Make use of the whole bird by turning the bones into a delicious rich turkey stock that is perfect for gravy, soup, or stew. Roasting the bones first, along with the veggies, will result in a richer flavor. Then add everything into the stockpot and simmer into a tasty stock.
We don’t waste much in this household. Throughout the year, I save all my vegetable trimmings in a couple zipper bags in the freezer. Tossed into these bags are the ends of garlic, pieces of onion, small carrots, celery greens and stalks, and broccoli stems. I use these vegetable scraps to add flavor to our homemade stocks and broths.
So many people throw away the turkey carcass after the Thanksgiving or holiday meal. This is such a tragedy because they are missing out. Those turkey bones are filled with nutrients and lots of flavor.
Making stock is not difficult. It just takes a little time, and you will be rewarded with a tasty stock that you can stash in your freezer to use later. During winter, I often have a pot of stock simmering on the wood stove that heats our home. I like to keep plenty of stock on hand in the freezer for winter soups and stews.
The trick to getting a more intense, rich flavored turkey stock is roasting the bones and vegetables before adding to the stockpot. This is how I make turkey stock out of the Thanksgiving turkey.
Rich Turkey Stock Recipe
Ingredients:
1 turkey carcass
2 medium carrots, roughly chopped
2 celery ribs, roughly chopped
1 medium onion, roughly chopped
2 to 3 cloves garlic, crushed
2 bay leaves
3-4 sprigs fresh thyme (or 2 teaspoons dried)
2-3 sprigs of sage (1 teaspoon dried)
1-2 sprig of rosemary (1/2 teaspoon dried)
10 peppercorns
4-6 quarts water, or enough to cover
Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 425˚F.
2. Strip off all the usable meat from the carcass and refrigerate for later.
3. Separate the wings, thighs, and legs from the carcass and use kitchen shears to cut the carcass into smaller pieces. Layer the bones in a large roasting pan.
4. Add the carrots, celery, onion, and garlic to the roasting pan. Roast until the bones in the preheated oven until they are brown, about 35-45 minutes. Stir about halfway through so everything browns evenly.
5. Remove the roasting pan from the oven and transfer the bones and vegetables to a large stockpot. Add 1 cup of water to the hot roasting pan to deglaze the pan. As the water steams, scrape the pan with a wooden spoon to release the flavor infused brown bits stuck to the bottom of the pan. Add to your stockpot.
6. To your stockpot, add the bay leaves, sage, rosemary, peppercorns, and enough water to cover the bones by a couple of inches. Turn the heat to medium-high and bring the stock to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer until flavorful, at least 2-3 hours. Stir occasionally and skim off any foam.
7. Remove the larger bones from the stock using tongs. Strain the stock through a fine-mesh sieve into a large container. Discard the bones and solids. Let the stock cool completely, then refrigerate. Once the stock cools in the refrigerator, the fat will rise to the top. Skim off the fat and use the turkey stock within 4 days or freeze for later.
Scroll down for a printable recipe.
Make use of the whole bird by turning the bones into a delicious rich turkey stock that is perfect for gravy, soup, or stew. Roasting the bones first, along with the veggies, will result in a richer flavor.
- 1 turkey carcass
- 2 medium carrots roughly chopped
- 2 celery ribs roughly chopped
- 1 medium onion roughly chopped
- 2-3 cloves garlic crushed
- 2 bay leaves
- 3-4 sprigs fresh thyme (or 2 teaspoons dried)
- 2-3 sprigs sage (or 1 teaspoon dried)
- 1-2 sprigs rosemary (or 1/2 teaspoon dried)
- 10 whole peppercorns
- 4-6 quarts water or enough to cover
-
Preheat the oven to 425˚F.
-
Strip off all the usable meat from the carcass and refrigerate for later.
-
Separate the wings, thighs, and legs from the carcass and use kitchen shears to cut the carcass into smaller pieces. Layer the bones in a large roasting pan.
-
Add the carrots, celery, onion, and garlic to the roasting pan. Roast until the bones in the preheated oven until they are brown, about 35-45 minutes. Stir about halfway through so everything browns evenly.
-
Remove the roasting pan from the oven and transfer the bones and vegetables to a large stockpot. Add 1 cup of water to the hot roasting pan to deglaze the pan. As the water steams, scrape the pan with a wooden spoon to release the flavor infused brown bits stuck to the bottom of the pan. Add to your stockpot.
-
To your stockpot, add the bay leaves, sage, rosemary, peppercorns, and enough water to cover the bones by a couple of inches. Turn the heat to medium-high and bring the stock to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer until flavorful, at least 2-3 hours. Stir occasionally and skim off any foam.
-
Remove the larger bones from the stock using tongs. Strain the stock through a fine-mesh sieve into a large container. Discard the bones and solids. Let the stock cool completely, then refrigerate. Once the stock cools in the refrigerator, the fat will rise to the top. Skim off the fat and use the turkey stock within 4 days or freeze for later.
Turkey stock can be stored in the freezer, but the majority of the stock I make is used to make a turkey soup base for Homemade Turkey Noodle Soup. This base is frozen in individual containers for an easy meal in the future. Simply heat up the soup base on the stove, boil up some pasta or rice, and you will have a homemade soup on the table in 30 minutes.
You May Also Like:
- Homemade Turkey Noodle Soup
- Harvest Hearty Beef Stew
- 14 Crops for Winter Food Storage
- How to Grow Onions from Seed
Hi
Can I freeze potatoe peelings, carrot , parsnip, sweet peelings etc to make a stew or soup
Jane, Yes, you can 🙂