Stop Throwing Out Onion Skins, Use Them In Your Next Pot Of Broth Instead

Everybody knows you have to peel your onions before you use them. Without their peel, whether they're sliced into onion rings (which originated in the 19th century) or diced into a delicious mirepoix to improve your soup, onions are wonderfully versatile. With their peel, all that goodness is wrapped in a tasteless, waxy layer of paper. But it's always kind of a pain to pick off every last piece of skin off your onion — and once you do it, what do you have? A whole bunch of waste, destined for the garbage. Or so you might think. 

In fact, there is something onion peels are very useful for: making stock. Although your first impulse is probably to peel the carrots and onions you're using for your stock before plunking them in the pot, it's actually not necessary — or if you have peeled them, then don't toss the skins. Fresh vegetables are, of course, welcome in a stock, but stocks are also a handy way to make use of vegetable scraps. 

Onion peels in particular can lend a pleasantly but not overpoweringly funky, complex flavor to your stock, in addition to a deeper, richer color that looks much more appetizing. Just store leftover odds and ends in a freezer bag, keep them in the fridge or freezer until you're ready to use them, and then break them out when you're ready to create a flavorful broth.

This probably isn't new advice to you. But even if you know, intellectually, that you can use your onion peels for your stock, it's another thing to actually remember to do it — especially since you're probably not cutting up enough onions in one night to produce enough scraps for the stock. But if you put away enough scraps each time you make something else (roast chicken and vegetables, say, or caramelized onions using water to get them done faster), you'll eventually have enough saved for a few decently-sized pots of stock — in addition to the fresh veggies you'll be using, of course. 

You could also save the skins and scraps from more vegetables and even fruits. Other alliums like papery garlic skins or the ends of leeks can add extra flavor, while red onion skins or carrot peelings further enhance the hue. Or use apple peels to add a delicate sweetness to the broth.

We don't want to oversell this, by the way. You haven't discovered the Holy Grail, or the One Simple Trick that will let you make perfect soups. It won't be an absolutely mind-blowing, night-and-day difference. But it's useful, resourceful, and ultimately quite tasty.