Ingredients
- Mushroom stems from ½ pound of mushrooms (any mix of chestnut, crimini, shiitake, or oyster mushrooms)
- 2 or 3-inch segment of ginger thinly sliced
- Root ends and tips from 6 onions, plus any outer layers (not the skin)
- Peels and ends from 1 bunch carrots
- 4-6 parsley stems
- Ends from ½ bunch celery
- Woody ends from 1 bunch of asparagus
- ½ teaspoon coriander seeds
- ½ teaspoon peppercorns
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 1 dried chili
- 1 bay leaf
- 10-12 cups water
Preparation
Place all ingredients in a slow cooker with the dial on low setting. Place lid on and cook for two hours. Remove the lid, taste, and adjust seasoning as needed.
Use tongs to transfer solids to a colander, placed over a bowl. Ladle stock through a sieve placed over a jam funnel set on a quart sized ball jar. When one jar is full, move to filling the next, and so on, until there is no more stock to strain.
When the solids are cool enough to handle, squeeze any liquids from them and discard for compost. Add the remaining liquid to the jars and cool to room temperature before sealing and refrigerating.
This stock is excellent to enhance the flavor of anything that requires liquid: from rice to barley or quinoa, beans, stews, ragù, risotto, soups, and more.
Stock can be poured into ice cube trays for quick use or smaller portions, or into 1 cup plastic containers for easy stacking in the freezer. Stock may be stored, frozen up to 6 months, or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
