A-rate vs B-rate broth

So what do I mean when I say A-rate or B-rate broth? When I say A-rate broth, all I mean is that I’ve collected together a load of fresh vegetables to make a high quality broth to be used for something special such as the Christmas gravy or a noodle soup! For this I will collect together handfuls of vegetables from the garden, plus some organic vegetables from a farm-shop if needed, and will turn them into a yummy broth using the recipe below. The veggies are also roasted prior to simmering, which helps to add a rich and delicious flavour.

B-rate broth on the other hand just means that I’ve collected together some veg scraps to make a broth that is almost as yummy as the A-rate broth, but is better suited to being used in place of shop-bought stocks in many other recipes, such as curries. It’s essentially FREE to make, and a great way of getting goodness out of veggie scraps that otherwise might have been destined for the bin!

How to have a constant supply of homemade broth

When doing some online research before making my first ever vegetable broth, I came across a wonderful tip; every time you cook, collect the vegetable scraps in a stasher bag. So whether you’re making an omelette, a stir fry or a mac and cheese, any veg scraps such as the ends of onions or carrot peels can be saved and added to a stasher bag in your freezer. Once you’ve got a full bag of scraps, simply make a stock using the recipe below, and then store your ‘B-rate broth’ in a glass bottle in the fridge until you need it. Repeat again and again for a constant supply of additive-free stock that can be added to stews and curries! You can also use the vegetables that you used for your trivet from a Sunday roast to make stock in this way and the flavours will be perfect to use with your gravy for next weeks roast – so you’re in a constant stock > gravy cycle!