Homemade Turkey Stock

Making your own stock at home is as easy as throwing veggie scraps into a large pot and letting it simmer away. It's a great way to use up any dying herbs and extra carrots and celery in the fridge after roasting a turkey. It takes almost zero effort and leaves you with a flavorful stock that you can store in the freezer until you're ready to make your next batch of turkey noodle soup. 

What are the best vegetables for stock?

Traditionally, onions, carrots, and celery are used to make stock but that doesn't mean they have to be the ONLY ones. It's great to use leftover scraps for stocks so that you are able to limit food waste. We chose to add leeks and garlic to our stock because we had some in the kitchen, but if you don't want to buy leeks just for stock, you can skip it! 

Feel free to swap out herbs as well. Try not to pick anything that's too overpowering or flavor limiting like dill or cilantro. These will take over the flavor of your stock. Herbs like parsley, thyme, rosemary, and chives are perfect. 

How long does stock need to cook for?

For flavorful stock we recommend simmering it for at least 3 hours. There's no true need to go much longer than that or you'll just start to lose volume on how much you'll end up with. 

How long will stock keep?

Stock is the perfect thing to store in your freezer! After letting your stock cool to room temp you can store in the refrigerator for 2 weeks or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Set it out in the fridge the night before you plan to use to defrost or place it in a pan of barely simmering water to thaw out quickly!

What can I make with this turkey stock?

Basically anything you'd make with chicken stock (which is a lot!). One of the best uses of turkey stock is turkey gravy and that can be used to top something like poutine or stuffing. Or you can make a time-tested classic Turkey Tetrazzini. Whatever you do, don't let this stock go to waste.

Made this recipe? Let us know how it came out in the comments below!