Thanksgiving is over.
Family and friends have all gone home and your beautiful golden bird has been reduced to a few pieces of meat and a pile of bones.
You start cleaning up and get ready to throw the bones away.
Wait! Don’t do it!
Did you know that pile of bones has something left to give?
“I knew that!” you say.
“Turkey broth”, you say.
And you are absolutely right! Turkey broth is yummy and makes great soup.
But what if we went one step further? What if we make bone broth?
“What’s bone broth?” you say.
I’m so glad you asked! 🙂
Bone broth is what happens when you let your broth simmer away until all the minerals from the bones transfer into the liquid.
You’ll know when that happens because the bones will start to crumble.
Not only does the broth taste good, but now it contains the minerals that our bodies need to build strong bones and re-mineralize our teeth.
I try to have this wonderfully healthy and delicious elixir in my pantry at all times.
So let’s go!
At my house I always make sure that I get a turkey way bigger than I need to feed everyone at dinner.
That’s because we love turkey and I get lots of leftovers.
I slice what ever is left of the breast for sandwiches and dice up the rest for soup and Turkey Turnovers.
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Turkey Bone Broth
Now comes the bone broth part.
The carcass and all the random bits of meat and skin get tossed into my big stock pot. (I use this same recipe for chicken stock as well.)
I cut a few onions in half and stud then with cloves and toss them in.
Then I throw in a head of garlic and any left over carrots and celery from the veggie tray (sadly, there weren’t any left this year), and add a couple of bay leaves.
Throw in some sea salt and about a dozen peppercorns.
Roasting
Then I put in enough water to just cover the bottom of the pot and stick it in a 450 degree oven for 30 minutes.
Roasting the bones and veggies gives the stock a deeper, richer flavor.
a little steamy
Simmering
After the 30 minutes of roasting, I add water to cover the bones, add a splash of raw apple cider vinegar, and put it on top of the stove.
When it comes to a boil, turn the heat down and let it simmer.
Skim any scum that comes to the surface.
The longer it simmers, the better it is for you. I like to put it on and let it go for 12 to 24 hours (or even longer).
Or, you can put it in a large crockpot and let it go for a few days. I walk you through Beef Bone Broth in the crockpot here.
You will probably need to add some water from time to time to keep everything covered.
After it’s done, remove the bones and veggies and strain the broth. Then ladle it into canning jars.
Storing
You can simply put the jars in the freezer, or you can pressure can them.
If you choose to freeze, make sure you leave a generous 1 – 2 inch headspace. The broth will expand as it freezes and you don’t want the jars to crack!
I usually can mine because that way I don’t have to remember to get it out of the freezer to thaw.
If you would like to pressure can yours, head on over to this post for the instructions!
Not that I would ever forget to get something out of the freezer to thaw…but, ya know, some people might. 🙂
It makes a great base for soup and can also be used in any recipe that calls for chicken broth/stock, like my Chicken & Broccoli in Wine Sauce. 🙂
What’s your favorite way to use turkey or chicken broth?
Turkey Bone Broth
Ingredients
- 1 turkey or chicken carcass
- 2 med onion cut in half and studded with cloves
- 1 head garlic
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 tsp sea salt
- 12 peppercorns
- 2 stalks celery (optional)
- 2 large carrots (optional)
- 1/4 cup apple cidar vinegar
- water to cover
Instructions
- In a large oven proof stock pot, put chicken/turkey carcass, onions, garlic, celery, carrots, sea salt, peppercorns, and bay leaves. Add enough water to cover the bottom of the pan by an inch.
- Put the stockpot in a 450 degree F oven for 30 minutes.
- Remove from oven and add water to cover. Add the apple cider vinegar.
- Put on stove top and bring to a boil.
- Turn the heat down and let it simmer, skimming off any scum that comes to the surface.
- Simmer for 12 to 24 hours.
- Remove the bones and veggies and strain through cheesecloth.
- At this point you can put it in the fridge so you can de-fat it, or just ladle it into canning jars.
Notes
Nutrition
Other pantry replacements you should make:
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