A homemade Vegetable broth

Happy Hump day!
I hope everyone is enjoying this glorious hot weather! I know I am taking advantage of it.
Lately, I have been puttering out in my garden and Chris and I have planted several little flower gardens here and there on our property! I have this idea that I can turn this little house into a cottage with English gardens everywhere the eye can see. But, everything is so small this year you really cannot see the vision behind all the labor! LOL
As you can see, this is not a post about quinoa, black bean tacos. My fingers must have been ignoring my brain because I started with a picture of the taco's and then wrote and entire post on broth....LOL
Tomorrow, I WILL post on the tacos. I promise
Yesterday I was going through the fridge and realized that I had several veggies on their way out, and as I am all out of homemade broth in the freezer, I knew it was time to brew some up!

This a basic broth, no bells or whistles, no exotic ingredients that you will have to search for. Simple. delicious ingredients that everyone of you have in your fridge! I guarantee it!

Homemade Freezer Broth

Ingredients are:
1 head of iceberg lettuce, shredded
2 zucchini, chopped
2 large onions, washed with peels left on
2 large cloves garlic, with peels left on
2 large bunches of fresh parsley, left untouched
4 large carrots, washed and cut in half, unpeeled
1 large leek, washed well and sliced then soaked to remove any grit
1 small hand full tri-colored peppercorns
2 large pinches kosher salt
2 gallons for fresh filtered water

I use mostly organic veg in my broth, but you can use anything you feel comfortable with.

Throw all veg into your largest pot, cover with the two gallons of fresh water and then add your salt and pepper. Cook over medium low heat with the pot covered half way with a lid for approximately 2 hours.
At the end of two hours, taste for seasonings and add more if you like. I added a bit more kosher salt. Cover with the lid entirely and cook for another 2 hours. Remove from heat and allow to cool completely. Ladle your broth into ball jars, or if you are comfortable with plastic ware, ladle into containers. I wrote Vegetable broth and the date on my jars with dry erase markers.

I save my veggies after I use them for the beginnings of a second batch of stock when I need it. I will first boil the first batch alone with a gallon of water for about an hour, then remove the veg and use it as compost. Then I start all over again using fresh veggies!

I hope that this was informative and will make you want to stop buying that overpriced heavily salted version of vegetable broth or cubes at the store. This is so much more healthy for you and it gives your home the most inviting aroma! Plus, it tastes fantastic!

Until tomorrow my friends,
Viv~