Thanksgiving has come and gone again. Leftovers seem to make the laughter and joy last a little longer. BUT. I also love getting all that I can out of that bird. I paid $80 for a delicious, organic, pasture raised 22lb turkey. We bought it from a farm nearby, hoping to focus more on eating local this year. Its meat was delicious, but the bones are GOLD. Each year I get everything I can out of our turkey, but my favorite is always the bone broth.
Once we pick all the meat off, the entire carcass and some of the roasted vegetables go in a large stock pot. Add onions and carrots if you don’t have roasted vegetables. Fill with water. I boil that bird for 24 hours. Your broth will be cloudy and golden when done.
Don’t skimp on time here, it takes all those hours to get the nutrients out. The joints break down, the bones start to disintegrate, the vegetables mostly disappear into this broth. This is bone broth; not just water boiled with a little meat, but a broth filled with marrow and protein, glucosamine and minerals.
Once you are done boiling your broth, strain out all the bits with a fine strainer and chill. Once the broth is chilled, all fat will float to the top. Skim that off and chuck it (unless you like to cook with it – some love the flavor – I don’t use it enough to keep it). Divvy into usable portions and freeze up to 1 year – I like to use the quart tubs you get when you order wonton soup from the Chinese food restaurants. Once done, you’ll have several gallons of nutrient-rich, organic turkey bone broth.
Bone broth is extremely nutritious and it has helped keep my freakishly tall husband’s joints healthy while he tries to destroy them running obstacle course races across the country. It also works perfectly as a regular broth replacement in recipes. We like to sip some from a mug when it’s cold outside. Cheers!
Crafty Bridge 