I've never made soup from the carcass.
But I do save them and make stock.

I did read that it should be used within the next day of roasting. I never have a carcass that big, so I usually keep a bag in the freezer that I throw my chicken bones etc in. When it's full enough, I make stock.

Oh, I love the carcass, and usually make dumplings with the broth, throwing in onion, celery, some carrots.

I use it after thanksgiving. I throw in some onions, celery, carrots.. I think I even had brussel sprouts this year. I'll add some extra seasonings I had used for the turkey. I keep the stock thick and then freeze it because I'm usually burned out on turkey that week. When I want some soup, I add some more water, heat up and then add the noodles then so they are fresh and not overcooked.

I've only tried making stock this way twice. Both times, the broth was milky, and I didn't care for the smell. And I made it within 24 hours of roasting the turkey. So what am I doing wrong?

Shirley

You may be over boiling it. I believe stock made with precooked meat (vs. raw) is usually cloudier too.

I generally make soup with tons of stuff floating around in it so I'm not really going for a clear stock. Are you skimming the stuff of the top as it cooks? I'm not really sure how to "clarify a stock".

I have never done that my DH takes the carcass way down in our back gulley sets it on a rock for what ever wild life wants it. Happy holiday to them ;)

I often do it with the turkey carcass but not with chicken.
I have the turkey carcass in my freezer now, I need to make up a batch of soup soon.

I do it with chicken and turkey carcasses all the time. I make soup and/or pressure can broth for my pantry. As soon as the carcass is stripped of meat, usually while DH is doing the dishes, I put it in a stock pot to simmer. I add a little vinegar to the water, and usually onions and carrots. It needs to have a real low simmer, and you need to skim any "scum". I let it simmer for a long time, usually overnight. I even did this with our Christmas turkey even though we had 14 people here, because I'm organized, and it only takes a minute to set it on the stove.

What I do then, is I put the pan in a sink of cold water with ice cubes, remove the carcass and drop frozen pop bottles filled with water into the broth to cool it quickly. I pour the broth through a cheesecloth sieve, to take out any bits of meat, veggies or whatever. Then I put the pot in the fridge for the fat to rise to the top, when it's chilled I skim the fat. Then I warm up the pot and can my broth. I LOVE doing this.. and I use the broth for making soup, gravy, rice and all kinds of things. I do the same with beef bones, but you need more vinegar with beef. It's very healthy and I know what's in it.

Mine gets used as a gift to my furbabies - I've never used it for anything else. If I put the carcass in the frige, by the time the meat is all off it, I think it's too old for human consumption.

oh susan, your comment.. 'because I'm organized' made me laugh. I am always so unorganized when I have people over I couldn't even contemplate the thought. In fact, last time I had guests over and made turkey, I intended to give the carcass to my brother, but accidentally sent him home with something else (I'm not even sure what?)!

Wish I was more organized.

I cannot bring myself to just tossing the carcass....too much is wasted for me to do that.
We grew up so poor I got in the habit of using everything....it has served me well.
I get upset when usable stuff gets thrown away needlessly.

I use mine. Love turkey soup!

I am not really fond of the turkey carcass, but do like the chicken. I like it for dumplings.

Sue

This reminds me of my Dad. Whenever Mom made a turkey or chicken, Dad would go in the kitchen after we ate and pick all the meat from the bones. The meat was used for future meals, chicken or turkey salad or in soup. Mom made soup by boiling the bones, then adding onion, celery and carrots, salt and pepper plus the leftover meat. Sometimes rice or noodles.

I even cook the bones of supermarket rotissiere chicken. I take the skin off the chicken and save it and throw it in with the bones. It's really good if the chicken is the lemon-pepper kind! Your soup sounds good, Mush!

Yep, I do use them. I have several quarts of soup put back in the freezer that started with carcasses... good stuff it is....

Carolyn

I simmer the bones ... but why would one sieve out the pieces of meat, veggies, etc. ... unless one were going to eat them right then?

My friend who cooked a second turkey for our supper in the week after Christmas sent part it and some of the gravy home with me, and I had some of the gravy on toast last night - yummm-y!

ole joyful

Well, I simmer the veggies for hours and hours and the nutrients are left in the broth, but I don't want to can them with the broth. The meat is picked off prior to simmering, because it would be overly boiled if I left it on from the beginning.