Turkey Carcass Rendering

Did you know most folks trow away the carcass of the thanks giving turkey. Well after I carve mine and set it out on the platter, I refrigerate the carcass for the next day to get the rest of the meat off of it. You will be surprised how much meat is still on there. Your hard earned dollars down the trash. A birds short lived life thrown out without the full appreciation of all that it has to give to sustain you and your family.

After the carcass is well cooled I begin my work.
Begin by removing the thighs, and slicing the meat off of it.
then remove all the waste (skin and marble of fat)
Now as you remove the easy to get to meats put the bones that have all the meat adhering to them in a big pot.
Fill your pot with good water. Boil it for 1 1/2 to 2 hours. The meat will just fall off easy. Save the liquid this is a soup makers gold.

At this point I have around 5 cups of good meat for stove top meals and sliced for sandwiches as well. Put this meat up in the refer for now. (later at the end of the stock process it is a good idea to cover the meat in broth before freezing. Great soup starters or enchiladas etc.

While this is cooking cut up any left over root veggies you have. The butt from the celery (wash it) These veggies are just for flavoring and supplementing your stock. They will be tossed at the end of process. This is a basic soup stock starter. No need to peal the carrots. I have a very large white onion, 1 leek, some left over raw broccoli, the celery butt from my stuffing and an entire head of garlic heads. I take the skin off my garlic just because it makes it easier for me later.

Now I bag all this washed and coarse cut roots and such.

Put it in the ice box for later.

Cover with water as needed for it will evaporate.

See how rich it is already!

Next process. Using a slotted spoon if you have one or a tongs first for the big bones remove the bones, pull of the meat as you go if it comes easy. Set meaty bones aside. Now strain out all the meat from the broth, set aside to cool a little . (or a lot if you have tender hands). Clean off all the meat from your bones. Toss the bones in the baggie that the veggies were in. This is good practice and recycling too. As I put the meat into a plastic storage container I remove any skin, bone or blood form the meat. (I do not eat blood).

All the while now the veggies are boiling. Tomorrow I will strain out all the veggies. I will then have a very rich soup stock to use as a base for the soup that Dash requested for supper tomorrow night. I will continue the lesson then.

I rendered about 6 cups meat off the boil
and about another 5 cups meat off the slice
That is 11 cups ladies, that was not tossed out as so many do. Yes, It is a bit of work but so is driving to the office each day earning the money no one wants to throw away.
The 24 (apx) pound bird fed 23 and that is with seconds and thirds for a few. We had another 8 plates off of it too. We also made turkey enchiladas tonight with left overs. I paid $12. I think for the bird @ .49cent a pound

Oh The things we do for love...
I feel honored to have the foods set before me to prepare. When I was a child we were not so fortunate. Taken for granted are the things before us. It is often in desperation that folks stop to realize what they can do with what they have.
Why wait, stave off desperation with being a grateful partaker of all that is good. Even if it might require a little more effort. I'll tell you what, The food scientist have devised ways to offer these flavors to restaurant customers.Taste great but it is like eating poison. This is how we old school girls do it. Generation to generation.

It smells so good in here!