Today’s green living tip: make broth, then compost. Save your kitchen scraps and make broth and then compost the remainder – after the broth is made. It’s the tastiest way to use your scraps. Vegetable peels, onion skins, kale stems can all get made into broth before composting.
This is so easy, too. Save any cut off ends from carrots, onions, garlic. Keep chicken bones and herb stems, mushroom stems, celery tops, etc. As you produce these scraps, store them in a large zip lock bag in your freezer. When you get enough scraps to fill a medium size pan, dump them in, add a little salt and dried herbs, cover the whole thing with water. Bring to a boil, then simmer for whatever you have time for (1 hour or more). The longer the better.
Once your broth is mostly cool (we let it sit, covered, overnight), strain the scraps and store this delicious broth in jars in the refrigerator or freezer. It’s great for a soup starter or for adding incredible flavor as a substitute for water when making rice or quinoa. (Here are three easy grains to make.)
Homemade broth – whether it’s vegetarian or with leftover chicken, meat, or fish scraps – is so easy to make. Scraps can always be composted but by making use of them first, adding flavor and nutrients to your meals. It takes very little time and your kitchen will smell so tasty – I promise!
What’s your favorite food to add broth to – rice, pasta or soup?
Go Gingham Earth Month:
To celebrate April as “Earth Month,” I’m sharing a tip every day this month. Find all the tips by clicking the image below.
You’ll find simple and easy ideas to implement at your home – and they’ll save money as well!
Go Gingham 
I think my fav to add to broth is rice. 🙂 Any of those are good though.
We have “animals” on our property, raccoons, opossums, a little red fox among others and we put what we don’t compost or use out for them. They like the bones and such.
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Bobbi,
I like the broth in rice, too. We’re having for dinner tonight! 🙂
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This is a great way to use up those vegies that might have been forgotten in the back of the fridge and be a little wilted. They’re not good for salad any longer, but they don’t have to be tossed, either.
Great tip, Sara!
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Hey, thanks Erin! Yes, use those wilted veggies in broth. Good idea! My chickens like them but honestly I’d rather feed us with broth, first. 🙂
Thanks, Erin.
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Have you ever cooked potatoes in broth? We use vegetable broth, but chicken would work, too. Cut potatoes into chunks and cook with broth in skillet until potatoes are very tender, stirring often. They are so delicious!
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Vanessa,
That sounds delish! I love the smell of broth cooking and potatoes cooked would be so tasty. Great idea ~ thank you! 🙂
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The stock bag idea is key to broth making, I have found. It makes it easy to stash stuff until you are ready. Broth making is a good winter Sunday afternoon activity!
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It is a good winter Sunday afternoon activity! Broth anytime of year smells so good – it almost doesn’t matter what you’re cooking if broth is going. Yum! 🙂
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I have read so often about broth-cooking, but never made it. But this time, I will give it a try! I’ll start collecting kitchen scraps today while cooking. Thank you so much for giving me the last little push!
Greetings – Zora
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