Home cook shares simple money-saving hack using food scraps: 'This is so smart'

Whether you're new to cooking or an experienced home chef, having a few basics in your freezer makes last-minute food prep much easier. One of these basics is chicken stock, which you can use as a base to make soups and sauces and as a more flavorful alternative to water when making rice and vegetables. 

One thrifty home chef shared her money-saving hack for making chicken stock for her freezer using food scraps that might otherwise go to waste. 

The scoop

On her TikTok channel, Rachel Vatter (@justrachelv) created a video each day for a month to explain how to stock a freezer. In one video, she shows viewers how to use leftover chicken bones and veggie scraps to make chicken stock. 

@justrachelv Replying to @The Downtown Homestead FREEZER FEBRUARY day 16/28: Easiest Chicken Stock Ever **After you've removed the meat, save the bones of a rotisserie chicken in your freezer. Also start a Freezer Veggies Scraps bag where you continuously add any veggie scraps to it (onions, celery, bell peppers, carrots, herbs, garlic, etc) 1. Once you're ready to make your stock, dump your rotisserie chicken bones and veggie scrap bag into a crockpot 2. Add spices of your choosing. Some I like are bay leaves, garlic powder, turmeric, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, etc 3. Fill with water until contents are covered. 4. Add a splash of apple cider vinegar (this helps break down the bones) 5. Turn on low and leave for 24 hours 6. Strain hard contents out using a fine mesh strainer 7. Put in freezer friendly containers and freeze The internet is telling me that chicken stock lasts in the freezer for 2-3 months (for best quality) but I have definitely stored mine for way longer with no issue. I'll let you be the judge! #homemadefood #chickenstock #homemade #fromscratch #freezermeals #mealprepping #mealprep #simpleingredients #simplerecipe #bonebroth ♬ original sound - Rachel

Rachel puts the bones, veggie scraps, bay leaves, and a mix of spices into a Crock-Pot. She adds just enough water to cover everything and a splash of apple cider vinegar to help break down the bones. 

Rachel recommends setting the Crock-Pot on low and letting it sit for 24 hours. After straining the hard ingredients, she is left with chicken stock. 

In the video's caption, Rachel shared, "The internet is telling me that chicken stock lasts in the freezer for two to three months (for best quality), but I have definitely stored mine for way longer with no issue."

How it's helping

Rachel's hack is helpful because it can help people save money on kitchen staples like chicken stock. If you have a freezer with the essentials you regularly use, you'll have to make fewer trips to the grocery store, saving you time and gas money. 

Her hack is also great because it maximizes previously cooked meals by reusing scraps that others might just toss into the trash. Properly preparing and preserving your leftovers can make food last longer, save money, and contribute less to landfill waste. 

Food waste is a legitimate problem worldwide. The U.S. alone wastes about 33% of its food — 80 million tons — each year. Fortunately, cost-savvy and sustainability-minded home cooks on social media are helping people make more intentional food choices and reduce their household food waste. 

What everyone's saying

Rachel's TikTok followers appreciated her chicken stock hack and shared their feedback in the comments. 

What single change would make the biggest dent in your personal food waste? Not buying food I don't need 🧐 Freezing my food before it goes bad 🧊 Using my leftovers more effectively 🍲 Composting my food scraps 🌱 Click your choice to see results and speak your mind.

This is so smart!!" one TikTok user wrote. "I need to find some glass containers like that!" 

"Always a bag in the freezer for veggie scraps and one for chicken bones, awesome freezer staple!" another TikToker commented. 

Someone else shared, "I was influenced by you and @katy_culver to buy a freezer and start making homemade."  

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