Turkey Stock

I finally took the thanksgiving turkey carcass out of the freezer and made this basic turkey stock for a soup I made the next night.  My dad is doing well after his surgery, no surprises or issues with the process which is very good news.  He even gets to go home today because his pain is under control, normally they keep shoulder replacement patients for two nights so he is in very good shape!  I'm really excited because tomorrow my boyfriend and I are buying our plane tickets for our European adventure that we are going on mid September 2015.  We are looking at the possibility of having a "stayover" in Iceland instead of just a 2 hour layover.  They let you stay for up to 7 days without changing the price of your plane tickets, and we found a really awesome lagoon we are going to visit during our "stayover," check it out http://cheeseweb.eu/2011/11/worlds-airport-layover-reykjavik-iceland/.  Onto the recipe!  Turkey stock is so versatile you can use it as the base for almost any soup, so be creative!

Servings 8


The Ingredients

1 large turkey carcass and any fat and scraps left on the bones

10-12 cups water (approximate)

2 onions, peeled and halved

2-3 carrots, washed and cut into half (no need to peel)

2 celery ribs, leaves attached, cut in half

5 garlic cloves, peeled

10-15 peppercorns

2 bay leaves


The Process

1.  Place all ingredients in your largest slow cooker, adding enough water to cover the turkey carcass and fill the crock. Cook on low for 13 hours.

2.  Remove and discard turkey carcass, vegetables, and spices. You can do this by fishing out the larger pieces with a slotted spoon, and straining the broth through a mesh strainer.

4.  Pour strained stock into one or more containers and refrigerate overnight. Once the stock cools, the fat will congeal on the top and it can be lifted off and thrown away (if there is any fat).