Crock Pot Vegetable Broth from Scraps

I don't know why it took me so long to jump on the veggie scraps bandwagon - but here I am, finally! Better late than never, right?  When you have scraps from your vegetables - carrot ends and peelings, cabbage bits, celery ends, onion peels, etc. throw them all in a gallon sized Ziploc bags and stash them in your freezer until the bag is good and full. Use what would be compost or trash and turn it into delicious veggie broth for all your soups, stews, rice dishes, etc. Vegetable broth is so versatile since it's not protein flavored and you can really use it in everything.

Look at all that beautiful broth goodness! My freezer has been well stocked with veggie broth since I started making a point to keep my scraps in the freezer. And at the same time, I'm surprised at how quickly we've used it! Between soups and making rice, this stuff doesn't last long!

I love the different color variations and flavors I get depending on the mix of scraps with each different batch of broth. Tweak the seasonings for more / less infused flavor. I just love the richness this broth adds to my dishes - and the smell of the house when it's cooking is pretty fantastic too!

Crock Pot Vegetable Broth from Scraps

Ingredients
~ 8-10 cups of vegetable scraps
~ 8-10 cups of water
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 tsp garlic powder
1-2 bay leaves

Directions

1. Add your veggie scraps to your slow cooker, it should be almost full. Cover the scraps with water. 
2. Add your seasonings (feel free to tweak seasonings to your personal preference, or leave them out!)
3. Cook on high 5-6 hours, or low 8-10.
4. Allow to cool, then strain out all solids and discard. Store vegetable broth in Ziploc bags laid flat to freeze in the freezer (for convenience, measure the quantity so you can write that on the bag before you freeze them - or freeze in 1-2 cup increments if preferred).