Veg stock

[Brewtrog]

What do you put in yours? What are your do's and don't's?
I've recently started keeping my veggie peelings for stock making, so am looking for a few ideas of what else to (or not to) put in.

[Green Aura]

I put just about anything in. I can't think of anything I wouldn't put in, unless I was making it with a specific recipe in mind e.g something that may not want a heavy onion flavour (although I can't think what).

This week's was leek leaves, carrot tops, an overgrown turnip (I found one that had gone a bit woody) and swede peel.

[Brewtrog]

It always amazes me how many different views there are for veg stock, you say carrot tops, I've read that they make a stock bitter, a chef friend of my brother says you should never put onion skin in, but I've seen others say they're fine.

[Green Aura]

It occurred to me afterwards that there is one thing I would use sparingly, if at all - fennel. I like it rarely and in specific uses so the thought of it in stock, turning up who knows where makes me shudder.

The only thing that would stop me using onion skins is that it makes a dark stock - not good for adding to a white sauce but otherwise no problem. Same with beetroot skins too I suppose.

If you freeze portions and label them with the ingredients (or at least any unusual ones eg beetroot) then you have different flavours for different purposes - which sounds rather brilliant to me. If you're making a big pan to last a few days to use in anything then I suppose you need to keep the ingredients fairly bland (not the right word here, I'm sure, but hopefully you'll get what I mean).

[doofaloofa]

last time i used onion peel was to make French style onion soup

I use a lot to get a dark colour, and the resulting soup was very bitter

IMO use sparingly for colour

[Green Aura]

I think part of the problem is length of time cooking. Many people seem to think you need to boil it to buggery (I wonder if the rude filter still exists - we're about to find out ).

For bone broth, absolutely simmer for hours (or even days) but veg stock needs about 20 minutes then strain. I've never noticed any bitterness in any veg stock.

[diggernotdreamer]

I have never made veg stock, so I made some last night before this new post and I may have boiled it to buggery and back, will have a sip and feed to hens if it is minging

[Odsox]

Well you've gone one better than me, DnD, as I've also never made veg stock .... and I still haven't.
No real reason why not, just that "stock" is made from bones, always has been and so I never think differently.

It does seem like an ideal situation though using veg peelings to make stock, although I would think that we usually only have one type of peelings for a typical meal, and I bet stock made from 100% potato peelings is not very palatable.

[doofaloofa]

Peeling your spuds?

You hipster

[Green Aura]

Here you go Tony, you need never chuck/compost them again.

http://shows.stv.tv/this-morning/food/1 ... peel-soup/

I make the veg stock for my vegan daughter. We generally use bone broth.

[Odsox]

Peeling your spuds?

How else do you get the dirt off ?

You hipster

Yep, that's me. I also dress for dinner
(otherwise it gets painful when I spill my soup down my front)

[diggernotdreamer]

I only peel spuds if we are having mash, my spuds are so dirty I would have to scrub them before peeling, also my hens would have something to say if they found out I was making the peelings into soup, they love em. The vegetable stock actually tastes quite nice, I put in garlic, leek leaves, spring onion tops, carrot tops and tails and a bit of sweet pepper. I am going to make some vegetable soup so will put that in instead of my usual vegetable stock cube.

Yep, that's me. I also dress for dinner
(otherwise it gets painful when I spill my soup down my front)

Now I know why your house is always so warm OS

[Odsox]

Thanks for that link Maggie, I may well give it a go one day.

Thankfully I was spared being talked at by Huge Furry Whippingstall as I'm one of those Johnnie Foreigners that's not allowed to watch Scottish ITV

[Green Aura]

He wasn't so bad. It was the wimpy presenter who wouldn't try any of his "leftover treats" that wound me up. I'm not even sure why I watched it, as the recipe was printed underneath!