Homemade vegetable broth without chemicals: This is the best way to prepare it!

[elkhound]

 

[joel]

DW also does bone broth.

 

[lilmissy]

I can bone broth, chicken and beef. Love it.

 

[Dani]

If electricity holds, this looks like a good way. If you are worried about our grid, I would either follow and adapt to canning. Another option would be dehydrating, before the grid goes down unless you have a backup way.

 

[Wingnut]

What, no Monsanto chemicals or vaxxer cr@p? Where's the fun in that?

 

[Weedygarden]

I missed this post when you first put it up. I try to avoid chemicals because some give me migraines. I'm with Dani about this. This is good as long as we have electricity.
I do think dehydrating or freeze drying the cooked vegetables and then making sure they are powdered would be a way to get around the concern of electricity. Then putting a tablespoon or two or three into hot water, would be a good way to make a broth.

I like bone broth and no chicken or turkey is consumed in my house without the carcass being simmered and turned into broth.

I have made beef bone broth, but getting the bones for that is no longer inexpensive. Bones now come at a price. There was a time when you could get them for free by asking the butcher at the grocery store. I saw it when I was a meat wrapper in a meat department decades ago.

Those carrots that were peeled? I know it is not as pretty to leave the peelings on, but there is good nutrition in the peelings of carrots and potatoes. There are things where peeling them is more attractive, but sometimes I leave the peelings on for nutritional reasons.

I do purchase broth and stock, but I know it is so full of chemicals.

 

[Patchouli]

@elkhound I didn’t notice this thread before.
You always present a lot of helpful and useful information. I’ve never seen turmeric before so I’m guessing when the person put gloves on…it is like handling a jalapeño?
There are a lot of vegetables that are not considered for every day use because they’re considered “weird” but it is probably because we don’t know how to use them.

 

[ClemKadiddlehopper]

If the veggies are commercially grown, they should be peeled. Washing is not a guarantee that they will be chemical free.

I think I will give this a go and freeze dry it. I will greatly increase the quantity though. I will also decrease the salt. It seems excessive and not needed as a preservative with freeze drying or dehydrating.

Turmeric is probably used for coloring and the gloves are to keep from staining your fingers and looking like a 40 year veteran smoker.

 

[Tim Horton]

I participated in making, canning many liters of broth.. Both red meat and bird base broth..
Onion peels, carrot and potato peels, ends of celery stalks got frozen and saved until stock making time.. I liked the idea of being able to reduce, limit, or make with no added salt..

 

[ClemKadiddlehopper]

I finally got around to making a version of this. Didn't have celeriac or kohlrabi so I added some fennel and cabbage; I think turnip would be good as well. What does/doesn't go in the recipe can be totally personalized to taste.

If using parsnip, do not use big woody stuff which is likely what the stores sell. They are bitter and ruin the flavour. Always cook a few test pieces before using it in any recipe. Parsnip should be sweet like carrots and is best, small.

I used half the salt called for, (way too much) and it could probably be cut back some more but at least half is recommended.

I freeze dried it and it's really quite good. It would do well in a dehydrator as well. It's like a rock when finished so it needs to be blitzed to get it powdered.

I only made a baby bear pot of it for trial, but since it passed muster, I am going to be making a pappa bear pot of it.

 

[ClemKadiddlehopper]

a different squash soup with or without chicken

Start with enough chicken stock (I use a good strong, homemade stock) to fill what ever size pot you have to 2/3. This determines the amount you will make. I use an 8 qt pot.

Cube acorn, butternut, wart, hubbard or any other variety or combo of squash that you like. Use lots of squash. Cube a sweet potato or two, chunk a carrot (optional) or two, add 3 or more large onions chunked. You have added enough veggies when the stock is close to over flowing the pot. Add some green beans. Simmer; no boiling, skimming off the foam until veggies are just barely fork tender and add some asparagus. This is a broth style soup.

Salt to taste if you haven't used store stock or added any to your homemade stock. This is not as bland as it seems. The flavour comes from the type of veggies used. Add some chicken (optional). Keep hot while you make some corn bread.

I love squash and its squash season now and the weather is getting cool enough for soup season to start

basic squash soup

-Fill a pot 2/3 full of chicken or veggie stock.

-Chunk up a squash (the deep orange types are extra good). There should be lots of squash.
-maybe add a sweet potato if using a mild squash like butternut.

-Chop up a couple onions.
-Add a stalk of celery.

Simmer and skim off the foam. Never let soup boil.

When everything is soft, let it cool enough to puree.

Add some cream to make it... creamier. Start with a small amount and go until it suits your idea of enough.

You can add herbs after purée(ing) if you want to change it up a bit.