Old-fashioned Turkey Bone Broth

Ingredients:

leftover turkey bones or carcass from a roasted turkey

one onion (yellow or white), quartered

4-6 cloves fresh garlic, smashed

1/2 c chopped fresh herbs (I used parsley and thyme combination; rosemary works too!)

sea salt to taste

water

Directions:

On the stove:

• Place the turkey bones, onion, garlic, and wine into a large stockpot. Cover with water by two inches, and then bring it to a boil over medium-high heat. Immediately turn down the heat to medium-low, and keep at a bare simmer for 4 to 6 hours.

• Toss in the parsley and thyme, and then let it continue to simmer about 30 minutes. Strain the broth, and transfer to a jar.

In an InstantPot:

• Place the turkey bones, onion, and garlic into the insert of your InstantPot. Pour in the wine, and then fill the insert with water to the max line. Seal, and then pressure cook for 2 hours, Allow the pressure to release naturally.

• Unseal the InstantPot, and then toss in the parsley and thyme. Seal, and then pressure cook for 5 minutes. Strain the broth, and then transfer it to a jar.

In a slow cooker:

• Arrange the turkey bones, onion, and garlic into the insert of your slow cooker. Pour in the wine, and then pour in water to the max fill line. Cook over low heat for 6 hours, and then toss in the herbs. Continue cooking a further 30 minutes.

• Strain, and then transfer the broth to a jar.

Bone broth hacks:

If you can boil water, you can make bone broth. It’s painlessly simple and a foundational culinary technique that can help build confidence in the kitchen (while keeping your fridge full of delicious and nourishing foods). But, there are a few things you need to keep in mind to make sure it consistently comes out good every time you make it.

• Use the leftover frame of a roasted turkey. Roasting enhances the development of flavor, especially the savory flavors. If you’re using raw bones in this recipe, roast them at 400 F for about 30 minutes first.

• Let it come to a boil, then immediately turn down the heat when you’re cooking this recipe on the stove. Rapid and prolonged boiling can damage the proteins and emulsify the broth, resulting in a greasy texture, off-flavors, and a bone broth that doesn’t gel.

• Onions and garlic work well, but avoid adding other vegetables. Carrots and other sweet root vegetables can make the broth taste too sweet, while cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli can make it taste bitter.

• Add just enough water to cover the bird by an inch or two. The amount you add will depend on the size of your stockpot but is typically about 3 quarts. For an InstantPot or slow cooker, pour in enough water to meet the max fill line.

• Add herbs toward the end of cooking. Their flavor will taste brighter, cleaner, without overpowering the broth. For the stovetop and slow cooker methods, that means you should add them in the last 20 to 30 minutes. If you’re using n InstantPot or another electric pressure cooker, allow the turkey bones and other ingredients to cook, let the pressure release naturally, and then toss in the herbs and pressure cook again for a few minutes before straining.

• Salt your broth at the very end. As the broth cooks, its liquid will evaporate and concentrate the flavor of salt. So, if you add salt too early in the process, your turkey bone broth runs the risk of being too salty. Instead, add it to taste at the very end or right before you serve it.

• To store the broth, adjust seasoning with salt as you like it. Serve the strained broth immediately, or store it in a mason jar for up to 1 week in the refrigerator and up to 6 months in the freezer. If freezing, allow at least 2 inches of headspace. Before long term storage, allow broth to fully cool in the fridge, then move jars to the freezer for longer term storage.

Serving suggestion: Serve warm in a mug. Add a pat of butter, sea salt and fresh ginger to taste. Sip and enjoy!