Homemade Broth

This may be one of the easiest things to cook, even if you have no idea what you are doing.  In addition to saving money, homemade broth tastes so much better than store-bought broth.  You will never go back.  You will become a prisoner to your broth.

     First, get a few gallon sized freezer-safe ziplock bags.  If you are a meat eating person, label one "meat," and label the other "veg scraps."  All week long, save all your veggie scraps in that bag and keep it in the freezer.  Examples of veggie scraps are: carrot skin peelings, tops/bottoms of onions, tops of leeks, broccoli stumps, greens, lettuce hearts, mushroom stems, celery leaves...I mean all of it.  Any leftover raw vegetable or it's parts.  It's ok if it looks gross.  It will look gross.
     Do the same with your meats.  Some folks like to separate their meat into different bags (chicken/beef/pork), while others like to mix them.  Keep all scraps, fat, bones, skin, etc in your bag in the freezer.
     On the weekend, throw all your scraps into a very large cooking pot.  Cover the whole thing with water.  Bring to the boil, reduce heat, cover, simmer.  Now simmer that pot as long as you can--at least 1 hour.  If you can, put it on the lowest heat and cook it for 2-3 hours.
     After cooking, you will need to strain it.  I find this to be a 2 person job usually.  Put another large pot in the sink, and cover it with a colander.  Pour your soup through the colander, letting all the big funky wilted weird cooked veggies (and meat) catch in the colander while the liquid pours into the pot.  Discard the solids.  I usually like to get a mesh sieve and run the liquid through it, as some fine veggie funk is present.  You want to get rid of that.  Here is where you may choose to add salt and pepper to your beautiful broth.
     The broth will freeze like a champ.  I freeze my in 2 or 4 cup portions so they are recipe friendly.
Cheers.