Frugal Living Today

Michael’s Frugal Living Homemade Stock Recipe

One of the key ingredients in many recipes is stock. I know many of my frugal brothers and sisters tend to substitute reconstituted bouillon in their recipes and on occasion I’ll do the same, but in keeping with my desire for taste, lower sodium and most of all for using everything I buy whenever possible I make my own when I can - and so can you regardless of how much experience you have in the kitchen.

The first (and arguably most important) step for me is to save what others throw away. The next time you are cutting up fresh veggies for a soup or stew, save the peels and the ends! This applies best to carrots, celery, onions & garlic, but you’re mileage may vary. You can store them in a large freezer bag or empty coffee can. You can save the drained liquid from canned veggies in the same manner (just add everything to the freezer container).

The next time you cook meat, save the carcass and/or bones. Don’t you dare toss them, the still have important nutrient and flavor-filled goodness to impart! Put them in a large stockpot over low-to-medium heat along with your freezer savings and add water as needed. Add a bay leaf (my granny taught me that), some seasonings (garlic, parsley, basil, oregano, salt, pepper…your choice) and simmer for a few hours. Don’t let them boil, just simmer slowly. This gets the most out of the bones - more minerals and gelatin means more health and more flavor!

I allow the pot to cool and strain into freezer containers, usually in 2 or 4 cup increments. The next time I need 2 cups of ______ stock for a recipe I pull it out of the freezer and pop it right into the pot!

When all is said and done, a little extra time will yield a fresher and more flavorful stock for mere pennies. You’ll remember it the next time you go shopping and pay $.50 - $1.00 for a few ounces! More important, you control every ingredient that goes into your homemade concoction and the vast majority of it was FREE!

I love to use homemade stock instead of water when I am making rice. You don’t have to season it at all!