It is too hot to be outside gardening, so instead I decided to start cooking down all the vegetable scraps I had frozen over the past few months. I pulled out the big roaster and emptied all the scraps in which practically filled it.
I had corncobs, celery, carrots, onions, broccoli stems, cauliflower stems, and some garlic skins. You can see that I had a lot accumulated, and it was taking up a lot of room in the freezer.
I covered the veggies with water to the top of the roaster and let it simmer for 24 hours. I decided to let it go overnight as it was too late to process that day. After removing all the scraps, I strained the stock into a larger pan.
Once that was done, I filled a large kettle halfway with the stock, then added more water since it was so concentrated. While the stock came to a boil, I washed and heated up the Mason Jars and set up to pressure can.
I love the color of vegetable stock, and it already tastes so delicious and will be perfect for soups this winter.
After boiling for 10 minutes or so, I filled the quart Mason Jars to 1-inch headspace.
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I use vinegar to wipe the rims of my jars before adding the lids and rings to make sure I get a good seal. Into the canner they went and cooked for 1 hour and 15 minutes at 13 lbs. of pressure, which is where my canner seems to settle even though it only needs 10 lbs. for my altitude.
I got 8 quarts of vegetable broth to put onto the pantry shelf. I know once I start harvesting produce from the gardens and preserving, I will have plenty more to process in the future.
I also have enough left to put together some soups on another day. I just need to go get some chicken before I can process those up. I'm certainly in the canning mood, so who knows what will happen next, lol.
Comments (4)
What a great use of veggie scraps to ensure nothing goes to waste, and I love your whole process to make sure everything is processed to ensure they stay safe for consumption in the coming months
Thank you so much! I do prepare them according to the food guide preservation book. Have a great day.
I've never done vegetable stock. My husband did NOT like "soup" so i never made many. But since my brother moved in, we've made a few. I still have to make chicken bone stock. Maybe that can be a Thursday afternoon project...
We both love soup, so broth is a staple for us. I need to get some chicken bones stocked up to make some this fall. lol Never resting too much, are we?
Not hardly…. Sigh..
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Saving vegetable scraps in the freezer to make stock is an idea that has never entered my head! I may have to give that a try. That seems like an awfully long processing time for a pressure canner. I'd have to have a good book at hand to read while I babysat the canner; mine has to be constantly monitored because it refuses to maintain a steady pressure.
You should save your veggie scraps they make a nice stock for soups. Pressure canners are fussy, mine fluctuates for the first half hour until I get it to the right temp, lol. I usually work on a puzzle when canning since I have to watch it so closely.
That's another good idea for passing the time. I just have to be careful I don't get too absorbed in what I am reading and forget to keep an eye on the gauge. I sit in a kitchen chair in front of the stove so I can glance up at it. I once borrowed a new canner from a neighbor for some reason. I think it was an All American brand. The pressure stayed right where I wanted it to, and it was wonderful. If I was just starting out as a young person, I would have run out and bought one just like it. But I doubt if I'll be doing enough canning in the next 10 years or so to justify spending $400 on a new pressure canner.
I totally agree, $400 is a lot of money but I know everyone loves them. I'm good with mine, I have two now. One is over 30 + years old, the new one I bought last year, and I can do a double layer of half-pints which really cuts down on time. I put up a lot every year so having them both makes life a bit easier when I do large batches. The tomatoes will be coming in hard this week with the next heat wave. And it begins, lol. Have fun in the kitchen.