Difficulty: Easy | Yields: 6 cups
Why throw away vegetable peels, herb stems, and leftover bones when you can transform them into a rich, flavorful homemade broth? 🌿 Broth from Kitchen Scraps is an eco-friendly, budget-friendly, and waste-reducing way to create a nutrient-dense base for soups, stews, risottos, and sauces. By using leftovers that would otherwise be discarded, this homemade broth is the perfect zero-waste solution to making the most out of your food while adding incredible depth of flavor to your dishes.
The History and Cultural Significance of Broth from Kitchen Scraps
For centuries, civilizations across the world have embraced zero-waste cooking, making the most of every ingredient to create nourishing meals. Broth from kitchen scraps is one of the oldest and most sustainable cooking techniques, deeply rooted in cultural traditions that prioritize resourcefulness, flavor, and nutrition.
Ancient Origins of Scrap Broth
Long before the convenience of store-bought bouillon cubes and packaged stocks, people relied on scrap-based broths as a way to extract the most flavor and nutrients from leftover ingredients. Some of the earliest recorded uses of broth date back to:
Prehistoric Times – Evidence suggests early humans boiled bones and vegetable scraps in hollowed-out logs or animal hides, heating them with hot stones to create a nourishing soup.
✅ Reduces Food Waste – Turns discarded scraps into a useful ingredient.
✅ Budget-Friendly – No need to buy store-bought broth when you can make your own for free!
✅ Nutrient-Dense – Packed with minerals, antioxidants, and vitamins from vegetables and bones.
✅ Customizable – Adjust the flavors based on what you have available.
✅ No Preservatives or Additives – 100% natural, unlike many store-bought broths.
Ingredients forBroth from Kitchen Scraps
Vegetable Scraps 🥕
☑️ Onion skins & ends
☑️ Garlic peels
☑️ Carrot tops & peels
☑️ Celery leaves & ends
☑️ Mushroom stems
☑️ Bell pepper cores
Herb Scraps 🌿
☑️ Parsley stems
☑️ Cilantro stems
☑️ Thyme sprigs
☑️ Bay leaves
Protein-Based Scraps 🍗 (Optional)
☑️ Chicken bones
☑️ Fish heads
☑️ Shrimp shells
☑️ Beef bones
🚫 Avoid: Potato peels (can make broth cloudy), cruciferous veggies like broccoli or cabbage (can make broth bitter).
👩🍳 How to Make Broth from Kitchen Scraps
🔥 Step 1: Collect & Store Scraps
1️⃣ Keep a freezer-safe bag for vegetable peels, stems, and leftover bones.
2️⃣ When full, you’re ready to make broth!
🍲 Step 2: Simmer the Broth
1️⃣ Add vegetable and herb scraps (and bones, if using) to a large pot.
2️⃣ Fill with 6-8 cups of water and bring to a boil.
3️⃣ Reduce heat to low and simmer uncovered for 1.5–2 hours.
🌿 Step 3: Add Flavor
1️⃣ Season with salt, pepper, and optional spices (bay leaf, turmeric, etc.).
2️⃣ Simmer for another 30 minutes for deeper flavor.
🥄 Step 4: Strain & Store
1️⃣ Remove from heat and strain the broth using a fine-mesh sieve or cheesecloth.
2️⃣ Let cool and store in mason jars or freezer-safe containers.
How to Store & Use Your Homemade BrothKitchen Scraps
📌 Refrigerate: Keeps fresh for 4–5 days.
📌 Freeze: Store in ice cube trays or containers for up to 3 months.
📌 Use For:
- 🍜 Soups & Stews
- 🍚 Cooking Rice & Grains
- 🍲 Sauces & Gravies
- 🥘 Braising Vegetables
Why You’ll Love This Zero-Waste BrothKitchen ScrapsRecipe
Ready to ditch store-bought broths and go zero-waste? Start saving your scraps today! 🌎
♻️ 100% Waste-Free – Repurposes food scraps into something useful.
💰 Saves Money – No need to buy expensive boxed broths.
🌱 Customizable Flavors – Adjust based on what you have available.
🍜 Endless Uses – Perfect for soups, stews, sauces, and more.
“Homemade broth isn’t just about saving scraps—it’s about creating something flavorful, nutritious, and sustainable from ingredients you already have.”
🌍 Craving More Extreme Culinary Adventures? If you’re fascinated by rare and ancient food traditions, explore our guide to Boortsog: Mongolia’s Golden & Buttery Fried Dough with Indigenous Roots for the Adventurous Food Lover.
Discover rare culinary experiences at Good Food and More—where every recipe is a journey through heritage, craftsmanship, and unforgettable flavors.
