Collect Vegetable Scraps: As you prepare meals throughout the week, collect clean and edible kitchen scraps like carrot peelings, onion ends, and celery leaves. Store them in an airtight container in the freezer until you have enough for a batch of broth.

Prepare the Instant Pot: Start by turning on your Instant Pot and selecting the "Sauté" function. Allow it to heat up.

Add Scraps and Vegetables: Once the Instant Pot is hot, add your collected vegetable scraps, whole onions (with skin), chopped carrots, celery, garlic, and any optional vegetables you want to include. These will form the base of your broth.

Toss in Herbs and Spices: Add a generous handful of fresh herbs, peppercorns, and a pinch of salt to the pot. These ingredients will infuse the broth with aromatic flavors.

Pour in Water: Cover the vegetables and herbs with cold water. Ensure the water level covers all the ingredients, but leave some space at the top of the Instant Pot to prevent overflow.

Pressure Cook: Secure the Instant Pot lid, set the valve to the sealing position, and select the "Pressure Cook" or "Manual" mode. Adjust the cooking time to 30 minutes on high pressure.

Natural Release: Once the pressure cooking cycle is complete, allow the Instant Pot to perform a natural pressure release for 10-15 minutes. Carefully turn the valve to the venting position to release any remaining pressure.

Strain the Broth: Using a fine mesh strainer or cheesecloth, strain the liquid from the solids, capturing the flavorful broth in a large bowl or container. Discard the vegetable solids.

Cool and Store: Allow the vegetable broth to cool to room temperature. Once cooled, you can refrigerate it for immediate use, portion it into airtight containers, and freeze it for later use.

Use as a Base: Your homemade vegetable broth is now ready to use as a base for soups, stews, sauces, and more. Enjoy the rich, natural flavors and the satisfaction of reducing kitchen waste.