As it is for most people the holidays are a crazy time for our family. I made this turkey stock a month ago and am only getting to post about it now! With the exception of the veg broth I use in a lot of recipes we cook with homemade stock. It’s less expensive, I know what goes into it, and the sodium level won’t rocket your blood pressure. Reading labels can be so frustrating at times. The amount of sodium in the processed foods is scary. And I love salt! This recipe works for turkey, chicken, duck, and even goose though I haven’t tried goose yet. It’s on the list. 😉
You will want a large pot, especially if you are doing this with turkey. We used our brew pot which holds a few gallons. It was deep enough if I broke up the turkey a bit. Cut off most of the meat. Some meat is ok.
Add an onion quartered and a large carrot which has been peeled and cut into large chunks. These were our last carrots from the garden. I also added a few crushed cloves of garlic.
We had frozen some celery from our garden. It worked out quite well for this application. You want the green leaves of the celery for a tasty stock. I don’t understand why the stores seem to insist on selling celery with the leaves chopped off. There is so much flavour in the leaves! It’s a main reason why we grow our own celery.
Add sea salt and pepper to taste then fill the pot up with water.
Bring to a boil then simmer for 2-3 hours.
When this is nearly done prep the jars by sterilizing them for 10 minutes in boiling water. Then fill the jars with the stock. I know a lot of people spend time skimming the stock and removing fat but given the amount of fat versus the stock amount this is a relatively low fat stock. As is works very well for us and our recipes.
While I am filling the jars I turn the heat on the water I used for the jars all the way down and toss in the rings and lids. You don’t want to boil the lids. Once the jars are filled I put the lids and rings on. I tightened then put them back into the water and bring to a boil. Once boiling I process for at least five minutes.
Once that is done I remove and tighten any rings that are loose. Then I let cool. I swear to you I took pictures of the final product. I can not find them anywhere! I checked my camera and my phone. Nada. They will probably show up down the road. 🙂
Lovely post, and very useful. I make my own stock from leftover bones of just about any meat we eat, and while I don’t sterilize and can mine, I tend to freeze it in tupperware for future use. Much, much better than anything you can buy in a store dried or concentrated or canned!
We sometimes freeze ours as well. Especially if we run out of jars!
I love making stock! I often start it at night in my crock pot, and wake up to lovely smells wafting from the kitchen.
Oh nice!
I agree, it’s ridiculous that shops cut off the celery leaves. I make my own stock too as bought stock products all taste the same – and are full of salt as you point out, as well as other additives. Coincidentally, I am thinking of roasting a goose this weekend, so will be stock making with the carcass. I usually freeze my stock, so your jarring method interests me. Thanks, Tracey
I jar what I can because our freezer is stuffed with frozen veg from our garden and local meats. It’s a large standing freezer but I take advantage of the pantry as well.
Good idea! That’s why I’m roasting a goose – they are accumulating over the season and the freezers are ful!
A good problem to have!
I love that you can your stock. Never thought of that before–smart. I was going to blog about making stock this week, too. I like to let it simmer in the crockpot.:)
I don’t think I have a crock pot. I’ll have to dig around to see as I’ve come across some recipes lately that would use one.
I have never canned my stock, always freeze it. How long does it last in the jars? I have found out something new, thank you.
If it is done right it can last quite a while. I used stock recently that I canned in 2011. No issues.
A better option than the freezer. You have got me thinking now.
I agree with Maria. I didn’t know that stock could be canned. This is a really good thing to learn. Your turkey stock sounds wonderful. It’s one of my favorite things about the Thanksgiving dinner and I find it makes a wonderful risotto. And you’re so right about celery leaves. If the stalks don’t have leaves, I won’t buy them.
Until these comments I didn’t think canning was unusual. It’s just a way to help organize the pantry. 🙂
Nothing better than a good stock. Although I have always frozen… this has given me a new idea! 🙂
It’s great because nothing needs to be thawed!
Homemade stock is always the way to go, it is just so good! I can my own too and though I have ran out and bought it, I liked homemade the best 🙂
Hey, someone else who cans it! LOL Just never thought of that being unusual. 🙂
We love our turkey stock but I usually freeze it. Putting it in jars like this is new to me. The best soup is made with turkey stock 0h, and risotto too! 🙂
I like the new look of your blog. 🙂
Thank you! I hope to do a custom one at some point. 🙂 Baby steps.
I didn’t know you could can stock! Looks delicious. And you grow your own celery in your garden? Truly amazing!! I have never tried growing my own celery. Is it hard to grow?
Celery is an interesting animal in the garden. You have to start the seeds right about now. They need a lot of heat and light and moisture. But once you get them in the garden it isn’t too bad. They just need a long time to grow. I don’t blanch my celery as it grows as I think that kills the flavour.
Hmmmm…Virginia I don’t know how I missed this one but I did. 🙁 As you know I love homemade stock of any kind for most of the reasons you mention. I also just like to play with my food. 😀 I, too, have never canned stock and love the concept. I would have thought the fat would go rancid after awhile. I don’t know if it would matter inasmuch as I never have stock last more than 3 – 4 months at best. There are so many uses for it. Typically, at any given time, we keep between 1 – 2 gallons of homemade stock in the freezer in vacuum sealed bags.
As for celery, I love celery leaves. When I want celery leaves I will buy Chinese celery but it has a different flavor than regular celery. Celery leaves go particularly well with spinach. Not trying to give us a gratuitous mention on our blog but if you like celery leaves, give this a try and let me know what you think. It’s one of our favorites.
http://remcooks.com/2012/03/22/moroccan-spinach-with-preserved-lemons-garlic-and-paprika-topped-with-goat-cheese/
The celery leaves add a wonderful dimension to this dish.
We’re going to be in trouble this season with celery leaves. Our plants didn’t make it and it’s rare to find them in the stores. I’d love to find the chinese celery, that’s intriguing. If canned well you shouldn’t have to worry about the fat in the stock. Then again we usually use up our batch in the year. We make a lot at a time! I’ll check out your recipe, thanks. 🙂