Turkey Bone Broth

I was so proud of my Turkey this Christmas!! It was literally falling off the bone when The Daddy started slicing it. Read more about it here.

I had been trying to convince myself to make bone broth for a while now and my Christmas present (a beautiful teal enamel 25qt stock pot) was dying to be used again. I used it for the first time to brine my turkey which was so exciting to me since I’ve only used brine bags before.

You can find a similar stock pot on amazon here (affiliate link), But The Daddy and Marvel picked mine up at Meijer 20% off! I went searching for the link and couldn’t find it.

I don’t know why I put it off for so long. It was super easy.

The hardest part, which wasn’t very hard at all, was making sure I got all the meat and fat off of the bones before putting them in. It can take some getting used to yanking apart a greasy carcass. Especially for someone like me who used to be too freaked out to eat any food that still had a bone attached.

I had saved all my veggie scraps from cutting up veggies for our Christmas spread in a bag in the fridge. So it was as easy as dumping them in the pot.

Seriously. So easy.

*This post contains affiliate links. This means if you purchase through a direct link I share, I receive a small commission at no extra cost to you, because you were referred by me*

All you need is:

• A large stock pot or crock pot
• Turkey carcass – with skin and meat removed
• Enough water to cover bones
• Apple cider vinegar – about a tablespoon (helps draw the minerals out of the bones)
• Salt – I use Himalayan pink salt in all my cooking for the extra minerals it provides
• Peppercorns – mine are from Thrive Market and they’re so beautifully fragrant
• Onions – I peeled off the outer layer and halved 3 small ones that were starting to grow 😉
• Veggie scraps – Mine had: washed celery scraps, broccoli stalk, garlic, and a couple baby carrots I threw in from the leftovers in our veggie tray because I didn’t have any in my bag of scraps.
• Optional: I added a bay leaf, dried savory, and thyme for extra flavor.

Now is the easiest part.

Either set and forget in low in a crock pot or put it on low in a stock pot. Stir whenever you want to check on it. It’s not very temperamental.

I’ve heard people say it smells bad when it’s cooking, but I don’t agree. I’m enjoying the soup-like smell. “It’s like Lipton landing” (“Juno” movie reference)

So far mine has been cooking for almost 24 hours. I chickened out about leaving it on the stove overnight and transferred it to my crock pot. If you are into the series This Is Us, you might understand why both of these options gave me anxiety. But I went with the one that didn’t require an open flame.

Whenever I decide it’s done, I’ll strain it out and transfer it to some jars and let it cool. I’ll also be freezing some cubes in my silicone baby food tray and transfer them to a bag in the freezer to throw into whatever dishes I please.

I picked up a tip about using a paint strainer bag or a drawstring cheesecloth bag and I found a 4-pack on Amazon here.

I’m looking forward to lots of soup for me and the kiddos. For some reason The Daddy doesn’t like soup, so that means we don’t have to share!

And now that I am no longer intimidated by the bone broth process, I’m excited to make more! I have a freezer bag of chicken bones waiting their turn.

*UPDATE: I ended up getting 6+ beautiful jars of nutrient-rich goodness! I used what was left to make turkey chili with leftovers (made like white chicken chili) and IT WAS SO DELICIOUS AND FLAVORFUL.

I also just drank it straight, but added a bit more Himalayan pink salt and some curry powder to it.

I definitely have some amends to make with my gut after all the sugary abuse it suffered over the holidays! Bone broth is the perfect peace offering!

Have you made bone broth or are you hesitant to go for it?

I’d love to hear your experience in the comments below.