For this week’s holiday inspired Waste Not Wednesday, I wanted to share my recipe for making homemade turkey broth. You can also follow the same process and make your own chicken broth. Bones are bones and bones are great! This is also a way to save at the grocery store since organic broth can run over $4.00 for a one quart package.
Here is what you will need:
1 Turkey carcass, stripped of as much meat as you can. (I save leftovers for sandwiches or turkey soup)
1/4 cup peppercorns
3 Bay leaves
2 Onions, skin peeled off and cut into quarters
3 Carrots, chopped in 3″ segments
3 Celery, chopped in 3″ segments
Put everything in a large pot and cover completely with water. Bring to a boil, then return to a simmer for about 3 hours.
Cool turkey broth, then strain over a large bowl.
I save some broth in the fridge and the balance is frozen in 2 cup amounts. I often freeze the broth in glass containers, either mason jars or leftover spagetti sauce jars.
One note, I do not salt my broth. I find that using a turkey which was salted during the cooking process gives me enough flavor. I also tend to add salt to the recipes that I will use the broth for, so I try to eliminate doubling up on the sodium.
I recently learned that you can make broth from the bones more than once. Anyone have any experience trying this out? The flavor won’t be as strong, but what a great way to maximize your leftover bones. The second round broth would be well suited for cooking rice or beans.
I hope everyone has a delicious and relaxing Thanksgiving. I’ll be enjoying dinner in Florida with my in-laws and then flying back to Boston in the evening. Just in time to prepare for “second” Thanksgiving with my Mom and Grammy on Sunday!
This post is part of Frugally Sustainable’s “Frugal Days, Sustainable Ways” link-up.
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Emily! Thank you for sharing this today on Frugal Days, Sustainable Ways!!! I just wanted to let you know that I will be posting this to my fb page right now:)
I hope you have a Happy Thanksgiving:)
Blessings,
Andrea @ Frugally Sustainable
yummy. I love home made stock. Although the recipes for TRUE stock and not broth is boil for 12 hours. that way the bones are sapped from their nutrients…the best way to tell is if you have a gelatin resting on top of the cooled stock. (not fat) but under that…anyway if you have some time and REALLY wanna get the most outta your bones..simmer it for an afternoon. The bones have trace minerals you can only get from bones
but you've totally given me a great idea…TURKEY stock…genius!
have a great thanksgiving
Can you can the broth instead of freezing it?
msoucy4862@aol.com
Thanks Kelly for the suggestion for the stock with the increased mineral content. I just read about this over at KitchenStewardship and hope to try it soon.
Flowerchild- Yes, you can can the broth if you follow the appropriate canning process. I use my stock immediately for soups, etc or store the balance in the fridge or freezer. I do it often enough that I haven't needed to can it.