No Salt Vegetable Broth Food

LOW COST, LOW SALT, LOW FAT VEGETABLE BROTH

Steps:

• Cooking options: Pressure cooker, stock pot or crock pot.
• Pressure Cooker: Put all ingredients in pot. Add water to 3/4 full. Cook at 15 lb pressure for 1/2 hour or so.
• Let cool to reduce pressure.
• Pot: Add water to cover, simmer (very low) on stove for 10 hours or so.
• Crock Pot: Put everything in 6 qt crock pot. Add water to 3/4 full. Cook on low for 10 hours or so.
• The times are approximate though I like to cook it for a minimum of 8 hours unless using the pressure cooker.
• Strain: Line a colander with a clean loosely woven dish cloth and place another colander on top. (The cloth will be sandwiched between the two colanders.) Strain broth, discard the 'mash' - it has no nutrients left!
• Use in recipes calling for broth - I find that the pressure cooker broth is very concentrated and I often dilute it when I use it. Taste yours to see.
• As this broth is salt free, you will have to add salt to taste. I do not add herbs because the long cooking pretty much destroys the flavor. I add them when using the broth to suit the dish I am making, as this is more economical. Because of this, the broth may not taste that great but it will taste just fine used in cooking and for soups.
• The yield is approximate.
• Ideas:.
• Add the bottom of that celery bunch that you usually throw away. Don't forget mushroom peelings. Toss in that lettuce that didn't make it to the salad. Add that nearly empty jar of salsa for flavor. You get the idea. I sometimes include the peel of an orange or lemon - but only one as otherwise the broth is too bitter.
• I used to toss in small amounts of cabbage, broccoli or cauliflower leftovers and get away with it but stopped after one batch was dominated by a bitter cabbage flavour.

SCOTT'S VEGETABLE BROTH WITH VERY LOW SODIUM

Steps:

• Place all the ingredients into a stockpot and simmer, partially covered, for 8 hours or overnight. Stir occasionally.
• Skim off any scum that appears. Cook it this way for 45 minutes. (If using a crockpot, cook on LOW for 8-12 hours and skim scum when done.).
• Remove the ingredients from the pot and strain the stock through cheesecloth or a cheesecloth-lined vegetable strainer or sieve. Throw out the solids.
• Simmer the strained stock until it reduces to about 8 cups.
• If making ahead, let cool and store in 2-cup freezer containers to approximate the volume of one can of soup.