (sweet potato, broccoli stalks, cabbage hearts etc)
½ a free range organic chicken (optional)
METHOD
Place all the ingredients in the slow cooker first thing in the morning. Put in half a free range chicken if you are making chicken stock. Cook on low for 6 hours.
Once cooked pass the stock through a large sieve into a bowl.
If you are making chicken stock, remove the flesh from the bones and place in a sealed container in the fridge for using.