- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 carrot, peeled
- 1 medium onion, peeled
- 2 or 3 celery stalks
- ¼ red or yellow bell pepper, stripped of all its seeds
- 1 small boiling potato, peeled
- 1 ripe, fresh tomato, or 1 canned Italian plum tomato, drained of juice
- 5 pounds assorted pieces of meat and bones (see meat suggestions above), of which no less than 1½ pounds is all meat
- Put all the ingredients into a stockpot, and add enough water to cover by 2 inches. Set the cover askew, turn on the heat to medium, and bring to a boil. As soon as the liquid starts to boil, turn down the heat so that it bubbles steadily at the gentlest of simmers.
- Skim off the scum that floats to the surface, fairly frequently at first, then only from time to time. Cook for 3 hours, at no time more rapidly than at a simmer.
- Strain the broth through a large wine strainer lined with paper towels, pouring it into a nonmetallic bowl. Allow to cool completely, uncovered.
- When cool, place in the refrigerator long enough for the fat to come to the surface and solidify. Remove the fat and pour the clear broth into ice-cube trays. Freeze.
- When the broth is frozen solid, un mold the cubes from the trays and divide them into 4 or 5 small plastic bags. Seal the bags tightly, and return to the freezer to keep until needed.