Stock Scraps

Homemade soup stocks are priceless in creating flavor and richness in soups, stews, sauces and more. The base of Western stocks is a classic mirepoix of carrots, onions, and celery. These commonly used kitchen staples produce a fair amount of waste trimmings in the due course of cooking. The next time you trim an onion, cut the tops off your celery stalks, or peel carrots, consider starting a freezer stash of stock scraps. Did your garlic sprout? Toss it in. Green onion tops, in the go. Parsley stems, why not? Remove any dirt or rotten parts and store these scraps in the freezer. Continue to build your stash until you have enough veggie bits to make a pot of stock – a gallon-sized Ziploc is perfect. You have everything you need for a delicious vegetable stock. Add bones for chicken stock, beef stock, or fish stock and you can say goodbye to bland store-bought boxed stock.