Mom's Homemade Turkey Stock

I tend to stick with a mostly vegetarian, plant based diet, but homemade stock is an absolute must in my house. It's the perfect way to get the most out of your Thanksgiving turkey (or turkey or chicken any other day of the year.) Making homemade stock utilizes your food to the fullest, and gives you the most delicious soup and sauce base you can imagine. And, it gives you the satisfaction of making your soup absolutely from scratch with tons of nutrients that haven't been compromised.

Homemade Stock
Prep Time: 15 min
Total Time: 10+ hours
Servings vary

You'll need the biggest pot in your house to make this stock :-)

Ingredients

• 1 cooked turkey (or chicken) carcass, like your leftover Thanksgiving bird
• 1 large white or yellow onion, quartered
• 5-6 celery stalks (with leafy greens)
• 2-3 large carrots, washed but not peeled, greens trimmed away
• 2-3 tomatoes, quartered
• 1 small head garlic, cut in half
• 3 bay leaves
• 2 tbsp dried dill (or 1 tbsp fresh)
• 2 tbsp sea salt
• 1½ course black pepper
• Purified water

Recipe
Fill your stock pot ¾ full with purified water. Add all ingredients and bring it to a boil for 1-2 minutes, then lower to a simmer and cover. Chop the veggies as needed to fit into the pot - or leave them as listed above. Simmer for at least 10 hours, but up to 20. Remove the turkey and strain the stock through a large colander, pushing the mixture through with a spoon to get all of the stock through. Discard all pulp and turkey carcass. Let the stock cool (on the counter or in the refrigerator) and skim the grease and fat off top. Divide to use immediately for fresh soup or to store in glass containers. Can be kept in the refrigerator up to 5 days or frozen up to 6 months.

You can make this stock in the evening and let it simmer on low overnight and strain it in the morning. (Depending on your stovetop, you'll set it to 1-2, simmer or low - you want it to simmer not boil.)

Tips:

• You can also use 3-4 turkey or chicken legs in place of the carcass, if you haven't cooked a full bird.
• You might have to cut your turkey carcass in half to fit it into the pot.
• 2 large, unreeled, quartered potatoes will give your stock a thicker texture if you want to add them.

Homemade Turkey Noodle Soup recipe coming soon :)