Emily, one of our readers, was horrified that we bought our stock for making our soups and stews. It's so easy to make she said. And explains here how she does it...

'I have 2 very young children and I'm usually pushed for time but I can't stress enough how easy it is to make your own stock! We domestic goddesses already need to dispose of a carcass after a roast (particularly chicken) so why not just throw it in a container and pop it in the freezer. Later in the week you can pull it out and search through your fridge for slightly sad vegetables and chop them up roughly. I also save any good vegetable scraps from meals that week and bung them in together. Throw in a roughly chopped onion (skin and all) and a few herbs from the garden (whole sprigs) and pop it on the stove to simmer away. About an hour later you will have wonderful stock to strain and freeze. Honestly it takes only a few minutes of your time ... and makes you sound like a chef extraordinaire when you tell people you made your own stock- it feels like you're cheating!'