Turning Veggie Scraps into Stock

The term “food waste” is used to describe any loss of edible food anywhere along the food chain. This includes food that is wasted due to spoilage, transportation issues, over-ordering, and uneaten leftovers. This includes unsold food from retail stores, uneaten prepared food, kitchen trimmings and by-products from beverage-processing facilities. In the U.S. alone, food waste is estimated to make up 30-40%      of the food supply. This waste ends up in landfills, which results in the release of methane, a powerful greenhouse gas that greatly contributes to climate change. Food waste that is improperly discarded can also be washed into our storm drain systems by stormwater runoff, polluting local waterways and harming Hawai’i’s ecosystems.

There are a variety of ways to reduce your food waste and keep it out of our landfills and storm drain system. One way is to turn vegetable scraps into stock! Vegetable stock can be used to make soups, casseroles, dressings, gravy and other sauces. Making your own stock is simple and can help reduce your grocery budget, too. Follow the directions below to create your own stock at home.

Preparation:

  1. Remove the tops, bottoms, skins, and stems from any vegetables you are preparing and place the scraps in an airtight bag. Avoid vegetables like brussels sprouts, broccoli, or cauliflower as they will add a bitter taste to your stock. Instead, use vegetables like carrots, celery, and onions. You can even use scraps from corn cobs, winter squash, zucchini, leafy greens, parsnips, green beans, pea pods, bell peppers, eggplant, mushrooms, asparagus, and herbs like dill, thyme, parsley, cilantro and basil. These scraps can stay frozen up to 6 months.
  2. Once your bag is full, add your scraps into a large pot and fill ¾ of the pot (or until scraps just start to float) with water.
  3. Bring water to a boil and then let it simmer for at least 30 minutes.
  4. Strain the vegetable scraps as you collect the stock in another container
  5. Enjoy your fresh vegetable stock as soon as it comes off the stove, store it in the refrigerator for up to four days, or freeze it for up to three months.

Sources: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Tasty