Something From Nothing: Turkey Stock

Okay, so it's not really something from nothing, but it is something useful made out of stuff you would have otherwise thrown out.

I like to make my own turkey stock to keep on hand.  It is easy, practically free, and I have control over what goes in it (no MSG, for example).

To make your own turkey stock, you really only need two things:  turkey bones and water.  You can certainly add aromatics like onions, garlic, carrots, and celery, and you can add salt and seasonings if you want, but I like to keep it simple.

After cooking and consuming a turkey, I put the bones and leftover skin in a large ziplock bag and pop it in the freezer until I am ready to make stock.  I almost always make stock during the winter months so I don't have a pot simmering on the stove all day during the summer.

The bones go in the stock pot.

Just add water.

I don't add salt to my stock so I have control over the sodium content of my finished recipes.  Sometimes I add a few bay leaves and some whole peppercorns.  I simmer my stock for eight to 12 hours, and boy, does it make my house smell good!

At the end of the day, I fish as many of the bones out of the stock as I can using tongs.

Then I pour the stock through a cheese cloth-lined colander into another large container.

I use clothespins to keep my cheese cloth in place.

At this point the stock needs to be cooled down.  This is another reason I make stock in the winter:  I can just put the pot out on the deck.  The world is my refrigerator (or freezer)!  I cool the stock outside overnight, then skim the fat off with a spoon.

I used to package the finished stock either in containers or freezer bags and store it in the freezer.  This took up tons of freezer space, and I found I was reluctant to use the stock since I had to plan ahead and thaw some out.  Now I can it, so I have jars of home made stock ready to go at a moment's notice!

If you choose to can your stock, it is important that you use a pressure canner, and be sure to follow the directions that come with it.  I canned this batch and gave it to my mother in law for Christmas, because I'm the type of person who gives turkey juice to her mother in law.

The batch size depends on how large your stock pot is.  I get 12 quarts out of one batch.

You can also make stock in a crock pot, if you prefer.  Just put your bones and water in your crock pot and leave it on low all day (or overnight).

Cranberry Sauce

About a month ago I got an email from a local garden center about cranberries.  They would be selling five-pound boxes of Wisconsin-grown cranberries, and they were accepting preorders.  Deciding that this was a fabulous idea, I ordered one box.

Then I got my cranberries.

Five pounds is a lot.  I decided to make it all into cranberry sauce.

Once upon a time, I ate cranberry sauce from a can, and it was fine.  Then, one day, I came across a recipe for cranberry sauce in a magazine, and I thought I would give it a try.  It was easy, and so very, very good.  I never looked back.  I am now a cranberry sauce snob.  Sorry.  The original recipe was from the magazine Everyday With Rachael Ray.  I have tinkered with it just a little, mostly to cut down on the refined sugar that you need to add in order for this to be edible.

Here's what you need:

(I am giving you the quantities for a normal batch of sauce, not a "hey, I just bought five pounds of cranberries, now what?" size batch.)

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 2 teaspoons finely chopped ginger
• The grated zest and juice from one orange
• Enough water to bring your total liquid to one cup (with orange juice)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 12-ounce bag fresh cranberries

Zesty!

Wash your cranberries, and grate your orange peel.  A microplane works best, but I used my box grater since I had to zest so very many oranges.

Juicy!

Juice your naked orange(s).  Pour the orange juice into a measuring cup and add enough water to get a total volume of one cup. 

Peel and dice your ginger.  Did you know that a spoon actually works best for peeling ginger?  It's true.  If you don't want to have small chunks of ginger in your sauce, feel free to grate it instead.  Assemble your spices.

Everything goes in the pot.  I had to use my giant stock pot, you can use a medium saucepan for your normal little batch.  Turn on the heat and stir until the sugar has dissolved.  Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until the berries have popped and the sauce has thickened.

Since I am making such a mondo batch of sauce, I use this time to get my canner and gear all set up.  If you look closely, you will see that I turned the wrong burner on to keep the water in the canner at a simmer.  Oops.

Stir the sauce occasionally.  You really don't want to burn the sugar.  You can see some of the berries are starting to pop here. 

Saucy!

The sauce is done!  Transfer to a bowl and allow to cool.  You can keep this in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.  If you want to can your sauce, load hot jars, leaving a half inch head space.  Wipe the jars and seal with two-piece lids.  Place in a boiling water canner for 15 minutes (up to 1000 feet above sea level, longer if you live at higher elevations).

I now have more than enough cranberry sauce to get me through the holidays!  I hope you give this recipe a try.