Once a month, we’re going to look at ways to help reduce food waste and keep our planet happier by using all those scraps that often end up in landfills and contribute to our environmental problems. The worldwide statistics are sobering, over a third of everything we produce is tossed out, over a billion tons of edible food, which impacts our environment, our economics, and certainly our health. But we’ve rolled up our sleeves in the past to save these resources, and now’s the time to do so again.

It’s the beginning of a New Year, and a time many of us use to take stock of where we are and where we’re going. Although I rarely make actual resolutions, I do reflect on the past year. Is there something not working in my life? How can I change it if need be? Can I start something fresh? Make a new plan? As I dismantle the Christmas tree and all the holiday decorations inevitably my thoughts turn to the larger picture. I’ll ask myself what can I do to make a difference when the problems of our world seem ever so complicated, and times can feel ever so challenging and out of my control?

What we can control

      We might not have control over what the world leaders are doing, but we certainly have control of our own actions and responses, and that’s always a good place to start. Little steps do add up.

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed, citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.”
~Margaret Mead

One thing we all can do to make a difference on our lovely planet is to work to reduce the food waste we all generate in our own homes, and spread the word to others. With some 30-40% of the food grown on this planet wasted worldwide, for various reasons through every step of the system from farm to our tables, we need to do better, as we have in the past. 

We can do it

      Change always begins with the individual, many individuals, taking those little baby steps forward. It does make a difference. My parents grew up in a world dominated by the difficulties of the Depression, and it was second nature to use every bit of foodstuff possible from onion peels to stale bread. The generation before that needed to tighten its belt to save every morsel during WWI, and then later during WWII we also saw food rationing and shortages, as well as the rise of victory gardens to fill in where supplies failed. We don’t have to go that far back in history to remember our own resilience. As recently as the pandemic, we faced numerous supply chain shortages and had to scrounge for basics such as flour and bread. These lean times teach us to be more creative, but often when the crisis is over, we go back to our old ways and take much for granted. However, I doubt I’ll ever take toilet paper for granted again!

A routine becomes a habit which becomes a ritual

      My mother’s kitchen always included those frugal food-saving techniques – collecting bacon grease and chicken fat, bread crusts in the freezer for crumbs and croutons, vegetable peelings for a soup base, and whatever couldn’t be used, probably went to the chickens– not just because of economics, but because it was a habit, and it was the right thing to do.

Save don’t toss

As a country, indeed as a planet, we’ve gotten into the habit of tossing away much of our hard-earned grocery budget. In a world that promises us easy food, fast food, prepared meals, and frozen delights, we’ve distanced ourselves from what food really is, traded convenience for the positive routines that kept us well-fed and less wasteful. As we see in the chart above, food processing is one of the five links in the waste chain.

It’s about the flavor, too!

Somewhere along the line, we have to remember we are probably throwing away a lot of flavor as well!

      One habit that is probably the easiest to cultivate is making stock. It’s easy, costs virtually nothing, takes a minimum of time, but will enhance many a meal with more flavor, and save you money in the long run as well. Price that broth or stock sold in the markets. One quart, of questionable flavor, can run you from $5 to $7, and often they are filled with a day’s or more allotment of sodium and MSG. Even the organic brands with just recognizable food ingredients have a fair amount of sodium, and they are expensive. They might be handy in a pinch, but having jars of your own stock or broth in the freezer doesn’t even require a trip to the store, and they taste better as well.

Stock? Broth?

      There are differences between a stock and broth, but in general we tend to use the terms interchangeably and in practice. Technically, a stock is made using a long simmer of bones or shells, and a broth is just vegetables and comes together faster. However, often our broths can be a combination of everything, and it really doesn’t matter in the long run, so call it what you like. You don’t even have to set things simmering for an hour either to take advantage of flavor. Not long ago, I was sautéing some onions and veggies and when I removed them from the pan, I noticed what a lot of glaze was left. I added some water and quickly deglazed the pan. I ended up with about a cup of deeply flavored broth that went into the rice I cooked for supper. It made a difference, and my pan was extremely clean.

Use what you’ve got

There are lots of recipes out there to make your own stocks and broths, but my practice is to use what I’ve got that will go to waste if I don’t use it up; I rarely use ingredients I’ve purchased just to make it. I was appalled that one very popular chef (no names here) made chicken stock by boiling three, five-pound whole chickens for hours, then tossing out the chicken meat because she said it no longer had any flavor, which all went into the broth! Can you imagine? Such valuable food going into the trash stream, and I doubt she even had a compost heap, not to mention the expense of this waste. Cook the chicken, eat it, and make your stock from the bones. That’s what my mother did, and you can bet her chicken stock was the best ever!

Second nature

It doesn’t take long to create a routine of saving all those little scraps of veggies – carrot tops, onion peels, garlic stems, peelings from carrots and beets, leek or celery roots, dried mushroom stems, herb stems – you get the idea. Rather than dump whatever you have from a food prep into the trash, dump them in a container in the refrigerator or freezer until you have enough to make broth. Doesn’t take any real hands-on time at all! 

Savings at every turn

When you have enough, add water, a few spices or herbs, and let it simmer away. Again, it’s mostly hands-off time, and the house will smell great. You end up saving money, and having your own stash of flavorful broth to use in sauces and gravies, soups, rice, and pasta dishes. My own ritual is to save up my scraps all week, and clean the crisper drawer of my refrigerator on Friday before I head out to the farm stands and market. If there’s a limp old carrot, that gets tossed into the pot as well, that lonely, single turnip, and maybe some radish tops I didn’t use. Combined with the scraps, I know I’ll have a delicious broth and I can spice it up any way I like to use all week. It is liquid gold, and it’s free.

The new year is a good time to start a new positive habit, and in no time, it will become a personal ritual. Do yourself a flavorful favor, and stock up! We can all do this together.

Basic Vegetable Broth

      I don’t really think of any of these stocks and broths as having a recipe. But there are two starting techniques to keep in mind. First, you can take any aromatics you have such as onion, celery, and carrot trimmings and brown them first to add both color and flavor. However, you don’t necessarily need to do this; if you have time, great, if not, you can just toss everything in, add water, simmer it away, and you’ll still have a nice broth.

      

Save the trimmings from all your vegetables in a container all week and use these for your stock. If you don’t have enough, just tuck them in the freezer until you do.

• A glug of olive oil
• Aromatics: scraps of onion, celery, carrot, leek trimmings, skins and all of course, plus and extra carrot and onion, all chopped up
• Mushroom stems and any dried fresh mushroom, plus a few fully dried mushrooms as well
• Six cloves of garlic and all the skins and stems
• Any spices you like such as Italian seasoning, always a couple of bay leaves, fennel seeds, etc.
• A couple of quarts of other veggie trimmings saved from the week: green bean tips, peelings of broccoli, turnip, cabbage stems, fennel stems, pea pods, most of what you toss out
• Stems from parsley, coriander, other herbs
• Water
• Salt and pepper

Heat the olive oil in a stock pot and add the aromatics, letting them soften and just start to brown. Toss in the mushroom bits, garlic, and spices, and let these get together for a minute or so, then toss everything else in and cover with water. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and let cook for about 45 minutes. Let cool to room temp, then strain and place in containers to use or freeze.

Or, toss everything in a pot, cover with water, and proceed as above.

What not to use?

I never put potato peelings in my stock. There is always a risk there will be a little green inside the peelings if they’ve been exposed to light and this contains contain solanine which can give you a tummy ache. 

I also avoid extremely strong flavors unless I want this in the finished product so beets will probably not make the cut in my house. They are definitely a flavor bully. Cabbage and broccoli can also take over, but I find if there’s enough other veggies to balance them out it really isn’t a problem.

While it is fine to use a vegetable or mushroom that is a bit dried or limp in your broth, don’t use anything that is slimy or has any mold on it.

Mushroom Broth

This is one of my favorite stocks, always deeply flavored and versatile in so many recipes. I make this using fresh mushrooms, perhaps that have started to dry out, and dried mushrooms as well, and it is always a base for my mushroom soup and risotto. 

• 2 tsp. mild oil such as canola or grapeseed
• 10-12 ounces of fresh mushrooms of choice, diced
• Any stem trimmings from other mushrooms
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 ounce dried mushrooms of choice
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 sprigs of fresh thyme or 1/2 tsp. dried
• 8 cups of water
• 2 tbsp. low-sodium soy sauce

In the bottom of a large pot, sauté the fresh mushrooms and onion in the oil until soft. Add the rest of the ingredients, season, bring to a boil, cover and reduce to a simmer. Cook for about a half hour, then set aside until cool. This will enhance the flavor, so don’t skip this step.

Once cool, strain, and place in freezer containers, or use fresh. You can also clarify this to make mushroom consommé.

Fish and Seafood Stocks

Use fish or seafood stock in a base for soup or sauces, or even a special pot of rice.

When we splurge on lobster, I gather the shells together and tuck them in a stock pot. The next day, or two months from then, we’ll feast on lobster bisque. It is like getting an extra meal out of your treat.

     Lobster stock: We always make this after we have a lobster fest! Fill your large stockpot with lobster shells and heads. Add a large cut-up onion, a couple of stalks of celery, roughly chopped, a couple of chopped carrots or parsnips, a tablespoon each of Old Bay seasoning and sweet paprika, a couple of bay leaves, and whatever other spices you desire. I also add a fennel bulb, cut up, the entire thing, stalks and fronds included, any cut up lemons from the meal, and a pinch of saffron, salt and pepper.

Bring the stock to a boil, cover and reduce heat to a simmer. Let is go for about 40 minutes, and up to an hour. Cool, then strain and use or freeze for up to four months.

     Shrimp stock: This is quickest of all, and it’s amazing how much flavor is in these little shells. If I am having shrimp for dinner, I’ll peel and devein them earlier in the day, tuck the prepared shrimp in the refrigerator, and place the shells in a little pot. Add a cut-up shallot, a blob of tomato paste, salt and pepper, and any herbs you like. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, simmer. The good news is that you will get every drop of flavor out of these babies in just 20 to 30 minutes. Drain and use in soup, sauces, a base for your rice that evening, or freeze for up to four months.

   Fish stock: I often beg fish carcasses from my fish monger, and they are glad to be rid of them. If I’m making bouillabaisse, it is not unusual to come out of the market with a bag of six or eight of these treasures in a giant bag! In general, supermarkets do not have the bones because they get their fish in already cut up, so you’ll have to go to an actual fish market. Some charge an extremely modest fee for this to cover their employee’s time, but often you can get them for nothing, especially if you have established a good rapport with your fish monger.

Simple broths: 

Fill your pot with the carcasses. If they are large, you will probably have to get out your cleaver and shop them up first. Fill with water, and add much the same vegetables as you did with the lobster stock, omitting the paprika and saffron.

     Kitchen hint: For a clear stock, skim off the foam every ten minutes or so, and drain through a mesh strainer that you have lined with cheesecloth, or follow a basic clarification process.

Chicken Stock

My mother would never dream of throwing out the chicken or turkey bones. They automatically went into a stockpot after dinner was over. She would strip off all the meat that was not consumed at the meal, and I mean every morsel of it, tuck it away, and put the bones on to simmer. This usually meant soup the next night.

No need to precook the vegetables. To your large stock pot, add any bones you have from any chicken or turkey. Toss in a couple of ribs of celery, a couple of carrots, a large onion, skins and all, chop everything up. Add a few crushed garlic cloves, also skins and all, and any other vegetable trimmings from the meal along with herbs of choice. Parsley stems? green bean trimmings? Add a couple of tablespoons of Bell’s poultry seasoning, a few bay leaves, crushed, and any other seasoning you like. Usually, I’ll add fresh rosemary and thyme.

Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer or three or four hours. You can also do this in the oven overnight at 250 degrees, or you can tuck everything in a slow cooker!

When ready, strain and put into freezer containers, leaving out what you might need this week for a soup base or addition to other savory meal.

Simple broths: Sometimes, a fresh vegetable has an awful lot that looks like it is going to waste. Then, it is a delight to make use of those parts. Fennel is like this as most people toss away all the stems and fronds. Pea broth is my favorite example of this. When fresh English peas are in season (sadly, too short a season), one ends up with a giant mound of pods and a little pan of peas. Sauté an onion to soft, then toss in those pea pods and cover with water. You don’t really need anything else but a bit of seasoning and about a half hour’s time. Strain. You can use this as a base for rice, sauces, or soups, or simply as a delightful drink.

Freezer storage in glass

            The easiest and most environmentally friendly way to store you stock in the freezer is in the basic Mason jar which is for canning and freezing. However, you have to take a little care with freezing foods in glass.

Cool your broth completely. I usually tuck it in the refrigerator overnight. 

Use wide mouth jars. The jars with the shoulders are trickier to use for freezing because of the narrowing after the shoulder, so you have to fill them even less. 

Don’t overfill. The liquid will expand more than you think, so take care and only fill to about 1 ½ inch from the top. This is probably more than you need, but keep it on the safe side. If you are hesitant, the first time you freeze in a canning jar, freeze before putting the top on, just don’t forget to go back and put the lid on.

 Let’s all make this New Year our best!

And, if you are looking for something to watch on the tube, this documentary is quite enlightening:

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