Vegetable Stock

One of my first ventures in my scratch cooking was vegetable stock.  After doing it once or twice with vegetables I bought specifically for my stock, I got to thinking.  I throw away a lot of odds and ends vegetables that still have all those nutrients!  Onions in particular. So I started saving my remnants.  This recipe was spawned from my frugel-ness. 

My stock bags change with every bag, but roughly they contain:

2 onions
1 carrot
1 celery stalk
1 green pepper
2 jalapenos
3 garlic cloves

Vegetable Stock

about 8 cups

Ingredients
1 gallon bag of Stock Vegetables, defrosted
2 T olive oil
3 bay leaves
1 T Kosher Salt
small handful of peppercorns, plus some freshly cracked black pepper
olive oil
water


Directions

1. Add olive oil to your stockpot and turn heat to med-high

2.  Add stock bag pot , saute for about 5 minutes

3.  Add enough water to cover the vegetables x2.

4.  Bring to boil

5.  Turn heat to med-low

6.  Boil until reduced by half, about 3-4 hours.  The longer you cook your broth, the more condensed it will be.  Less liquid= more concentrated goodness!

7.  Let cool slightly on the stove, place in refrigerator overnight
(NOTE:  If making a meat-based broth, after it has been sitting in the fridge overnight, skim the fat off the top for fat-free broth!)
8.  Place colander over a gallon pitcher and CAREFULLY pour stock into pitcher.  Toss vegetables.

9.  Pour liquid back into stockpot or another container (look how yummy!)

10.  Line colander with cheesecloth (or paper towels) and CAREFULLY pour stock into pitcher again.  This may take awhile and at least 2 cheese cloths, depending on how much sentiment is in your stock. (Note, you don't need to strain the sentiment, but I find by removing it has a better texture in the food I cook my broth with)

11.  Pour out into 1-2 c portions and put in freezer bags.  Place on cookie sheet flat and put in the freezer until frozen solid.  Keeps for roughly 6 months, if it will last that long!

Variations

~Smoked chicken- After Steve smokes a (yummy!) whole chicken, I put the (picked clean) carcass in my stockpot (without a stock bag) and add water to cover x2 and do the same process.  Use also with store bought (gasp!) or homemade roasted chicken. This makes DELICIOUS gravy!

~Chicken- After sauteing vegetables, place an entire whole raw chicken in the stockpot and add water until 2 inches from the top of pot.  Cover and put to a low boil for 6-8 hours.  After cooling in refrigerator overnight, skim stock of fat and continue with step 8. Remove all meat from carcass and use for Chicken Soup, pot pie, or any other casserole needing cooked chicken.

~Thanksgiving Turkey!!

~Beef- Go to your local Butcher and ask for Beef hocks (knuckles).  Preheat your oven for 350*.  Smear the hocks with tomato paste and place in a roasting pan.  Cook for an hour.  Continue with step 1, adding hocks after vegetables have simmered.


UPDATED:
This is Cajun Turkey Stock:

Before skimming fat and removing bones and vegetables

After skimming most of the fat and removing bones and vegis

During the filtering

*Tip* Wet your cloth before you begin filtering.  That way, your broth wont soak it, it will just go into your pitcher.

Look at that yummy goodness!