Don’t toss the turkey (carcass!)

Thanksgiving dinner – family and friends join together to enjoy one another’s company, as well as the year’s grandest display of comfort food. Momma’s mashed and sweet potatoes, gravy, green bean casserole, Cal’s pesto spinach salad, fruit salad, Mamoo’s fresh-baked rolls, the cranberry sauce you always wonder who actually eats it, and Gram Pam’s raspberry jello dish and mushroom rice, collectively decorate the table. But not to distract from the star of the show: the turkey.

Ah, the beloved turkey. The element that receives the most attention and care throughout the day. Constant check-ins to re-coat with liquid, making sure it remains moist and flavorful as it cooks to a crispy golden brown finish.

A highly anticipated meal that is always short-lived. A day’s worth of creations gobbled up in mere minutes. Dinner concludes all too quickly, with a tablescape that is much more empty and desolate than it was forty five minutes ago. All that remains of bowls that were brimming with food, are a few remnants stuck to the side of the dish. Everyone is suddenly much quieter and glossy-eyed, with the occasional “that was delicious”, and “I’m so full” escaping their lips. While we try hard to Mindfully Feast, we fight the urge to cash in on a little nap before Round 2, dessert (did someone say pumpkin pie?!).

But as the dishes are cleared from the table and what’s left is packaged up for the coveted post-Thanksgiving snacks, a glance at the turkey carcass leaves you wondering who’s going to pack it outside to the trash.

Hold on. DO NOT throw that carcass away. There are some serious nutrients and deliciousness sitting there! Yes I’m talking about that sad-looking, picked-over carcass.

Before you write me off as crazy (if you haven’t already) I’ll let you in on my secret to carcass recycling (oh my god, no I am not Ted Bundy) –

BONE BROTH!! (Okay I said that in Oprah’s giveaway voice. Get excited people. No you didn’t just get a Porsche for showing up and reading, but you are about to get some knowledge. Basically the same thing.)

Like clothes and fashion, food is very trendy. In the last couple years we’ve all seen collagen powders and products, and told it was THE NEXT BEST THING.

Okay, fair, collagen is great for you. It is a very necessary component of our bodies. It is the “most abundant protein in your body” and is found in our tendons, bones, skin, teeth, etc. (healthline).

But is a powder purchased at the store the best way to get collagen?

Hard no.

Based on the research I’ve done (Dr. Beer here, aka do some research, too), the best way to get collagen, nutrients, vitamins, prebiotics, and probiotics is through food. Food presents these key pieces to our health puzzle in the most bioavailable and absorbable form. So walk away from the supplement aisle and let me tell you how to harvest your own darn collagen.

Ingredients:

• Turkey bones/carcass (I’ve also done this with beef and chicken bones)
• Carrots
• Celery
• Onion
• Garlic
• Bay leaves
• 1-2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• Salt and pepper
• Water
• Crock pot
• You can also add in whatever vegetables you need to use up from your fridge. This is a great way to clean the fridge without being wasteful!

Instructions:

1. Once you have pulled all the meat you can salvage off of your turkey carcass, it’s time to make bone broth! Don’t feel like you need to get every scrap of meat off the carcass, some meat helps your broth to be more nutritious and flavorful.
2. Get your crock pot out and fill it about half full of turkey bones/ carcass.
3. Chop up your carrots, celery, onion, and garlic. There is no specific amounts of each needed, I usually do a handful of each carrots and celery (what will fit in the next to the bones). I use about half an onion and sprinkle the onion rings across the top. I chunk up a couple cloves of garlic and toss those in, too. I limit the amount of onions and garlic I add so my broth is not too strong (made that mistake once!).
4. This was the first time I’ve used bay leaves, they’re very optional! I added just a couple of them for flavor. You could also add another herb of your choice, I always thought rosemary would be a good addition.
5. Add your 1-2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar (no you won’t taste the vinegar!).
6. Season with salt and pepper, I go with my heart here, if you need a measurement go with 1/4 teaspoon of each.
7. Fill the pot with water, turn on low, and let it cook for 24-36 hours!

24-36 hours later…

• Cheese cloth or strainer
• Ladle or measuring cup
• Bowl (preferably one with a pouring lip)
• Mason jars and lids

1. Your broth should be a rich brown color with a very distinct smell (you’ll know it when you smell it). Warm and pleasant, but definitely meaty and “cooked”.
2. I hold my strainer over my bowl and scoop out the liquid from the crock pot with my measuring cup. I run the liquid through the strainer to catch any of the vegetables or bigger meat particles. If you’re using a strainer you will likely get some smaller chunks in your liquid, no need to worry. You likely won’t notice them when you drink it or cook with it.
3. Once I have extracted all the liquid I can, I pour it into my mason jars. I use smaller jars and fill them to different heights. This is so I can pull a jar from the freezer based on how much I need for the recipe or drink I’m incorporating it into.
4. When I have my mason jars full I go ahead and tighten the lids, and put them in the freezer. If I plan on using the broth in the next couple days I will leave it in the fridge. (If I am taking broth out of the freezer to use I will heat it up in the microwave to get it back to a liquid state. If you’re drinking versus cooking with the broth I suggest scooping the top layer of fat off, otherwise it is pretty oily.)
5. There are different things you can do with the remnants left in your crock pot, I typically throw them away (which feels very wasteful) or you could compost the vegetables. If you have other recommendations, leave them in the comments! I would love to find a way to recycle the vegetables and bones even farther.
6. Now that you have your bone broth you can use it to sip like a tea (this was challenging for me, the first broth I made was beef with lots of onions and garlic, very strong!). You can also use it in place of water when cooking rice, as stock for stew or beans, essentially anywhere you would use stock or broth. It is a flavorful, extremely nutritious, and a homemade way to replace store-bought stock and broth!

Ah, I hope you enjoy! And that it wasn’t too weird savoring some bones. I have heard so many great things about bone broth and its extensive list of benefits. Personally, I just love being able to utilize the entire animal and get the most absorbable form of nutrients possible. Anytime I can make something at home versus buying it, I am in! Fortunately for me, this year we had a company potluck where I was able to steal myself a little pre-Thanksgiving carcass. I can’t wait to add a little extra turkey-tastiness and nutrients into all of my dishes for our Thanksgiving feast.

While we are enjoying one another’s company, let’s not forget to express our thanks – thanks to cherished friends and family, thanks to the ability to gather together, for the roof over our heads, the food before us, and the love between us.

Cheers.