by Gordon Hamilton

Created on: December 26, 2009

How to make vegetable stock will very often be determined by the precise purpose for which one wishes to use the prepared vegetable stock. This is quite simply because there are so many different types of vegetables, with so many different types of flavours, that no two versions of vegetable stock are ever likely to taste or even look the same. It is entirely possible, however, to make a general all-purpose and very basic vegetable stock which can be used in all but the most specialised of recipes.

The trio of vegetables that are carrot, onion and celery are three vegetables that are very commonly used not only in the preparation of vegetable stock but also in the preparation of many soups and stews. These three vegetables provide a roundness of flavour that is excellent for a versatile and basic vegetable stock and can serve very effectively as the sole ingredients along with water and perhaps a bay leaf for that extra little bite.

How to make vegetable stock of this type is about using the onion, carrot and celery in approximately equal volumetric proportions. One large onion, two medium carrots and four stalks of celery are about right to combine with three pints of water and that bay leaf. The onion should be peeled and roughly chopped but the carrots should be washed thoroughly only before being chopped. The skin of the carrot is where a lot of the flavour and the nutritional value is to be found, so it should always be left intact when making vegetable stock. The celery stalks should also be washed thoroughly and roughly chopped.

In order to maximise the flavour when making vegetable stock, it is a good idea to first of all sweat the chopped vegetables in a little olive oil for a couple of minutes before adding the hot water. This serves to get the flavour and juices flowing and all the better prepares them to release this flavour in to what will become the vegetable stock.

When the vegetables have been stirred around in the hot oil for a couple of minutes, the hot water and bay leaf should be added. The water should then be brought back to the boil and the heat turned down to achieve a gentle simmer only for half an hour. The remnants of the olive oil should by this time have formed a thin film on the top of the stock and this should very carefully be skimmed off with a spoon or ladle and discarded.

The vegetable stock can be drained through a sieve and used straight away if it is required immediately. If the vegetable stock is being made, however, to perhaps be frozen and used at a later date, it should be allowed to simmer until the liquid content has been reduced by at least half. It should be sieved only at this stage before being frozen and the thawed stock mixed with a little boiling water at the time when it is required.

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