Next week, a golden turkey will adorn the tables at many Thanksgiving celebrations. And for days after, many will enjoy Thanksgiving leftovers. However, after the leftovers are eaten, what do you do with the leftover turkey bones? Thanksgiving leftovers like this calls for the warm richness of homemade turkey broth.

There’s nothing like homemade broth (in our case, we are technically making stock). The savory taste can enhance many different homemade meals. This stock can not only be used in soups and stews, but also adds amazing flavor to sauces, stir fries, casseroles and grains (see 25 uses for stock here). While this post features turkey, chicken works here as well!

And, it’s pretty easy to do, especially if you make the stock in the slow cooker“. You can leave it all day (or night) and end up with delicious, rich turkey stock in the end.

Here’s a recipe you can use in the slow cooker:

Ingredients for homemade turkey broth:

Leftover bones from your Thanksgiving turkey
2-3 carrots
2-3 celery stalks
2 cloves of garlic, smashed
1 yellow onion
1 bay leaf
1 tablespoon rosemary
½ tablespoon thyme
½ tablespoon black pepper
1 tablespoon (a little splash) of cider vinegar (optional)

Note: I do not add salt to my stock. This allows me a “clean slate” when I use it later in other recipes.

How to make homemade turkey broth

1. Clean your vegetables.

2. Roughly chop up all of your veggies into 3-4(ish) in pieces (so that they fit in the pot).

3. Place your veggies, bones, and spices into your slow cooker.

4. Pour tap water into your pot until your ingredients are fully covered and the pot is full.

5. If you choose, add a splash (about 1 a tablespoon) of apple cider vinegar. Some traditional recipes recommend vinegar to draw minerals out of the bones.

6. Place the top on the slow cooker.

7. Turn the slow cooker to “high,” and allow stock to cook for up to 12 hours.

8. After 12 hours, strain the stock from the chopped ingredients into a glass bowl, and cover.

9. Let the stock cool in the refrigerator for a couple of hours. This will allow the fat to rise to the top of the stock and harden.

10. Take a small skimmer and skim fat off the top.

11. Pour the cooled stock into glass jars or freezer bags. To prevent wasting stock, store it in containers small enough for you to use the stock in various recipes over the next couple of months.

12. Freeze safely for 2-3 months.

* If you don’t have time to make stock during Thanksgiving week, simply place the bones in a large resealable freezer bag and throw in the freezer for a time when you can make stock!

How do you use homemade turkey broth? Let us know by commenting below!

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