• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Big Flavors from a Tiny Kitchen
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Recipes
  • About
  • Events
  • Contact
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • Recipes
    • About
    • Events
    • Contact
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • ×
    Home » Recipes » Easy Recipes

    Freeze Your Veggie Scraps to Make Stock in the Slow Cooker!

    Published: May 22, 2013 · Modified: Jan 3, 2021 by Ashley

    This post may contain affiliate links, which won’t change your price but will share some commission.

    Save your veggie trimmings as you cook and stash them in the freezer - you can transform these goodies into your own homemade slow cooker veggie stock!

    Veggie Scraps

    I've been saving bits of the veggies that I've been using over the last few months in a bag in the freezer (aptly dubbed "Stock Bits!") so that I could cut down on waste and also make something tasty out of food scraps.

    The bag has been bursting at the seams for quite some time now, so I finally got out the slow cooker and dug the bag out of the freezer.

    Stock Bits

    My bag contained a lot of veggie bits, including onion tips and tops (I didn't save the rest of the peels with them, because I use so many onions in the kitchen that it would basically just be onion stock - ha!), a few bell pepper stems and cores, some kale stems, carrot ends and peels, a few pieces of tomato stem (technically a fruit, but I thought it would work here), celery leaves and stems, shallot tips and tops, and some zucchini ends.

    Slow Cooker Veggie Stock

    This process is super simple - I just filled my slow cooker with the contents of the bag (plus a little bit more that I had left from the Raw Carrot Avocado Soup that I made earlier today), filled it with water (it took around 10 cups to fill my slow cooker up to about 2 inches under the top), added a little bit of seasoning (I chose 2 dried bay leaves, 6 black peppercorns, ½ teaspoon mustard seeds and ½ teaspoon kosher salt). I set it on low and let it cook for 5 hours.

    *Update 10.8.13 - I've made this a few times since, and have chosen to leave the seasoning OUT, as it can be adjusted to your taste later when you go to cook with it. I've found that this works better.

    Slow Cooker Veggie Stock

    When it was done, I was left with a beautiful, amber colored stock. I strained out the solids and poured the stock into some containers, let it cool down, and popped it into the freezer.

    Once they're completely frozen, I'll put the slabs of stock into a freezer bag for later use. It's so nice to have this on hand, and it really was pretty low maintenance! Plus, I didn't have to have a stock pot on the stovetop all day, heating up my kitchen.

    Slow Cooker Veggie Stock

    Just a note: I found a good article over on The Kitchn about stock vs. broth. What I've made here is very lightly seasoned, so technically, it may be broth... but it's definitely not seasoned enough to be something you'd want to eat without some adjustments. So... I'm going to stick with calling it stock.

    More Easy Recipes

    • Homemade tiramisu in a serving dish with plates and forks for serving.
      Best Classic Italian Tiramisu
    • Overhead view of a tray of golden brown homemade garlic bread.
      Easy Homemade Garlic Bread
    • Two slices of rhubarb custard pie on plates with forks.
      Rhubarb Custard Pie
    • Close-up of a forkful of birthday cake confetti pancakes.
      Birthday Cake Confetti Pancakes with Sprinkles

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Sam

      May 22, 2013 at 10:39 pm

      Looks great! Recently we've been so busy that we've been composting those bits directly and buying stock. Thanks for the reminder that it's easy to do. Time to set up a container in the freezer and place a sticky note on the compost bucket to remind us!

      Reply
    2. Kara Martinez

      May 10, 2019 at 11:06 pm

      Even the peel of the onion?

      Reply
      • Ashley

        May 11, 2019 at 12:12 am

        Yep! I throw it all in there - it gets strained out later on.

        Reply

    Leave a comment Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Primary Sidebar

    Hi, I'm Ashley and I’ve been writing about food & recipes here at Big Flavors from a Tiny Kitchen since 2006. I want to help you (yes, you!) gain confidence in the kitchen so you are excited to cook at home for yourself and your loved ones.

    More about me →

    Fall Favorites

    • Balsamic Marinated Pork Tenderloin
    • Maple-Balsamic Roasted Carnival Squash
    • Gingerbread Pancakes
    • Grandpa's Beef Stew
    • Instant Pot French Dip Sandwiches
    • Instant Pot Tomato Beef Pasta
    • Homemade Hot Chocolate Mix

    All Things Thanksgiving:

    • Thanksgiving Central: Recipes, Tips, + More for Your Holiday Table
    • Triple Chocolate Pumpkin Pie
    • Dry Brine Seasoning Blend for Turkey
    • Spatchcocked Roasted Turkey
    • Our Favorite Turkey Gravy
    • Spiced Mulled Wine
    • Classic Dutch Apple Pie
    • Best Ever Green Bean Casserole
    • Spiced Cranberry Sauce with Bourbon
    • Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes

    Popular Now

    • Text that reads, "Big Flavors 2023 Holiday Gift Guide".
      Big Flavors 2023 Holiday Gift Guide
    • Two plates of gingerbread pancakes topped with peppermint whipped cream, crushed peppermint candies, and maple syrup.
      Gingerbread Pancakes with Peppermint Whipped Cream
    • Text reads, "17 Most Repeated Recipes".
      17 Most Repeated Recipes to Celebrate 17 Years of Big Flavors
    • Collage of images with text that reads 5 of the BEST Restaurants in Ocean City, Maryland Part One.
      Explore Big Flavors in Ocean City, Maryland

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • Cooking Classes
    • Events
    • About Ashley
    • Press + Recognition
    • Contact
    • Privacy Policy

    Newsletter

    • Sign up to receive delicious recipes and exclusive content right to your inbox!

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases at no added cost to you.

    ©2006–2023  BIG FLAVORS FROM A TINY KITCHEN LLC | ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

    *Third-party advertisers may collect or use non-personally identifiable information to serve you more relevant ads.