Name: homemade roasted turkey stock
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 435 min
Total time: 450 min
Ingredients: 8 turkey drumsticks ((about 7 pounds)); 3 large yellow onions, rinsed, unpeeled, quartered ((about 19 ounces)); 6 large carrots, scrubbed, unpeeled, cut into chunks ((about 16 ounces)); 4 celery stalks with leaves, rinsed, cut into chunks ((about 12 ounces)); 4 parsnips, scrubbed, unpeeled, cut into chunks ((about 8 ounces)); 1 garlic head, unpeeled, sectioned, cloves lightly smashed; 1/2 cup olive oil; coarse kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper; 1 bunch fresh flat-leaf parsley; 15 sprigs fresh thyme; 6 fresh bay leaves; 1 tablespoon kosher salt, maybe more to taste; 2 teaspoons whole black peppercorns

What you see here is liquid gold. Just in time for your turkey feast. If you love the thought of amping up the flavor and wholesomeness of your meal, this Homemade Roasted Turkey Stock is a game changer.

Roasting the turkey pieces and the vegetables prior to simmering adds an amazing depth of flavor. Simply unbelievable.

You can use this stock in virtually any recipe that calls for chicken stock, except of course your basic chicken soup. But really …think about using this stock in your stuffing and any dish that calls for a bit of moisture and flavor.

Best of all …you can make your homemade turkey gravy ahead of time. C’mon folks, how great is that?

If you decide to make the commitment, go big on your Homemade Roasted Turkey Stock.

Make a giant batch in a huge pot so that you will have a good supply to store in your freezer.

For this recipe, I use eight plump turkey drumsticks that weigh in at a total of about seven pounds along with a generous amount of the following…

Large yellow onions
Carrots
Celery
Parsnips
Garlic
Olive oil
Kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper
Fresh flat-leaf parsley
Fresh thyme
Fresh bay leaves
Whole black peppercorns

The veggies should be well scrubbed but not peeled.
Then cut into big chunks …quick & easy.
Because of the volume, load up two large roasting pans with the turkey and prepared vegetables.
The best way is to spread out 4 drumsticks in each pan then fill in the gaps with the veggies.
Give it all a drizzle of olive oil and a light sprinkling of salt & pepper.

After hangin’ out for about an hour in a very hot oven, your turkey and veggies will have a wonderful coating of caramelization.

So much full flavor gathered up in those pans right about now.

When cool enough to handle, it all gets transferred into your pot for the big event.

Be sure to use a 16-to-20 quart stockpot to hold all of the ingredients.

Cover all of the roasted ingredients and fresh herbs with 10 quarts of water.
That’s right …10 quarts!
It may seem like too much water but it will definitely cook down as the stock simmers.
And as it cooks down, it will become more and more flavorful.

After about an hour of simmering, grab your tongs and get those turkey legs out of there.
As soon as they are cool enough to handle, remove the solid meat from the bones and set it aside for another use.
Get those bones back in the pot to simmer for the remaining time.

If preferred, you can use an equivalent weight in turkey wings for this recipe.

After another five hours of simmering, the stock is done.
You’ll notice a significant decrease in volume.
That’s okay. It just means that the flavor will be more concentrated.
At this point, all of the contents must be strained to remove any and all solids.
Be sure to press down on the solids before emptying the strainer each time so that you retain as much stock as possible.

I find the easiest method is to place a large micro-mesh colander over a large pot or container. I use my Pyrex 4-cup glass measuring container to scoop out the contents a little bit at a time.

Once you’ve removed enough and can easily handle the large stock pot, pour the rest into the colander.

Have your storage containers (wide-mouth Ball jars are ideal) ready and lined up so that you can fill them as you go, making room in the large pot during the straining process. Quart-sized jars work well but you may want to include a few smaller ones.

It is always recommended that you totally chill your stock in the fridge before moving it to the freezer.

Another way to freeze and store your Homemade Roasted Turkey Stock…

We recently purchased a chest freezer to provide some extra storage space to preserve the results of my many kitchen experiments.

In my quest to best utilize the space and minimize the use of containers, I’ve discovered these awesome silicone freezing trays that separate my homemade stock into 1-cup portions that can be stored in a ziplock bag. Amazing way to freeze soups and stock. And free up my jars and containers.

You’ll notice some fat rising to the top of each jar. After spending the night in the fridge, that fat will solidify and can easily be removed with a spoon.

I’m sure you’ve heard all the buzz about the benefits of bone broth these days. It is recommended that we enjoy a serving once a day. Good quality organic bone broth is quite pricey but it is available at the high-end food stores.

You can easily make your own bone broth at home but I must warn you …the average cook time is 24 hours. The key is to cook the bones down enough that you are left with a concentrated broth …also referred to as gelatin.

The gelatin in bone broth is thought of as having potent healing properties. Gelatin has been a known remedy for many different digestive and gut-related conditions. Gelatin contains the amino acid glycine, which is needed to complete the detoxification process and to assist the liver to function optimally.

So take a look at what can be achieved after a 6-hour simmer and a few hours or overnight in the fridge.

Do you notice how the “jello-like” gelatin has formed in the stock? The jiggly texture? That’s the good stuff …so good for you.

And with all of the wonderful vegetables and herbs that we’ve added to the mix, the full flavor is amazing. It’s a win-win.

Your Homemade Roasted Turkey Stock can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

If freezing, be sure to label each container and include a “use by” date. There’s nothing worse than browsing in your freezer, wondering what those mystery items are in there. And how long they’ve been hangin’ out.

This stock can be used to add to sauces, gravies & stews or to just sip on for the health benefits. I like to add it to some of my homemade soups along with regular organic broth.

The flavor really is intense and will take your next creation right over the top. Guaranteed.