I love this time of year. It feels like pure abundance. Wholesome. Slower and deeper. My apple trees are starting to drip feed us apples at a rate that challenges me to use them up, and the blackberries are ready to pick. I wonder this year will I stay present enough and slow down enough to actually pin point the day that the leaves start turning. We will soon have the most vivid of autumn colours bursting from the trees, the fields and the hedges.
Fómhar is coming into full swing. The changing of the seasons is an important observation that we rarely allow ourselves. A point in time to honour, and notice, and slow down enough to appreciate.
Why this — the thought behind the stock
You're probably wondering why I always, always say that the first step to anything is to slow down. It's because when we slow down, we come into this particular moment — we notice our environment without judgement, just noticing. We notice how we feel, physically and mentally, again without judgement. All from slowing down and being present. This first step helps move us towards regulating our nervous system, allowing us to respond to life, not react.
I had this thought as I was topping up my veg scraps bag in the freezer. Yes, you read that right.
"The scraps are not the leftovers. They are the beginning of the next thing."
What you'll need
The beauty of this is that there's no fixed list — it's built from whatever you have. Over a few weeks, I fill a ziplock bag in the freezer with:
- Onion tops and skins
- Carrot ends
- The core of a pepper
- The tail end of a piece of ginger
- Garlic ends
- The rougher end of the celery stalks
- Leek ends
What not to add:
- brassicas — things like broccoli and cabbage — they overpower the flavour
- too many onion skins — it will make the colour darker.
A good rule of thumb is use as much onion, leek, carrots and celery and keep a very rough 2:1 ratio between these core veg and the other veg scraps. It’s not an exact science. Try and it and alter it next time if something was overpowering.
When the bag is full, it's time.
How to make it
Throw the frozen scraps into a pot and top it up with water until it's about 3cm above the line of the veg. Add some whole peppercorns — ¼ to ½ tsp — and about 1–2 tsp of salt, depending on whether it's a wee pot or a big pot.
Here's where you can make it your own based on what flavours you like and what you have in the cupboard. I sometimes add in a star anise, or a sprig of rosemary or thyme — dried works perfectly well — a bay leaf, or sometimes a splash of apple cider vinegar.
Bring it nearly to the boil, then turn it down to simmer for about 2 hours on a low heat — just simmering away nicely. Turn it off, and when it cools down, strain it through a sieve.
Tips, storage, and what to do with it
It can be stored in the fridge for up to a week — use your nose to guide you! I freeze stock in portions using silicone moulds, or sometimes I use jars or other containers to freeze. Remember to leave a 3–4cm gap at the top to allow for expansion as it freezes.
If you're someone who only needs a bit of stock now and again, freeze in smaller portions that suit you.
Use this veg scrap stock in place of stock cubes in any dish — soups, stew, pasta sauce etc. So good for you, and getting another use out of something that would have gone to the compost bin so you’re also saving money.
As well as veg-scrap stock there are an endless number of other examples of using parts of veg that otherwise get thrown out — carrot top pesto, potato skin crisps, broccoli stalk “peas”, caulk-leaves crisps or use the stalks of kale and beetroot leaves in your juice or smoothie. Get creative — trial and error is welcome in the pursuit of finding those gems that just work!
A closing thought
Each little act and step we take in this intentional way, in this slower pace, brings us into presence in our world. It helps to connect us and ground us in this moment, so that overwhelm and autopilot lose their grip on us.
So slow down this autumn, live intentionally, and save your veg scraps for stock.
If you'd like to go a little deeper this month, our next Rooted Connection gathering is on next Wednesday 23rd September — a space for guided meditation, healing, and living with more purpose and joy. Come as you are.
It's another small step towards nourishing yourself and living lighter in this world as you do it. Each little act, each small choice made with intention — this is how we come back to ourselves. This is what the slower pace looks like in practice. Not a grand gesture. Just a bag of scraps in the freezer, a pot on the hob, and the willingness to notice what's already there.
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