How to make your own broth- Chicken and Vegetable

Have you ever made your own chicken or vegetable broth? It is a thousand times better than store bought broth and it is very easy to do. Plus you feel like June Clever making it.

The easiest way to make broth is to plan on making it after meals like roast chicken. If you're a vegetarian and you want to make a veggie broth plan on making it at the end of the week with all the leftover veggies or veggie scraps.

Last week I made a simple roasted chicken and that evening during clean up I gave you a little glimpse at the prep work I did for the rest of the week. I took a picture of my broth in the making that I worked on while cleaning up after dinner.

If it seems complicated or too much work let me help squash those thoughts for you. 

Homemade Chicken Broth 

recipe by: Simply Fit Mama

• Chicken carcass, leftover chicken bones, backbones, etc.
• 2-3 stalks of celery, washed then cut in half
• 2-3 large carrots, peeled then cut in half
• 1 onion, peeled then quartered
• 1-2 bay leaves
• 1/2-1 Tbsp whole peppercorns
• You can also add sea salt, I usually don't until I make broth into soup or something else.
• 2 Tbsp bullion or chicken base- I use this to give my broth a richer flavor but you don't need this. Just check the label for MSG and other junk you don't want to add to your broth.
• Water
• One large stock pot

Cooking Instructions:

Throw all the ingredients into the large stock pot.

Fill the pot with water to the top, leaving a couple inches so it doesn't boil over.

Bring to a boil and as soon as it starts to boil turn the heat down low to simmer for 2 hours.

When finished let the pot cool down, then strain the broth. Some people double strain with a metal strainer and then a cheesecloth, I don't.

Storing:
I like to store my broth in gallon size Ziploc two cups of broth per bag. I freeze them flat so that they don't take up much space in the freezer. It will keep in the freezer three to four months. If you use this method make sure that the broth is completely cooled down otherwise it will melt the Ziploc bags and you will have a big mess on your hands.

If you are going to make soup later in the week you can store the broth in Tupperware then put it in the fridge, but use it within 7-10 days.

Homemade Vegetable Broth
recipe by: Simply Fit Mama
This broth is easiest to make if during the week you throw all the end pieces and leftover veggies in a large bag that you keep in the freezer. By the end of a week or two you will have enough to make a great veggie broth. Plus all those misfit veggies will not have went to waste.

• leftover veggies, green beans, carrots, peas
•  end pieces of tomatoes, onions, celery, asparagus, rutabaga, fennel, leeks
• a couple cabbage leafs
• 2-3 large carrots, peeled then cut in half
• 1 onion, peeled then quartered
• 1-2 bay leaves
• 1/2-1 Tbsp whole peppercorns
• You can also add sea salt, I usually don't until I make broth into soup or something else.
• 2 Tbsp bullion or veggie base. I use this to give my broth a richer flavor but you don't need this. Just check the label for MSG and other junk you don't want to add to your broth.
• Water
• One large stock pot

Veggies not to use: potatoes, broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, beets.

Cooking Instructions:
Follow the same cooking instructions as the homemade chicken broth in the recipe above.

I hope you get a chance to make some of your very own broth! Make sure not to get all caught up in the details, if you don't have 3 carrots use 1, if you don't bay leaves, leave it out. Broth is a little different every time you make it. It's okay to be flexible with the ingredients.

It's fall...Get your soup on!