Vegetable stock/broth How to?

[LuxEterna]

Dear all,

I'm trying to become vegetarian and eat healthy that's why I decide to learn to cook.

I tried homemade veggie stock/broth for the first time today.

I threw in the pot the following :

1 carrot sliced
1 fresh corn, broken in halves
5 fresh shitake mushrooms.
a quarter of china cabbage
1 big red onion
2 clove garlic
dashes of dried herbs (parsley, oregano, thyme)
olive oil
salt

It filled my pot (which is not very big) and i was disappointed the resulting liquid , after i removed all the cooked solids, is just ..... 2 small chinabowls.

It does tastes good, i think thanks to the mushrooms that gave depth of flavour.

so i put the liquids in ziploc bags into the freezer.t

Now I wait for it to be frozen.

my main question is, am i doing it right??

 

[mysterychef]

If you have a larger pot [or can borrow one] you will of course get more finished stock. Fill pot with vegetables and cold water to the top. Bring heat up to and continue cooking at a very slow simmer. The more you reduce it down the more intense the flavor. Fresh herbs may also help. You have a nice blend of vegetables. You seem to have it right. Good Cooking. mysterychef

 

[Addie]

They do have vegetable Better Than Bullion for stock. You might try adding some of that to your stock. You can find it in the soups department in your supermarket. If you can borrow a larger pot as mysterychef suggested, you will be able to get more of the flavors you are looking for.

 

[jennyema]

They do have vegetable Better Than Bullion for stock. You might try adding some of that to your stock. You can find it in the soups department in your supermarket. If you can borrow a larger pot as mysterychef suggested, you will be able to get more of the flavors you are looking for.

Good idea on adding the BTB

 

[LuxEterna]

thank u all!! I have a housemate with bigger pot, will borrow that!

 

[no mayonnaise]

I like the one from Herbivoracious.

 

[larry_stewart]

The only problem I have with vegetable stocks , is that unless you follow a specific recipe, it comes out different each time, which isnt a bad thing. But, if you want consistency on any recipe you are adding it too, remember which recipe of vegetable stock you are using, and write it down on the recipe you are adding it to.

I've found , just as Addie mentioned, that adding a vegetable bullion ( or something of that sort) to the stock definitely pulls it together. Without it, to me it tastes kinda empty. Only exception Ive found, is if you add mushrooms. They seem to be able to add enough flavor to fill in all gaps.

Just as a side not, IM vegetarian 25 years, and also an avid gardener, so Ive been doing it forever, and have added just about everything in the garden ( at one point or another) to my stock.

I was watching Jacques Pepin once, and what he does is everytime he has spare vegetable scraps, peels .... he tosses it in a container in the freezer. And then when he needs to make a vegetable stock, he just tosses them all in the pot, with some herbs, salt ...

 

[Hank H]

To add flavor you can also roast the vegetables first. Don't forget to deglaze the roasting pan and add it to the stock.