Do you hate to see all those meaty turkey bones go to waste? Try this rich, nutritious recipe for a hearty base for soup or for other recipes that call for chicken stock. Double the recipe and freeze some for later use.

Ingredients:

One large smoked turkey carcass
Break or chop the larger turkey carcass in pieces so it lays lower in the stockpot. (Yes, you can use plain chicken or turkey carcasses instead of smoked - I am just a little partial to smoked poultry!) If using smoked chicken or turkey, discard the skins as it makes the stock too smoky in most cases.

4 carrots
Rinse the carrots and trim off the ends. Do not peel. Snap or cut each one into 3 or 4 pieces.

4 large and green celery ribs
We save up any really stringy, dark green outer ribs and all celery tops just for this purpose.

2 medium size yellow onions
Wipe clean, trim off stem end and quarter. (if they are clean, I also add any and all dark outer onion skins. They add a little color and flavor)

1 small clove of minced garlic. About a teaspoon of store bought minced garlic - (the roasted type works great)

2 bay leaves or perhaps another 1 or 2 if yours are more than a year old.

1/2 teaspoon whole black peppercorns

2 teaspoons dried thyme leaves

2 teaspoons rubbed sage

1/2 teaspoon of celery seed (or more, depending how ancient your celery seed is)

Salt to taste (2 teaspoons or more, typically)

Procedure:

Put everything in the turkey roaster, Crockpot™, or stockpot - except the salt. Add spring or filtered water just high enough to cover the bones, cover and bring to a simmer quickly over medium heat. As soon as it starts to show signs of bubbling, reduce heat to a light simmer, about 200°F. Don’t allow it to come to a full boil. Boiling changes the taste quite a bit and destroys richness and nutrients. Stirring occasionally, allow stock to lightly simmer for around 4 hours. At the end of cooking, add one teaspoon of the salt, stir, taste and add more salt as needed.

Allow the stock to cool in the pot to the point where you can handle it easily without getting scalded. Remove larger pieces of vegetables and strain the stock through a fine sieve or cheesecloth into another pot, cover and refrigerate overnight. The fat will rise to the top and solidify into an opaque layer and some impurities will settle to the bottom. Skim off and discard the thin layer of fat and pour or scoop out stock gently to avoid stirring up the dregs at the bottom. If making soup, reheat over medium heat to avoid reaching a boil.

Freeze excess stock in 1 quart or 1 gallon freezer bags within 3 days.

Tags: bones, chicken, soup, stock, turkey