Learning how to make turkey stock is simple and it's the perfect thing to do with that leftover turkey carcass.
Turkey soup just is not turkey soup without a good homemade turkey stock.
Every year after thanksgiving I cram the carcass in a large pot and make this stock. I know it doesn't paint the prettiest picture in your mind but the flavor is totally opposite of that picture.
You want to save pretty much everything, bones, fat and skin, even the juices and extra bits at the bottom of your pan.
What you do not want to use is the giblets, boil this up and feed it to your dog or cat, they will be thankful.
If your like me and you go and buy the largest turkey you can find, you may actually need to use 2 seperate stock pots.
A good rule of thumb is to use approximately 1 medium sized onion, 2 carrots, 2 celery stalks, 3 garlic cloves and a 1/8 cup of freshly chopped parsley per 5 lb. turkey.
So for example if you have a carcass from what was a 15 pound turkey you would use 3 onions, 6 carrots, 6 celery stalks, 9 garlic cloves and 3/8's cup of freshly chopped parsley. Then you would spice to your preferences.
2 - 8 Quart Stock Pots
Carcass from a 20 Lb. Turkey (including juices from bottom of pan.)
8 peeled and quartered Carrots
8 quartered Celery Stalks
4 quartered Onions
1 Whole Bulb Garlic
1/2 C. Freshly Chopped Parsley
2 TBS. Dried Thyme
2 TBS. Salt
2 Bay Leaves
10 quarts water
4 TBS. Olive oil
Break the bones down so they will fit in the pots.
In each pot add 2 tablespoons olive oil and saute 1/2 bulb garlic and 2 onions for 5 minutes.
Add 5 quarts cold water, 4 celery stalks, 4 carrots and 1 bay leaf per pot.
Heat to boiling, reduce heat and simmer for 45 minutes.
Add 1/4 c. fresh chopped parsley, 1 TBS. dried thyme, 1 TBS. Black Pepper and 1 TBS. salt. Stir well and simmer 30 minutes.
Use a fine mesh sieve and strain the stock into another pot, try to squeeze any extra juices out of the veggies with the bottom of a cooking spoon.
Give the turkey stock an ice bath in your sink. An ice bath will cool the stock down before you put it in the refrigerator or freezer.
All you have to do is plug your sink add enough ice to fill the sink and set the pot inside it nice and snug. When most of the ice is melted it's time to put the turkey stock in the fridge.
It's a good idea to let the stock finish cooling in the fridge over night. That way you can skim any fat/grease from the top of the stock. After the You can make all the gravy or soup you want.
Also Check Out These Stock Recipes.
Leave This Turkey Stock Recipe and
Go to Savory Soup Recipes Homepage
