As you know for the next three months I will be changing up my shopping and cooking, and comparing frugal meals to coupon frenzies. I will also be sharing some tips, tasty meals, and family favorite desserts too. To get the frugal meals party started, I thought I would share a money saver (that I know I’ve shared about a million times already).
Oh yeah! It’s time to make Turkey Stock again. This time I’m using a turkey carcass that I had in the freezer, cause you know everyone needs to keep a turkey carcass in their freezer. The last time that I made a turkey, I didn’t have any of my stock veggies on hand, so I decided to freeze the carcass. It was easy too, I double wrapped it in plastic wrap, and off to the freezer for a later date.
This last weekend I made Beef Stew, and that meant I needed to have Carrots, Celery, and Onions on hand. I remembered the turkey hanging out in the freezer, and I was just a little bit away for a stockpile of homemade stock.
This is another little tip to make those veggies stretch… I like to split my veggies into thirds. I use the leafy tops and tough celery for the stock, the middle stalks of celery make their way into the stew, and then the hearts are cut into celery sticks for the kids. I do the same with the carrots too. After I wash and peel all of them, I cut the smallest part of the carrot into carrot sticks for Dylan. The tender middle of the carrot makes its way into the stew, and the thickest part of the carrot is saved for the stock. With a little bit of prep work, you can make a little bit of veggies stretch into several dishes.
Back to the stock…
It is super easy.
You need a large pot, and if you have a stock pot insert that is great, if not a large pot and a colander to drain the stock will do just as well. You’ll also need some veggies. I like to use Carrots, Celery, one Onion (quartered), and a little bit of Garlic too. Add your picked-over till there is nothing left turkey carcass to the pot, add in the veggies, and then add enough water to the pot to almost cover the turkey, but not so much that it boils over and makes a big mess.
Bring the deliciousness to a boil, add in a little salt, pepper, and poultry seasoning. This is also a great time to add in your favorite herbs, a Bay leaf would be nice, or some thyme too. Once it is boiling, turn it down to a simmer, and let the turkey stock simmer away until the entire house smells like Thanksgiving.
I let mine simmer for a few hours, and once the veggies are completely spent, drain your stock. If you have the stock pot insert just lift the insert, and set the spent veggies in a 9 X 13 pan, or a large mixing bowl. Do be careful if you are using a colander, I would remove the turkey carcass with tongs first, and then spoon out the veggies, then run the stock through the colander, splashy burns are no fun.
Let the stock cool, and then you can freeze it in small containers to use whenever you need it.
I swap out the turkey stock for chicken stock all the time. I also like to use the Turkey stock for Turkey Noodles, and Chicken Chow Mien too, and don’t forget homemade chicken noodle soup with fresh stock is the best.
Give it a try, and enjoy some tasty savings.
