The Frugal Gourmet: how to use, re-use, recycle and recondition your ktchen staples...

femmennoir · 01-01-2011, 10:07 AM

Even though I live in a NYC apartment with a small kitchen, and a small fridge, I always freeze chicken bones (since I live alone I usually only get chicken breast with bones in) and occasionally a ham or leg of lamb bone, or a whole duck or chicken carcass, as well as vegetable trimmings, to make broth. When it looks like there is enough, I make broth and after de-fattening it, freeze the broth in small plastic containers, so I can grab one whenever I need broth in a recipe. I never buy broth! I usually add carrots, celeri, garlic and leeks when I make the broth, as well as herbs, unless I have enough vegetable trimmings.
What are vegetable trimmings, might you ask? Well, mushroom stems and peelings, potato and carrot peelings, carrot tops (I buy the organic carrots with tops on whenever possible), the very dark green part of leeks, which are tough, the stems of artichokes, also any vegetable I know I won't use before it spoils (I go crazy at the farmer's market and forget I usually cook only for one), and of course the stems of fresh herbs or if I have too much parsley or basil at hand, I freeze them and use some in broths.
There is for me something very satisfying in making broth and stashing it away in the freezer!
When (so rarely) I don't have any broth on hand, I use tea in place of broth. Different teas will give different flavour to what I am preparing: if I need a smoky flavour I use Lapsang Souchong tea, if I want a floral note I use either a flower tea (lavender, chamomile) or a flavoured tea (apricot, rose, ginger/peach)....These really add a depth of flavour to any recipe!
Elle*

Bit · 01-01-2011, 10:50 AM

I never thought of using tea--that's a GREAT idea!

Venus007 · 01-01-2011, 04:05 PM

A easy thing to do with the broth is to freeze it in ice cube trays then put the broth ice cubes in a big plastic freezer bag so all you have to do is pull out a few or many to have broth. It works with sauce, pesto, and other such liquid tastiness.

Jesse · 01-01-2011, 04:19 PM

I do that with bacon grease as well. Works out nicely.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Venus007

A easy thing to do with the broth is to freeze it in ice cube trays then put the broth ice cubes in a big plastic freezer bag so all you have to do is pull out a few or many to have broth. It works with sauce, pesto, and other such liquid tastiness.

femmennoir · 01-01-2011, 04:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jesse

I do that with bacon grease as well. Works out nicely.

I do save duck fat and freeze it, and use it in particular to sauté potatoes (yum), also bacon fat, separately, which adds a nice bite of smokiness to stews and soups.

Elle*

Venus007 · 01-01-2011, 06:15 PM

I make my own vanilla extract, it is very easy and you will make some of the finest vanilla you ever had. . . .

-Take a quantity of unflavored vodka (I use a 1/2 pint) you can do more or less
-3 vanilla beans split down the middle (again more or less as needed)

Put the vanilla beans in the 1/2 pint, put it in your pantry or some dark place and let it sit for about 2 months (shake it occasionally) until it turns a nice dark color and smells strongly of vanilla when you open and sniff.

You can add more vodka as you use it and you will virtually never be without vanilla again.

I keep an old regular vanilla bottle and fill it from the vanilla booze bottle for ease of handling.

Miss Scarlett · 01-01-2011, 09:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Venus007

I make my own vanilla extract, it is very easy and you will make some of the finest vanilla you ever had. . . .

-Take a quantity of unflavored vodka (I use a 1/2 pint) you can do more or less
-3 vanilla beans split down the middle (again more or less as needed)

Put the vanilla beans in the 1/2 pint, put it in your pantry or some dark place and let it sit for about 2 months (shake it occasionally) until it turns a nice dark color and smells strongly of vanilla when you open and sniff.

You can add more vodka as you use it and you will virtually never be without vanilla again.

I keep an old regular vanilla bottle and fill it from the vanilla booze bottle for ease of handling.

I started a bottle back in the 90s using a fifth of not too expensive 100 proof vodka and about 6 or split vanilla beans. It's amazing stuff.

01-01-2011, 10:07 AM	#1
femmennoir Member How Do You Identify?: femme, naturellement Preferred Pronoun?: Elle Relationship Status: single Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: new york Posts: 686 My Photo Gallery Thanks: 76 Thanked 1,223 Times in 478 Posts Rep Power: 5661332	Broth and substitutes... Even though I live in a NYC apartment with a small kitchen, and a small fridge, I always freeze chicken bones (since I live alone I usually only get chicken breast with bones in) and occasionally a ham or leg of lamb bone, or a whole duck or chicken carcass, as well as vegetable trimmings, to make broth. When it looks like there is enough, I make broth and after de-fattening it, freeze the broth in small plastic containers, so I can grab one whenever I need broth in a recipe. I never buy broth! I usually add carrots, celeri, garlic and leeks when I make the broth, as well as herbs, unless I have enough vegetable trimmings. What are vegetable trimmings, might you ask? Well, mushroom stems and peelings, potato and carrot peelings, carrot tops (I buy the organic carrots with tops on whenever possible), the very dark green part of leeks, which are tough, the stems of artichokes, also any vegetable I know I won't use before it spoils (I go crazy at the farmer's market and forget I usually cook only for one), and of course the stems of fresh herbs or if I have too much parsley or basil at hand, I freeze them and use some in broths. There is for me something very satisfying in making broth and stashing it away in the freezer! When (so rarely) I don't have any broth on hand, I use tea in place of broth. Different teas will give different flavour to what I am preparing: if I need a smoky flavour I use Lapsang Souchong tea, if I want a floral note I use either a flower tea (lavender, chamomile) or a flavoured tea (apricot, rose, ginger/peach)....These really add a depth of flavour to any recipe! Elle* __________________ You will hear thunder and remember me, And think: she wanted storms. The rim Of the sky will be the colour of hard crimson, And your heart, as it was then, will be on fire. Anna Akhmatova "White nights"

01-01-2011, 04:05 PM	#3
Venus007 Member How Do You Identify?: Femme Preferred Pronoun?: Serene Highness ;} Relationship Status: Dreamily contemplating some outrage against conventional morality Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Houston area Posts: 1,362 My Photo Gallery Thanks: 1,417 Thanked 4,746 Times in 1,139 Posts Rep Power: 21474853	Piggy backing on Femmenoir's post A easy thing to do with the broth is to freeze it in ice cube trays then put the broth ice cubes in a big plastic freezer bag so all you have to do is pull out a few or many to have broth. It works with sauce, pesto, and other such liquid tastiness. __________________ . "I need no warrant for being, and no word of sanction upon my being. I am the warrant and the sanction. " Ayn Rand, Anthem "So you'll die happily for your sins. You'd rather die in guilt then live in love?" Timothy Leary

01-01-2011, 06:15 PM	#6
Venus007 Member How Do You Identify?: Femme Preferred Pronoun?: Serene Highness ;} Relationship Status: Dreamily contemplating some outrage against conventional morality Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Houston area Posts: 1,362 My Photo Gallery Thanks: 1,417 Thanked 4,746 Times in 1,139 Posts Rep Power: 21474853	I make my own vanilla extract, it is very easy and you will make some of the finest vanilla you ever had. . . . -Take a quantity of unflavored vodka (I use a 1/2 pint) you can do more or less -3 vanilla beans split down the middle (again more or less as needed) Put the vanilla beans in the 1/2 pint, put it in your pantry or some dark place and let it sit for about 2 months (shake it occasionally) until it turns a nice dark color and smells strongly of vanilla when you open and sniff. You can add more vodka as you use it and you will virtually never be without vanilla again. I keep an old regular vanilla bottle and fill it from the vanilla booze bottle for ease of handling. __________________ . "I need no warrant for being, and no word of sanction upon my being. I am the warrant and the sanction. " Ayn Rand, Anthem "So you'll die happily for your sins. You'd rather die in guilt then live in love?" Timothy Leary

01-01-2011, 10:50 AM	#2
Bit Senior Member How Do You Identify?: Stonefemme Relationship Status: married to Gryph Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Wichita, KS Posts: 2,177 My Photo Gallery Thanks: 1,126 Thanked 3,770 Times in 1,264 Posts Rep Power: 10778871	I never thought of using tea--that's a GREAT idea!