I admit it. I HATE composting. Weird, huh? Considering that I’m a Registered Holistic Nutritionist, adamant about eating locally, eating more seasonally, eating more vegetables and fruits and sprouts and legumes, and less of the other stuff…..and here I am, scowling at my backyard compost bin collecting dust and racoon poop.
So of course, I was elated when we received the option of using a kitchen compost that the city will take away bi-weekly. This was a while ago – before they started collecting weekly. Those fruit flies were driving me bonkers!!!! My war with the fruit flies was endless….until I reluctantly pitched the kitchen compost bin into my garage to collect dust there. My war with fruit flies ended, but my war with my conscience was ceaseless!
Lo and behold! I’ve discovered the miracle of the broth. Everyone has heard of bone broth by this point, but did you know you could make broth with all of your kitchen scraps? As long as there are no mold growing on them, you can use the peels of pretty much any vegetable, along with the roots, wrangly tubers, and leafy tops that you don’t typically use, and stems and stalks. You can even use those herbs that you think you won’t be using up by the time they start to turn slimy.
It’s easy. Just collect your scraps after your meal preparations, and put them in a freezer bag. Just freeze them until they are ready to use. When you find you have a freezer full of scraps, just dump them into a pot, and fill with water until covered. You can add some interesting things in your broth, like sea salt or dulse flakes for that salty kick and healthy dose of iodine (great for those who have thyroid issues), or you can add any of the traditional spices that you use for soups like black peppercorns, and parsley. I absolutely LOVE lovage seeds. I grow them in my yard, and I get a year’s worth of seeds every harvest. They give off a nice celery-like smell, and are a great addition to your broths. Bring to boil, then let simmer for 3-4 hours, or more if you think it needs more time. Once done, strain and enjoy in a cup as a nourishing drink, or use as soup broth, or just freeze once it’s cooled for later use. Feel free to add some more sea salt if you think it needs more flavour.
My typical pot of scrappy broth:
I have in there onions, brussel sprout stalks, celery stalks with leafy tops, some potato peels, red cabbage, a healthy sprinkling of dulse flakes, and carrots.
Each broth will taste different, as it will depend on what scraps you have on hand. That’s the best part!!!
In the end, you will be putting the vegetable scraps in the compost anyways, but at least you’ve drained every last bit of nutrition out of them before you do. Keep in mind that freezing your vegetables will inevitable diminish the nutrient content of the food, but it won’t completely disintegrate them, most notably the Vitamin C and folate content. So if you can do fresh scraps, then that would be better than frozen. But in either case, you are making full use of the scraps. There is also some research out there to suggest that thawing will diminish content even more, so best to just throw scraps in as frozen.
Here are some suggestions of spices and herbs to use for your broth:
1- Parsley – use whole leaves and stems – can alleviate anemia, is used as a digestive tonic to soothe, and just smells divine! It is an EXCELLENT source of Vitamin C and K, and just an overall wonderful source of anti-oxidants. The fresh parsley also makes a great, natural breath freshener!
2 – Dulse flakes – great source of iodine – gives broths and soups a nice salty taste without the salt, and gives a nice purple-y color to your broth. Its low content of sodium and some great trace minerals make this an awesome addition to any soups.
3 – Lovage – you can use stalks, root and leaves, as well as the seeds. It’s a nice alternative to celery. It can also replace meat and bone stock in soups. It’s a very vigorous, hardy and happy plant, and it would make a great addition to any family garden. The dried seeds are similar to caraway seeds. Lovage is known for its significant Quercetin content – a known antioxidant and anti-inflammatory agent. Its Vitamin C level is pretty hefty too.
4 – Black Pepper – helps improve digestion and promotes intestinal health. Add near the end of your broth making in order to maintain integrity, as long exposure to cooking will diminish its flavor and aroma. It’s also a great source of Manganese (essential for metabolizing carbs, fats and proteins and is an antioxidant) and Vitamin K (excellent for supporting bone structure).
So, have fun creating new scrappy broths, and we’d love to see pictures of how yours turns out!
Rebecca Ramdeholl, RHN, CH