Stock Tips...

[Bluetree]

Every couple of months, I make a whole pot of turkey stock and Thanksgiving is no different. I use it in the gravy, the stuffing and anything else that needs some kind of liquid.

My turkey stock consists of water, lots of turkey wings (roasted golden brown first), celery stalks, whole onions, carrots, a spring of rosemary and thyme and a few whole peppercorns. In a giant stock pot, I slowly simmer the concoction for almost a full day. By the end of the day, the stock is so rich you can add a bit of salt and it's as good as soup as anything. But since there usually is so much available, here's a good tip: Freeze it.

Freeze some stock in ice cube trays. Once frozen, store the cubes in a freezer bag. Next time you have to open up a can on Campbell's soup or ramen, pop in a few cubes of stock into the water. It'll make your soup richer and tastier.

Freeze stock in 1-cup portions. I measure out one cup portions into Ziploc containers and freeze them. Next time I have a recipe that calls for a cup of stock, I can use "real" stock instead of the canned kind.

Freeze larger portions for soups. Again, I like the Ziploc containers. Next time homemade soup is in order, I can just defrost it, add a few meats or veggies with some spices and it's good to go.

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving everyone!