So, you have roasted your Turkey and it turned out beautifully.

This is a beginners guide to making homemade Turkey Stock.

I have been making my own stock and homemade soup for ten years, but last year I came across Ginny Love’s: Simply Love – A Family Cookbook. Since then, I’ve been following her recipes for homemade Stock and Turkey soup. The rest of the book looks great, but I just haven’t spent the time exploring the other recipes yet.

Kitchen Supplies:

• Large Stock Pot with a lid
• Stainless Steel Bowls (or other)
• Very Fine Sieve
• Containers for storage and freezing

Ingredients:

• 1 to 2 onions, cut ends off, keep skins on, cut into quarters
• 2 carrots, un-peeled, ends cut off, cut in two
• 2 stalks of celery, ends cut off, cut in two
• 2 bay leaves
• 10 – 20 peppercorns
• Cold water

I used to get really irritated when following recipe instructions; two carrots – does that mean two big carrots or two small carrots? Couldn’t the author just say one cup chopped carrots? My rule of thumb is that if I like a lot of something, I include more of it. Now, with experience and practice I find it all balances out nicely.

Warning: You may get pot envy. I got this pot a few years ago – it’s actually a pasta pot, but works so well for stock. It is a Stock Pot with Steamer Insert. So once the stock is ready and cooled slightly, I can lift the steamer insert from the stock pot, and voila! Let the stock cool down before replacing the lid and putting it into the refrigerator overnight. So easy.

Once you have carved away and refrigerated all the succulent meat from the bones

you will be left with the carcass.

 Place the carcass into a large stock pot. Below.

Add to Stock Pot:

 10 – 20 Peppercorns.

1- 3 Bay Leaves, depending on size.

Add to stock pot:

1-2 washed Onions, leave skins on, cut away ends, cut into quarters

and washed un-peeled cut carrots and celery.

The onion skins add colour to the stock.

Place stock pot into the sink to fill with water or transfer water using measuring cups.

Add enough Cold Water to the Stock Pot to cover carcass.

If you are using the steamer insert be careful not to over fill with water

as the water will spill out over the side of the stock pot once it starts to boil.

 

Notice the height difference of the steamer insert to the stock pot. Below.

Place on High Heat to bring to a boil.

Reduce heat to simmer for 45 – 60 minutes.

Below, shows the contents of the steamer pot after cooking.

In the picture, I have lifted it away from the stock.

Discard the contents from the steamer pot.

Let it cool first.

Below. This is what the stock looks like after taking the steamer insert out.

 

Below, the chilled stock after being in the refrigerator overnight.

 

I use a big spoon to skim off the congealed fat which has risen to the surface.

Then with my other Soup Pot sitting in the sink

and a very fine sieve sitting over the top of the pot,

I slowly pour (in batches) the chilled stock.

In the picture below, I used the finer of the two sieves.

I have a few very large stainless bowls which I use to transfer and strain the stock a few more times.

Some people use a cheesecloth to pass the stock through to make it very clear.

I find my very fine sieve works nicely.

Above, the total amount of Turkey Stock.

The container with lid went directly into the freezer.

The rest of the stock went towards the Turkey Soup.

I make two different batches:

One batch with Barley (for my husband and son)

– which is my favourite but NOT gluten free 🙁

The other batch I make with brown rice for me and my daughter.

I will post the instructions for THE best turkey soup you’ve ever tasted…soon.