Cooked carcass of 1 turkey
2-3 ribs celery, cut into 2 to 3-inch pieces
1-2 onions, cut into quarters
2-3 carrots, cut into 2 to 3-inch pieces
Salt and pepper, if desired
Directions
Remove as much meat as possible from turkey carcass. Save meat to use in soup or casseroles later. Place bones, skin and neck into 7-quart roaster (or 10-quart roaster if turkey was very large). Add celery, onions and carrots. Seasoning vegetables and herbs from cavity of turkey (if used), may also be added. Cover with water, to within 2 inches of top rim of roaster. Add salt and pepper if desired.
Over medium-high heat, uncovered, bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium.
Continue to simmer uncovered until bones easily separate from each other and are completely clean of all meat. This will take 2-4 hours. As water volume reduces during first few hours of cooking, replenish water to within 2 inches of roaster's top rim. May continue to simmer longer if desired for richer flavor.
For richest stock, do not add water during last 1-2 hours of simmering. This will reduce the volume and also makes for smaller amounts to freeze for future use.
Remove bones and strain stock. (Use a piece of cheesecloth if a clearer stock is desired.)
Pour into small containers (3-4 cups each). Refrigerate overnight. Food safety note: do not skip this step. Placing the stock in smaller containers helps bring temperatures out of the "danger zone" (40 to 140 degrees F.) quickly.
Remove and discard layer of fat that rises to the top of stock. Use stock to make soups or season vegetables, or freeze for later use.
Yield
Varies depending on size of turkey and volume of water used.
Nutrition information per serving
Per 1 cup, approximately 24 calories, 1g carbohydrate, 5g protein, 0g fat, 0g saturated fat, 0mg cholesterol, 75mg sodium, 0g dietary fiber