Follow these guide lines to make delicious home made vegetable stock.
o The amount water you use will depend on how much vegetable stock you need.
o According to The Joy of Cooking 5 cups of vegetables to 6 cups vegetables makes about 3 to 4 cups of stock. My feeling is that you should use what you have. More vegetable matter makes a more flavorful stock, but if you don’t have a lot, something is still better than nothing. Just bay leaves cooked in water tastes more interesting than plain water.
o The vegetables can come from what you are already cooking just save the peels and trimmings. Onion carrot and celery are always good to use for vegetable or any stock. Corncobs can add sweetness. Garlic can be left cracked with the peel on for a mild taste, or pealed and minced for a more pronounced garlic flavor.
o Vegetables to avoid are any with inherent bitterness. Asparagus, broccoli, greens, cabbages and eggplant are not good for stock.
o Mushroom stems and gills make a hearty meaty tasting vegetable stock. The gills will make the stock dark and cloudy, so use just the stems if you need a clear stock.
o Vegetables that are roasted or browned on the stove in oil before adding the water will add deep flavor to your stock, but this will also make it less clear and give it more color. This is great for gumbo or similar stews, not for consommé or light broths.
o Herb stems are full of flavor and can be used so long as the flavors are appropriate.
o If you will need stock later in the week, save the clean vegetable trimmings from all of the dishes you cook that week in a freezer bag or container with a lid to be made into a quick stock later.
Method:
To roast vegetables beforehand, preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place the vegetables on a baking sheet lined with foil for easy clean up. Drizzle with a tablespoon or so of vegetable oil. Toss the vegetables lightly in the oil, spread them in a single layer on the baking sheet, and roast for 40 minutes to 1 hour, until brown.
If you want a clear stock with little color use raw vegetables rather than roasting them.
Select a pot that has a narrow top, and is large enough to hold all of the vegetables and water. The narrow top will reduce evaporation.
Add the cold water, vegetables, bay leaves, garlic, a pinch of salt (to aid flavor extraction) and pepper to the cold pot. Turn on the heat to medium and bring to a simmer. Simmer at least 40 minutes but no more than 1 hour.
Pour through a mesh strainer into a heatproof container. Cool to room temperature before putting in the refrigerator. Ice packs meant for food related use are great for this.
I season the dish with salt rather than the stock. A stock that tastes perfectly seasoned on its own can be far too salty for a finished dish particularly if it cooks for some time.
Store for 3 to 5 days in the refrigerator. Freeze for extended storage.
Vegetable Stock 101
Vegetable Stock 101
Follow these guide lines to make delicious home made vegetable stock.
o The amount water you use will depend on how much vegetable stock you need.
o According to The Joy of Cooking 5 cups of vegetables to 6 cups vegetables makes about 3 to 4 cups of stock. My feeling is that you should use what you have. More vegetable matter makes a more flavorful stock, but if you don’t have a lot, something is still better than nothing. Just bay leaves cooked in water tastes more interesting than plain water.
o The vegetables can come from what you are already cooking just save the peels and trimmings. Onion carrot and celery are always good to use for vegetable or any stock. Corncobs can add sweetness. Garlic can be left cracked with the peel on for a mild taste, or pealed and minced for a more pronounced garlic flavor.
o Vegetables to avoid are any with inherent bitterness. Asparagus, broccoli, greens, cabbages and eggplant are not good for stock.
o Mushroom stems and gills make a hearty meaty tasting vegetable stock. The gills will make the stock dark and cloudy, so use just the stems if you need a clear stock.
o Vegetables that are roasted or browned on the stove in oil before adding the water will add deep flavor to your stock, but this will also make it less clear and give it more color. This is great for gumbo or similar stews, not for consommé or light broths.
o Herb stems are full of flavor and can be used so long as the flavors are appropriate.
o If you will need stock later in the week, save the clean vegetable trimmings from all of the dishes you cook that week in a freezer bag or container with a lid to be made into a quick stock later.
Method:
To roast vegetables beforehand, preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place the vegetables on a baking sheet lined with foil for easy clean up. Drizzle with a tablespoon or so of vegetable oil. Toss the vegetables lightly in the oil, spread them in a single layer on the baking sheet, and roast for 40 minutes to 1 hour, until brown.
If you want a clear stock with little color use raw vegetables rather than roasting them.
Select a pot that has a narrow top, and is large enough to hold all of the vegetables and water. The narrow top will reduce evaporation.
Add the cold water, vegetables, bay leaves, garlic, a pinch of salt (to aid flavor extraction) and pepper to the cold pot. Turn on the heat to medium and bring to a simmer. Simmer at least 40 minutes but no more than 1 hour.
Pour through a mesh strainer into a heatproof container. Cool to room temperature before putting in the refrigerator. Ice packs meant for food related use are great for this.
I season the dish with salt rather than the stock. A stock that tastes perfectly seasoned on its own can be far too salty for a finished dish particularly if it cooks for some time.
Store for 3 to 5 days in the refrigerator. Freeze for extended storage.