AtMyTable

  • All Recipes
  • Gluten-Free Dinners
  • Brazilian Recipes
  • About Us
  • Contact
menu icon
go to homepage
  • All Recipes
  • Gluten-Free Dinners
  • Brazilian Recipes
  • About Us
  • Contact

search icon
Homepage link
  • All Recipes
  • Gluten-Free Dinners
  • Brazilian Recipes
  • About Us
  • Contact

×
Home » Balancing Parenting & Life

How To Make Homemade Veggie Broth and Reduce Your Food Waste

Updated: May 9, 2024 | Published: Apr 9, 2019 | by Patricia Granek | 5 Comments

Why spend money on veggie broth when it is such a simple recipe to do at home. Not only will this save you money but it will reduce your food waste and environmental impact.

Simply place a large bag into your freezer, and add veggie scraps or expiring veggies. When full cook with some simple spices and viola, homemade veggie broth for free!

Head down for this easy veggie broth recipe

Jump to Recipe
Homemade veggie broth being poured into a mason jar

Is zero waste food possible?

Can you really produce NO waste when it comes to food? The short answer...not really. But we can certainly aspire to be as low waste as possible when it comes to how we buy, prepare and discard our food.

So the term 'zero' or ‘NO' food waste is one that we should not get so hung up on, but rather our focus should be on doing the best that we can to minimize food waste. The idea of zero food waste is also not a new one. Most people are aware of this issue but may not understand their impact on this global problem.

The truth is that while 168 million metric tons of food is being wasted in North America EACH YEAR, 67 million tonnes of that food waste occurs at the consumer level (that's you!). That means what you do with your food has a major impact on the total amount of food that is being wasted. This, my friend, is great news!

So what can we do to reduce our food waste?

Why is this such great news? Well, that means that any small step you take can have a big impact on change! But what are these small steps? And how hard will it be? Don't worry, I got you covered! Here are five simple things our family does to reduce our food waste and environmental footprint.

  1. Make homemade veggie stock:
    • Literally one of the easiest steps. This saves a ton of money, reduces packaging waste, and lets you control what ingredients and flavours are inside your food!
  2. Responsible Food Hauls:
    • A simple idea that is harder in practice. Pay attention to what foods are being wasted. Think about upcoming trips or reasons you may not eat at home during the week. Then adjust your grocery trips accordingly. And if you do overbuy, freeze any expiring veggies to use in smoothies or veggie stock.
  3.  Look in your fridge:
    • Something I was once very guilty of doing. I would search for recipes for dinner or plan what I wanted to eat but never looking inside my fridge for ideas. Before deciding on your next meal, open your fridge and see what needs to be used up!
  4. Learn how to properly store your food/ use produce bags:
    • This is also a money saver. there are lots of posts out there on how to properly store your food. In addition, I love using bags like The Swag Bag to help my veggie last longer and stay fresher. These bags are literally magic!
  5. Buy in bulk when possible
    • This is not always possible for our family due to my son's celiac disease, but when possible try and buy in bulk. Check your local grocery store for bulk sections and visit bulk stores. Make sure to bring a reusable jar so you are not trading food waste for plastic waste.

Not so hard now is it! These are small steps but small steps add up to something significant!

A few tips on making your own veggie stock

First, you will need a big enough reusable freezer bag and space in your freezer. I use an old rice bag but you can use a brown paper bag, reuse a large ziplock or an old clean diaper wet bag (for my cloth diapering mamas)

Now while it may be obvious I'll mention that is important to not add spoiled produce into the bag! My favorite things to add are the ends and skins from onions, garlic, carrot, celery ends, kale, cabbage and the stems from herbs. All leftover items that would otherwise go into my compost bin.

The best part of making your own stock is that you can tailor it and change the flavors each time you make it. You can add in ginger or lemongrass for a curry stock or a hot pepper and oregano to use for a chili recipe. The options are endless!

To read more about reducing your food waste, check out my guest post over at Earth Mama International. And check them out over on IG too! They have lots of great tips and tricks.

How To Make Homemade Veggie Broth and Reduce Your Food Waste [Recipe]
Print

How To Make Homemade Veggie Broth and Reduce Your Food Waste [Recipe]

Recipe by Patricia GranekDifficulty: Easy
Prep time

10

minutes
Cooking time

1

hour 

10

minutes

Save money and reduce your food waste with this simple recipe.

There will be no amounts int his recipe because this is a 'kitchen scrap' recipe. You will have varying amounts each time depending on how long it takes to fill you bag and what your have been cooking.

Ingredients

  • Ends of veggies like carrots, celery, cabbage,fennel, zucchini etc..

  • Any leftover ends or peals from onion and garlic

  • Stems from herbs or cruciferous veggie

  • 1 bay leaves

  • 1 teaspoon each of salt and pepper

  • Optional to add dried oregano, rosemarry, sage, ginger or hot peppers if you want to make this broth specific for a certain recipe.

  • Large reusable freezer bag. I use an old rice bag.

Directions

  • Add veggie scraps or expiring veggies to your freezer bag.
  • When full remove your veggie scraps from the freezer and add it to your instant pot or a large stove pot. Fill it with water until the veggies are submerged (you want more than 6 cups, about 8-10).
  • Next, add in the salt and pepper and if you like some extra herbs or spices. I added dried oregano and extra garlic.
  • Cover and cook in an instant pot under soup setting for 70 minutes. Or in a large pot on the Stove by brining to a boil then reducing the heat and simmering for about 1 ½ - 2 hours.
  • Once finished cooking let it cool completly until you can handle the veggies. Strain the mixture to remove all the veggie scraps. Pour the broth into mason jars and seal. The broth is good for 5 days in the fridge or 3 months in the freezer.

Notes

  • the best most flavourful broths usually contain carrots, celery and lots of onion and garlic. If you do not have any of these scraps wehen the bag is full simply add in a few bits of each when cooking.

PIN IT

More Balancing Parenting & Life

  • Cover image for a comparison of Traditional vs Infrared saunas. There is a traditional sauna space on the left side and an infrared sauna space on the right side to show the differences in heat and space needed for each sauna type. There is a text overlay that reads traditional versus infrared unover which is best for you.
    Traditional vs Infrared Sauna: Best for Your Health?
  • Text that reads My body is amazing, and it helps me play, learn, and grow every day. The text is surrounded by cartoon leaves of pale pastel colors.
    60 Positive Body Affirmations Cards (Parents & Children)
  • menorah all light up with a Christmas tree in the background for a post in interfaith families
    9 Tips On How To Celebrate Christmas and Hanukkah.
  • Resuable mug decorated with twine, a coffee card and a bead bracelet surrounded by other presents wrapped in recycled paper
    How To Wrap Presents, the eco-friendly way!

Comments

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




  1. tiffanyarpdaleo says

    April 09, 2019 at 3:31 pm

    YES! We always make or own veggie broth, so much healthier and I really like the taste much better than store bought. I'd add that the skins from onions and garlic add a really nice flavor and there are lots of nutrients in them!

    Reply
Photo of Patricia Granek smiling with hair down

Oi, Hi, I'm Patricia!

I'm a Brazilian-born mom of 3 living in Toronto, with a Ph.D. in Health Science. I've been gluten-free for over 10 years, and after years navigating my family's mixed dietary needs, I created AtMyTable—quick, reliable, allergy-friendly recipes inspired by my Brazilian roots, where every meal is delicious enough to bring everyone together at one table.

More about me →

🔥 Trending On The Blog

  • Close-up of Brazilian vinaigrette in a white bowl with diced tomatoes, onions, bell peppers, and parsley on a wooden board.
    Brazilian Vinaigrette (Vinagrete): Fresh Salsa In Minutes
  • A bird's eye view of a beautifully presented Brazilian rice and beans dish, featuring a side of fluffy white rice, a hearty portion of pinto beans, garnished with fresh cilantro and vibrant orange slices atop a rustic wooden table.
    Brazilian Rice and Beans (Instant pot & Stovetop)
  • Close up of a baked golden brown gluten-free bagels recipe cooling on a wire rack.
    Easy Gluten-Free Bagels: How To Get The Perfect Texture
  • A jar of overnight oats, generously topped with Nutella chocolate.
    Epic Nutella Overnight Oats: The Ultimate No-Bake Breakfast

🌞 Summer Favorites

  • Close up image of crisy air fried yuca fries sprinkled with salt and cilantro with fresh limes and sipping sauces around the fries.
    Brazilian Air Fryer Yuca Fries (Mandioca Frita Na Airfryer)
  • A bowl of carrot and cucumber salad topped with sesame seeds and crushed peanuts, ready to serve.
    Carrot and Cucumber Salad (Easy, Crisp & Seriously Good)
  • Close-up of a scoop of a gluten free and high-protein version of Jennifer Aniston's salad. The salad is in a small bowl, showing the creamy feta and fresh herbs on top.
    Jennifer Aniston's Salad: High-Protein Quinoa Salad
  • A hand tossing the spinach and arugula salad with roasted white beans and dill dressing, using a pair of red tongs, which adds a vibrant contrast to the greens and emphasizes the mixing of flavors.
    High-Protein Spinach and Arugula Salad

Footer

back to top

Legal/ Contact

Privacy Policy

Disclaimer

Accessibility Statement

Contact

About us

Newsletter

Sign Up! for emails and updates

Follow Us

Pinterest

Instagram

Facebook

Copyright © 2025 AtMyTable. All Rights Reserved

  • Pinterest
  • Facebook
  • Save
  • Print
2 shares