Making turkey stock

[Anonymous]

I want to use the stuff I took out of the turkey cavity to make stock to make make-ahead gravy. I'm reading I can boil the neck and the organs with a carrot and onion and celery to make stock.

Two questions 1) Should I do this with plain water, or with the low-sodium chicken broth/stock I bought? I'm thinking the broth/stock, so I can bump up the flavor?

and 2) Do I exclude any of the organs? Will they make the stock too gamey?

[Anonymous]

I’d use the stock but either are fine. All organs are good. You can cook whole, taste to make sure you like them before dicing into the gravy. I would cook the stock/meat for awhile before adding the vegetables. I like to sauté in some spices before vegetables are added to stock but you can certainly add without that step. The longer the stock cooks the better it tastes. Use cornstarch or flour roux to thicken but I usually do that towards the end, add a little bacon grease to the sauté pan for veggies makes it delicious.

[Anonymous]

Cut the wings off and put them in the pot with onion, celery and carrot. Add the neck and giblets if you like, but I find the giblets make it kind of dummy so I just throw them in a for a few minutes to cook them real quick before feeding to my dogs lol.

[Anonymous]

Roast the turkey pieces first for a richer color and use water. I would not use the store bought chicken stock so that you can control the amount of salt — you start a stock with very little salt and add it later since it will reduce. I also use onion, celery, carrot, garlic, bay leaf, and whole peppercorns.

[Anonymous]

I've read some recipes that said the liver can impart a bitter taste in stocks. So it is recommend to exclude it. For example -https://blog.williams-sonoma.com/what-to-do-with-turkey-giblets/

[Anonymous]

We usually make a stock first, then use the stock in a soup later. Don't try to make the soup broth in the first go. The initial vegetables lose all their flavor, so you will have to cook it a second time for the soup anyway.

Also if you have an Instant Pot, it is 100% the way to may stock. 1 hour at high pressure vs. half a day in a crockpot.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We usually make a stock first, then use the stock in a soup later. Don't try to make the soup broth in the first go. The initial vegetables lose all their flavor, so you will have to cook it a second time for the soup anyway.

Also if you have an Instant Pot, it is 100% the way to may stock. 1 hour at high pressure vs. half a day in a crockpot.

OP is making gravy, not soup.

[Anonymous]

I’m making mine with the neck (seared first in the stock pot), garlic, rosemary, onion, and celery. I’ll simmer it for a few hours.

Instead of using chicken stock I’d use the water and the concentrate your turkey stock. If you need more stock for gravy you can add the chicken stock.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Cut the wings off and put them in the pot with onion, celery and carrot. Add the neck and giblets if you like, but I find the giblets make it kind of dummy so I just throw them in a for a few minutes to cook them real quick before feeding to my dogs lol.

Yes on the wings -- but if you add meat with skin, you'll get a decent amount of fat. I recommend chilling the stock overnight and then skimming the fat off when it has congealed (if you don't have one of those clever jugs that separate the fat).

[Anonymous]

-Roast first
-Dont use added salt stock, it can end up really really salty because it reduces
-Throw in some garlic, peppercorns, bay leaf, veggie scraps
-Pressure cooker is amazing (I dont have an instant pot like pp but an old fashioned pressure cooker and love it)

Personally I'd save doing this until after the turkey is carved and make a GIANT pot of stock with the carcass. I get the concept of why you want to do make ahead gravy, but fresh gravy with drippings is like, 5-10m so I'd still recommend that.

Either way, I love homemade turkey stock!

[Anonymous]

I usually use the wing or breast carcass after Thanksgiving Turkey gets carved and make the stock /soup the day after. I don’t like giblets. Too gamey.

[Anonymous]

Good advice all around, I would absolutely make sure to add wings so you get some gelatin in there to make your gravy thicken well. Also not sure how/when you make your gravy but if you start with the dripping from the roasted turkey you don’t usually need that much extra help from broth.

[Anonymous]

Do not use broth! Just water. I don’t use the giblets but do use the neck.

You can roast or not roast the bones. Roasting will give the stock a darker look and different depth.

Throw the bones in the pot, several chopped onions, 2-3 carrots, 3-4 celery, bay leaves, parsley, teaspoon of peppercorns. 1 tsp of salt. Cover with water just until the veggies and bones are covered.

I also use my pressure cooker. 1-1.5 hrs. If not simmer and skim for a good 4-6 hrs.

Strain the stock. Refrigerate and then skim the fat. At least I find it easiest to skim the fat the next day.

For my turkey gravy, I always buy turkey necks or bones so I have turkey stock to go the day of.

[Anonymous]

As pp said, don’t use the liver in stock