Vegetable stock I mean! Seriously. Why would we cook with a vegetable stock that was not good enough to drink. Most of the supermarket stocks are just salty and un appetising with a list of chemical ingredients a mile long. They tell me there are some tasty ones, but I have not found any yet. And I like my food Clean! So I make my own vegetable stock and freeze it.
Most of the vegetables in the garden are past their best and just laying about making a nuisance of themselves, so I have begun to make the vegetable stocks. 
Like the summer sauce I make the stocks with whatever I find in the garden that day. You can even make stock using the clean vegetable peelings from your dinner preparation. I often save the water I pour off the peas, beans, cauliflower or potatoes and freeze it to add to a stock later on. Just label well.
Chop all your vegetables roughly. Yesterday I tossed sliced onion, garlic and celery in a little hot oil until they began to scent the kitchen. Then I threw in a roughly chopped potato, fennel bulb, a capsicum, one hot pepper, and an unpeeled chopped butternut. Let all that heat, rolling it about in the hot oil, then I added the fragrance – yesterday was basil leaves, fennel seeds, peppercorns and a little sea salt. (If you want a really clear broth then skip the braising in oil) Cover the vegetables with boiling water (or your reheated vege water) then add another inch or two of fluid. Bring to the boil again then turn the heat way down and simmer slowly for about 40 – 60 minutes with the lid on. Don’t let the vegetables over cook. Strain through a colander, then put a cheese cloth in the colander and strain again.
Good enough to drink! While we watch the colours change.
The stock was cooled and poured into small cup sized plastic recycled containers, labelled and frozen. Remember – label well. You can make stocks with hot peppers, or not. Or add herbs that you will be needing to taste in your winter cooking. I make some with a thai influence for the thai soups. Just write all over the container or plastic bag. I often set a plastic bag into a container so the stock will freeze into a stackable shape, then pull the full frozen bag out and reuse the container.
We need about a hundred cups of vegetable stock for a years supply. The chicken and beef stocks I make in the winter.
What do you think Jed, shall we add a little pepper vodka?
Later in the day there was opportunist hay making (with the grass on the bank) and more soy bean fields turning gold. 
and SNAP, caught you in my grapes!
Bad peahens.
Good morning. I hope you all have a lovely day.
celi
Oh here is a funny little story from On the Beach about the day I set my brother’s hair on fire. It’s ok it was just a little fire!
The Kitchen's Garden 
64 responses to “Stock that is good enough to drink”
Beautiful veg!
aren’t we lucky!
Nothing better–when I a under the weather, I like to sip broth. When I am not under the weather, I like to sip broth–heehee.
It is something i really have never done, sip broth like that but maybe i should put in some extra for hot drinks! c
Love the stock ideas – beautiful!
Two fantastic landscapes. REALLY WONDERFUL. The vegetable stock is such a good idea. I’ve used Swiss Marigold Vegetable stock for years. It’s incredibly good and a hard habit to break. I can’t find it in France so I always ask visitors from the UK to bring me a tub ( or 9). I should be more hands on with my veg stock but I doubt that this confessional moment will change much:)
No point changing if you have found a good one, I would NEVER open the packets of stock i buy here and actually take a sip before adding it..they look scary..c
I know someone who drinks Bovril and my husband is seriously in love with gravy, so in love that he laps it up from the plate so as not to miss a single drip of the couple of pints that he smothered his dinner in. 😉
Your husband and i would get on very well, either that or we would FIGHT over the last drop of gravy!! c
He has been known to make one jug for himself and one for everyone else! I am glad though that he’s not the entirely one, I was very bemused as I view gravy as something totally noxious. 😉
This has to be THE best veggie stock ever! Serious amounts of fan-tab-u-lous flavour going on.
🙂 Mandy xo
And every one is different, that is why I HAVE to label.. the one I am making today is hot too! c
I remember that story!! (the hair-on-fire-story) simply hilarious 🙂
Thanks for the recipe for the stock, very helpful.
I have a technical question. When on Panama, my mom gave some red peppers from her garden so I can use the seeds and try to grow them here. I totally forgot then, but now I would like to do it. My question, do you think now is a good moment? I was planning on using small yogurt containers and change them to a bigger pot latter.
Thanks C! 🙂
The small containers are a good idea and you have year round good weather don’t you. the only thing is that the little plants will need long warm days to grow well, so I would be tempted to try a few now but sow most of them at christmas time, then they will be ready to go into the big pots or garden outside in the early spring.. As long as the seeds are in a dark cool place eg the refrigerator they will wait for you.. c
Thanks C!
But we don’t have good weather the whole year here in Madrid like in Panama… We are at the end of the summer now, then the cold weather will start; but maybe I can keep them inside when the cold arrives…? Near a window?
Thanks a lot for your advice, I will try some now and some in Christmas 🙂
same as us then, pop a few on the window sill but do the majority for the spring. they need the long days and they will come. . c
I’d love to join you for a cup of stock, I rarely make it (unless it’s a soup) as we have a teeny freezer, so until we eat all the frozen croissants I buy stock…….
I am continually impressed by your ingenuity in the kitchen and elsewhere on the farm.
Beautiful stock – often here in the little local restaurants they will give you a glass of hot stock of whatever is cooking that day when you sit down at the table. Usually chicken or fish, and very good in the chillier weather!
Soo-oop of the evening, beoootiful evening soo-oo-oopp. This post reminded me of the song from Alice in Wonderland: Beautiful Soup, so rich and green, Waiting in a hot tureen! Who for such dainties would not stoop?
Your Autumn landscapes are gorgeous. Glad you’re getting more hay!
Vx
Your stock looks and sounds so delicious, Celi.
I love to make soups all winter long with home made stock. I’ve only found one organic stock that I’m willing to buy in the grocery store. I’ve never made my own vegetable stock though, always beef or chicken…I’m going to have to start doing that! 🙂
this stock is so much easier and quicker than the meat stocks too..c
i have learned i waste a lot of good things in the kitchen. making stock, i love it, and thank you for teaching me!
Beautiful stock! I’d like to have a glass too! 🙂