Reduce waste, cut costs, and enjoy healthier, more flavorful stock by looking into making your personal aware of our easy DIY vegetable, chicken, and beef recipes.

Sure, store-bought stock is convenient, but it's so easy and a whole lot flavorful to DIY vegetable, beef, and chicken stock. Here's why making your stock matters and how to create a delicious pot of your own.

It's healthier. Many pre-made stocks contain high levels of sodium to punch up the flavor. By making yours in your own home, you can preserve the salt content to a minimum, making for a better-for-you stock. Homemade stocks will also be a great resource of essential minerals and vitamins and chicken and beef stocks contain nutrients like calcium, collagen, and amino acids which are ideal for your joints, skin, and gut.

It's more sustainable. Whether you're looking to DIY vegetable or meat-based stock, veggies are an integral component. Reduce waste and the food scraps from ending up in landfills (and producing greenhouse gas emissions), set your veggie scraps aside and freeze them until you need to create a stock. That you can do the same with chicken and beef bones, too!

Saves money. By using food scraps and bones you already have, you can easily lessen the number of ingredients you have to upgrade on your stock. Plus, at-home recipes yield much more compared to 32oz carton you receive at the store.

Lasts longer. Unlike store-bought stocks that need to be used inside a couple of days after opening, you can divide your recipe into smaller portions and freeze it later on. No wasted stock!

It will make your house smell amazing. You'll need to leave your ingredients around the stove to simmer for between a half-hour to 5 hours. Meanwhile, the melding flavors from the veggies and meat (if using) will fill your home with savory, comforting aromas.

Has more flavor. Because you're using fresh, real ingredients, the depth of flavor of a homemade stock always beats those of store-bought liquid or bouillon cubes. The elevated flavor profile does mean the recipes you are making using your stock will taste better, too!

Ready to make your personal stock? Here are three basic DIY vegetable, chicken, and beef stock recipes to help you get started.

Illustration courtesy of Dana Campbell.

1.
Vegetable Stock Recipe

DIY vegetable stock is quite simple to make and hard to mess up. So go ahead and add as numerous vegetables and spices as you would like! Begin with this simple recipe as a base, and then make it your personal with the addition of additional flavors and ingredients.

What You’ll Need:

• Cooking oil
• 1 bunch of thyme
• Handful of parsley
• 2 tsps. salt
• 1 tsp. pepper
• 2-3 bay leaves
• 2 medium onions
• 1 bulb garlic
• 4 large carrots
• 2 celery stalks
• Large soup pot

*If you use food scraps, you will need about 4 glasses of vegetables for 2 quarts of stock.

Instructions:

1. First, wash all of your veggies. You may either soak them in the sink or give them a great scrub.
2. Start using the aromatic veggies. Chop two medium onions, one garlic bulb, four big carrots, two celery stalks, one couple of thyme, and a number of parsley so that they will easier fit in the soup pot.
3. Add two teaspoons of salt, one teaspoon of pepper, a few bay leaves, along with a little oil of your choice.
4. Cook over medium heat before the vegetables begin to brown as well as your kitchen starts to smell heavenly!
5. Pour in 10-12 cups of water, stir, and produce to some simmer.
6. Cover and simmer for at least 1 hour.
7. Strain the vegetables. Enjoy your fresh, flavorful vegetable stock!

If you use food scraps for your stock, be sure to avoid veggies like Brussels sprouts, broccoli, or cauliflower. But assorted items from potatoes, leeks, fennel, mushrooms, carrots, onions, garlic, as well as the stems of herbs like parsley are all fair game!

Illustration thanks to Dana Campbell.

2.
Chicken Stock Recipe

Not only will homemade chicken stock turn up the taste of your favorite soups, stews, and gravies, it is also more nutrient-dense than its store-bought counterpart. At-home chicken stock comes complete with efa's, protein, antioxidants, and minerals like iron. Here's how to make your personal.

What You’ll Need:

• 6-8 drumsticks
• 5 large carrots
• 2 large onions
• 5 celery stalks
• 1 tsp. garlic powder
• Fresh dill to taste

*If you use leftover chicken bones, you will need the bones and skin from one large or cooked chicken or even the same as two rotisserie chickens.

Instructions:

1. Remove meat from drumstick bones and add both bones and meat to a large soup pot. Cover with 5 quarts of water.
2. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, reduce heat to low and permit to simmer for half an hour.
3. If the chicken isn't fully cooked after 30 minutes, leave set for one more 30 minutes or until cooked through.
4. While the water simmers, dice your carrots, onions, and celery. Add them to the broth once the chicken is cooked.
5. Add garlic powder and fresh dill to taste.
6. Simmer on medium-low for 4 hours.
7. Check the stock from time to time to make sure there's still enough water in the pot. If an excessive amount of has evaporated, add more water.
8. After four hours, remove heat and strain.
9. Enjoy or freeze for up to 3 months!

If you need to turn this stock into a soup, simply add the chicken and vegetables in and toss in noodles for the perfect chicken noodle soup.

Illustration courtesy of Dana Campbell.

3.
Beef Stock Recipe

Protein- and nutrient-rich, beef stock is great for soups, stews, or simply sipping. The collagen and amino acids which come from boiling the bones, skin, and cartilage is ideal for hair, skin, and nails. Also they are associated with improved gut and joint health, better sleep, and stronger immunity. Here are the recipe details.

What You’ll Need:

• 4 lbs. beef shank or short rib bones
• 3 medium carrots
• 3 celery stalks
• 2 medium onions
• 3 bay leaves
• 3 garlic cloves
• 2 tsps. whole peppercorns
• 1 tsp. dried thyme
• 1 tsp. dried oregano

Instructions:

1. Preheat your oven to 450°.
2. In a large roasting pan, bake four pounds of meaty soup bones (like beef shanks or short ribs) uncovered for Half an hour.
3. Roughly chop carrots, celery stalks, and medium onions.
4. Add towards the same baking sheet and bake for 30 more minutes.
5. Drain any fat. (You'll have to keep draining body fat throughout this process)
6. Using a slotted spoon, transfer bones and vegetables to some large pot.
7. Add about 50 % a mug of warm water towards the roasting pan. Stir the water to loosen browned bits on the pan. Transfer extra juice towards the pot.
8. Add bay leaves, garlic cloves, whole peppercorns, dried thyme, and dried oregano.
9. Pour enough cold water to pay for the vegetables and meat. Slowly bring to a boil, for around 30 minutes.
10. Reduce heat to some simmer.
11. Leave the pot slightly covered for 4-5 hours.
12. Check periodically and skim off any foam which has accumulated.
13. If necessary, add water to help keep ingredients covered throughout the first couple of hours.
14. When done simmering, remove beef bones and allow the broth cool.
15. Once broth cools, strain broth through a cheesecloth-lined colander, discarding vegetables and seasonings.
16. Your broth is ready to use, refrigerate overnight, or freeze!

*If fat collects at the surface, take it off before reheating.

Illustration courtesy of Dana Campbell.