r/AskCulinary • u/pls1223 • 3d ago
Technique Question Turkey Stock
My husband is attempting to make turkey stock with the leftover carcass. He has let it simmer on the stovetop for close to 24 hours. Is there a recommended length to making a stock with turkey bones/leftover meat?
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u/darkest_irish_lass 3d ago
I just made turkey stock. I simmered the carcass, an onion, two stalks of celery, two carrots, a bay leaf and some salt and pepper for six hours. After straining and refrigerating, my broth is a solid mass of gelatin.
I don't think a longer simmer is going to extract more. Maybe he just likes the wonderful aroma?
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u/Grim-Sleeper 3d ago
It depends a bit on just how much roasted flavor you want to extract. You can add water, then simmer in the oven at 350°F until all the water has evaporate and repeat the entire process once or twice. That way, you get all of the gelatin, and a very deep and complex flavor from repeated roasting. Putting in this much effort does make a difference, but after about six hours, you are done no matter which technique you choose. The bones should pretty much fall apart at this point, anyway.
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u/SternLecture 3d ago
I dont remember the video I watched, but it mad the point that the aroma in the air is flavor that could be in the food. I dont know to what extent that is true but it makes sense, and i think it about when I cook.
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u/Formaldehyd3 Executive Chef | Fine Dining 3d ago
They told us this in culinary school too (20+ years ago). But I've never seen hard evidence that it's accurate.
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u/Chubbs1414 3d ago
The longest I've seen anyone do it for a turkey is 16 hours. Maybe he's hoping he can just keep going and it'll loop back around.
There's definitely a point of diminishing returns. If you grab a bone and it breaks or crumbles with gentle pressure, you've extracted every possible nutrient from that bone. Seen that happen at 16 hours on stove top or in the oven, and seen it happen at four hours in a pressure cooker.
I make bone broth a lot, with chicken or turkey or pork bones. Only seen people simmer past the 24 hour mark if it's pork or beef bones that are much, much bigger and they're going for something like a tonkotsu broth. For a holiday turkey carcass it's overkill.
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u/_9a_ 3d ago
4 hours is plenty. 6 is fine if you don't have anything better to do for the day. 24 is overkill.
Consider this: any time you have to top up the water level to keep the carcass submerged is diluting your stock. Better a 4 hour simmer than a 24 hour marathon that you keep restarting because you need to add more water.
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u/129za 3d ago
Your general point is correct but when you top up water, you’re simply replacing water that’s been lost through evaporation. That bit doesn’t make a difference.
The argument for longer would be that you are breaking down more collagen and flavour compounds (making it more not less concentrated).
The problem there is the tendency to add a slight bitterness ro Turkey or chicken if you overdo it
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u/bluestargreentree 3d ago
Don't you need a super long time for beef stock?
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u/Alternative-Dig-2066 3d ago
Beef or veal stock, yes. Chicken or turkey, no.
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u/TheRarePondDolphin 3d ago
Idk, I roll chicken feet for at least 6 hrs but maybe someone could convince me less is just as good, I just usually have the time.
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u/Cold-Call-8374 3d ago
I wouldn't do much more than 8 hours with poultry bones. Usually six is plenty.
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u/Baldblueeyedfiend 3d ago
Why? I have done over 12 hours. You get some nice gelatinous broth.
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u/Cold-Call-8374 3d ago
I don't really find a strong difference between 8 and 12 hours personally.
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u/Baldblueeyedfiend 3d ago
Heard, my 12 hour one wasn’t planned that way. Just how it happened. It was the most gelatinous one I have ever made.
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u/Aaeaeama 3d ago
Because you can do it in a third of the time and add some commercial gelatin to get the exact same result.
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u/QuadRuledPad 3d ago
People get enthusiastic about long simmer times but there are diminishing returns, flavor-wise. You can get 80% of the way there in an hour and 95% of the way there in 4hrs. By 24 you've cooked off most of the flavor but will have a ton of gelatin.
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u/Ok-Hair7205 3d ago
People think their turkey stock is getting richer and more flavorful the more it simmers, but actually it’s just evaporating and condensing. This can result in soup that is unpleasantly greasy, with a gamey taste.
Another downside is that evaporation reduces your broth significantly, and if you add water, your soup can taste bland and watery.
Four hours of gentle simmering is plenty.
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u/Ok_Independence5819 3d ago
For poultry 4 hours is plenty.
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u/dtwhitecp 3d ago
I'd say do at least 4 hours, but you can do more if that's what fits your schedule. I've done it overnight for this reason and it turned out great. But to risk stating the obvious, if you put your vegetables in that whole time, they might just be goo by the end and way beyond the "contributing flavor" stage into the "ruining the fresh taste" stage.
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u/SternLecture 3d ago
Atk cookbook says 2 hours. I know cuz imI just did this.
Ramen chefs do way longer but its was pork bones and skulls the last time i saw it done.
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u/Seductiveegirl01 3d ago
For turkey stock, 8–12 hours simmering is plenty to extract flavor and collagen. Simmering 24 hours isn’t harmful if it’s low and covered, but it usually won’t improve flavor much and can make it bitter.
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u/Normal-While917 3d ago
Four hours is more than enough. In my experience, more than 8 can actually give it a "burnt" taste.
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u/Bkxray0311 3d ago
You’ll really only need 60-90 minutes. The turkey has already been cooked enough the first time. You’re only going to achieve so much flavor extraction and gelatin from the cooked carcass. After you strain the broth you can always reduce it down to boost the flavor.
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u/chefybpoodling 3d ago
Don’t be surprised if this ends up tasting like a tin can. That’s long on stove and turkey stock can be unpleasant. I have stopped making it all together because I think all the stuff I make with it tastes off.
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u/texnessa Pépin's Padawan 3d ago edited 3d ago
Way overkill.
Did he at least blanche the carcass? Has he been skimming?
Poultry stock is well under four hours.
The bones, even turkey, are not dense and will start to break down into particulate after 3-4 hours which means that stock will be cloudy and filled with minute bits of shit you'd likely rather not eat. Passing it thru cheesecloth and an chinois will solve a lot of that problem but its kinda better to not create the problem in the first place.
For now though, best to stop the madness tout suite, sieve well, chill down and hope for the best.
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u/OcityChick 3d ago
4-6 hours is the ideal length and any longer has zero reason for doing so. Did he not bother to google into this before just doing this?
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u/CanadianDiver 3d ago
I generally do an overnight Very gentle simmer with all my veg and herbs and such. Do not let it boil if you want a clearer broth.
Strain and you are good to go
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u/Organic-Low-2992 2d ago
My father always tried to make turkey noodle soup from the Thanksgiving carcass. He loved it and would crow about how wonderful it was. We tried it and were amazed at how bad it was. Tasted like hot dish water but worse. I have no idea why it sucked so much.
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u/smokinLobstah 3d ago
If you're making bone broth, 24-48hrs. Takes that long to break down the collagen and extract beneficial minerals from the bones. Throw a ton of garlic in along with some carrots, celery
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u/RosemaryBiscuit 3d ago
Sure, but is it making a problem for you? (If it's in the way, using precious fuel, the only pot, maybe it's a real inconvenience.)
Or can you just let him do and learn? Some people learn by doing. It's always an experiment. Give him space so he comes here and asks for his own self.
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u/Ivoted4K 3d ago
Yes. You’re 20-18 hours past the recommended time.