Will have more Christmas decorations in an upcoming post. So today, we'll have a food related post. Before we get too far beyond Thanksgiving, one thing we always like to do after we roast our turkey and are done with it is make some stock for future use.
After taking the meat off the bones (bones not gnawed on of course, LOL) we put them in a baggie and keep in the fridge for a day or two, until the excitement of Thanksgiving calms down.
Then we get a pot, add water (we use bottled water just to keep it pure and clean), we bring it to a quick boil and then reduce to a low simmer for about 2 hours. You can put anything in here you want, vegetables, seasonings, etc. Our turkey is so well seasoned we find we don't have to add anything but again, it's entirely up to you.
After a couple of hours, we take out the bones.
We do this to make sure to make sure we've strained out all the little bones and bits we don't want in our stock.
Lastly, we pop them into the freezer and we're good to go for the next soup or stew.
I do the same with the chicken bones; throw everything in my large crock pot and letting it simmer away all day. I don't have an Instant pot, but I'm sure you coulod use it as well in making stock.
ReplyDeleteSure comes in handy to reach in the freezer and take out a container of stock to use for soups, casseroles, gravy, sauces, I have even used a little bit when mixing up mashed potatoes, etc.
I use bottled water in soups and anything I will boil to reduce.
ReplyDeleteThat is some beautiful turkey stock. Nothing better than homemade.
ReplyDeleteThe turkey bones don’t go to waste for me either. I make Turkey-Rice Soup with them. I use your method for the broth and add sautéed carrots, celery, onion, garlic, and parsley. After the simmering, I add a couple of cups of rice and cook. It makes the BEST soup. I got my recipe from my sister’s mother-in-law who was of German ancestry and very frugal. She always requested the turkey bones from the Thanksgiving meal and some of the family teased her about cooking something from just old bones. After she passed away, I decided to take the turkey bones and try her recipe. I shared the soup with my sister and family and everyone marveled at how delicious it is. And they never made jokes again about making soup from humble bones.
I like to buy smoked turkey legs, de-bone them, and use the meat in a variety of ways. I freeze the bones until I have about 8. Then I make this soup with them.
I also save and freeze the bones from store-bought rotisserie chickens and use them for broth for soup.
I usually put bones, carrots, onion, and celery (if it have it) in my crock pot and let it cook overnight. The veggies are peelings and scraps that I freeze as I have them until the next time I make broth. I strain it, and then often reduce it down into bouillon. Easy and takes up much less space. Simply boil it down until it coats the back of a spoon, Takes awhile and needs to be stirred occasionally, more frequently towards the end. Pour into a square or rectangular casserole dish lined with parchment paper and refrigerate overnight. It will have the consistency of very firm set Jello. Cut into squares, spread out on a parchment lined cookie sheet, and freeze until firm. Transfer to zip lock bag or airtight container and keep in the freezer. One gallon of broth will reduce down to about 2 cups or less. No need to thaw before using.
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