Generally, when making stock a "clear" stock is what one is looking for (as per the lesson on "Making Stock Fundamentals"; however, if you are just using the stock as a braising liquid, for non-clear based soups or if you do not need a clear stock then you do not have to strain it again. Cheers!

Hi, I made this vegetable stock adjusting everything ~2/3 of recipe. I didn't have the squash or celery root and had to use regular celery but everything else inc optional ingredients was the same. Unfortunately I felt it came out kind of oily or greasy...maybe from the oil used to roast the vegetables initially. I tried to cool and separate but no real luck. I imagine just sauteeing original vegetables first would use less oil...thoughts?

Perhaps next time you might just want to use a bit less oil when roasting the vegetables. You could also try sauteing them but that is not going to mean that you will need less oil. Cheers!

I tried this stock recipe (with dried mushrooms) plus an equal amount of a light pork stock -- as the base for a Ukrainian Borscht. It added an extra depth of flavor to the stew that I have been wanting -- but unable -- to achieve otherwise.

Thank you.

I live in a small town, and I've never seen kabocha squash here. Can I use a different type of squash or possibly omit altogether?

Thank-you.

My apologies, I just found the drill-down about kabocha squash and the substitutions. I have to admit, I'm impressed that Rouxbe has already answered my question.

Thank-you.

Might seem silly, but I didn't see any reference to topping up the water in the pot re vegetable stock versus meat stocks (when keeping bones covered). Is this due to relatively short cooking time in comparison and the tendency of the veggies to compress somewhat as they cook down anyway?

Thanks!

If the vegetables (same as the bones and/or mirepoix in a meat stock) are not covered in water then their flavor cannot be extracted. Therefore, if the water level goes below the vegetables, it should be topped up, to just cover them. Hope this helps. Cheers!