Oh I forgot to add my friend put some roasts in the pit too and saved the juicey stuff from that for me. Should I can it. I was thinking it might be good in things like soup stew or just to make gravy with what do you think

I'm not sure what you have exactly since I don't understand the "pit" references. What are we talking about in detail? Was there no basting involved, no added liquid?

If it's jelled then I think it is mostly fat - turkey drippings - which can't be canned, but that is just a guess. If it can be heated and the fat removed then you may get some broth but I doubt it would be much.

Need more details please.

Dave

Sorry for not being clear. The turkey was put in a big metal pan with only a very small amount of water and sprinkled with some seasonings and then covered with a lid. Then this pan along with many others was put in the pit. A pit is a giant hole in the ground lined with rocks and then heated with wood/coals. This is a great way to cook meat. Kind of a pain, but worth the moist smoked flavor. So you put all the pans in the pit and then put on a giant metal cover. Then you burry it with dirt to keep the heat in. They cook like this over night 8 to 10 hours or so. Then unburry them and wah-lah. So when I opened my pan it was full of turkey falling off the bones and lots of juicy stuff. I had to leave town for a family emergency and a friend took care of it for me. He pulled off all the meat which I froze to use in soups. Then he poured all the juice in a big container for me and put it in the fridge (Sadly he threw out the bones). So coming out of the pit it looked like good juice you might make a gravy with and there was a lot of it. After being in the fridge a couple of days it has a white layer on the top which I think is fat and then under that there is a clear yellowish gel (was runny when hot) that I thought was turkey juice that I might use like broth. At the bottom some turkey pieces have settled. So I was wondering if anyone might know exactly what it was. I am an amature cook, aspiring to be more. So I am very ignorant about it all. I was hoping this juicey stuff might be turkey gold that you would tell me I was so lucky to have saved. I might just be worthy of the garbage, but I figured someone might know.

Thank you I hope I made more sense this time.
Sandy

The stock, if rich, will gel once chilled. Consome' is similar. The canned broths in stores is watered down much more. The jel stick has more protein in it. Fat will settle at the top where it can be easily spooned off once refrigerated. A pit, like smoking pit, BBQ pit??

So it's stock? Can I can it? Should I freeze it? Would you save it and use it?
Sandy

Here's a link on how to can stock or broth.
Skim that harder white fat off the top, then follow these directions.
Lucky you! Sounds like good stuff. I personally would use it just like broth in recipes. You'll just have a deeper, richer flavor than with canned, watery "stuff".

I am very familiar with pit cooking, by brother has one! YUM, YUM, YUM! Try some corn on the cob, potatoes and baked beans in there too! These can be in cast iron dutch oven (beans) or just wrapped in water-soaked old pillow cases, then in water-soaked burlap bags. What a treat!

Deanna

Here is a link that might be useful: Canning stock

The stock is up to you on what to do. If you enjoy soups, it would freeze quite well, and not use up canning jars and need a lot of processing in a pressure canner. Here, I will end up with half a gallon of stocks and freeze for a long time. I use it to make hot and sour soup, gravies, and even injection into raw poultry for roasting and giving more juiceiness. For broth that has herbs and such, I would suggest adding garlc, onion, thyme, carrrots, bay leaf, and any other flavor enhancer. Simmer for several hours covered. Once simmered in these, they should be strained out before you freeze it.

Ooo yummy! Maybe next year I'll grow enough corn to throw some in the pit too. The beans and taters sound great! Thanks for the advise. I think I will scoop off the fat heat it up and add the herbs and such then can half and freeze half then next year I'll know which one I liked better. Thanks again!
Sandy

Be sure to strain out the herbs and vegetables once they have been simmering a couple of hours. The solids don't need to be in there anymore as they get quite mushy anyway. If its poultry stock, also add some celery stalks alonng with the rest of the vegetables and a few sage leaves if you like. Suggest that you don't add any salt, as that can be added afterwards, when its being used in a recipe.

If you are canning this rich stock, I'd leave it as is and can plain. There's already tremendous flavor from the poultry.

Canning alters the flavors of some herbs. Whatever you add at time of use is going to be fresher, more flavorful and more appropriate to the recipe you're making.

Carol

One question - how long was this sitting in the fridge? How long between the initial cooking and the canning?

Because of all the potential bacteria associated with turkey the recommended fridge storage time is 3-4 days max. for turkey meat products, 1-2 days for broth.

So is it possible that this is now too old to process safely?

Dave

Here is a link that might be useful: Food Safety of Turkey

First: i agree with Dave's caution.

Second: Assuming that it's OK..... This gel -- from the bottom of any roasted meat -- is the really good stuff that you definitely want to save to add to gravies, soups, etc as an added flavor punch. I'd save it as it is; I freeze this gel in ziplock bags so it is flat, then I break off a piece to add to something I'm cooking. This is the good stuff that is hard to come by.