Vegetable broth

Katmary71

I don't exactly need a specific recipe but some tips. I just started saving vegetable scraps to make broth in the Instant pot. I went out-of-town and didn't have the chance to use fennel stems and fronds so I tossed those in. Will it make the broth too anise-flavored? I also used a few peppers today so I tossed the centers in. Will the seeds make it taste funny? I know the jalepeno ones will make it spicy, not sure about bell peppers. Last is I use a lot of fresh herbs and read the stems are good to save. Should I just add a little so it's not overly herbal? I'm probably overthinking this!

BarbaraHelen2013

I’ve been doing this for a while now, and to start with I was overthinking it too!

I have a big bag in the freezer that I throw raw veg scraps into and once it’s full I make a batch of stock. The flavour profile is fairly similar each time because generally if there is a distinctive flavour in there (such as fennel) it’s not usually a massive percentage of the whole. I use my herb stems too, and again, it all seems to balance out just fine.

I’ve never noticed any particular issue with pepper seeds either, but I strain my finished stock as opposed to blending it, which may make it bitter if the seeds get pulverised!

acpgee

I do the same, but I eat meat so I save all bones and carcasses in that bag too.

poisonesse

As long as the fennel isn't the major ingredient, it should all blend out nicely. And since bell peppers are sweet, you'll be fine using the seeds in your broth. but as stated above, I would strain it and not blend it.

Katmary71

I definitely plan on straining it, thanks everyone!