Turkey stock coming out of my eyeballs (!!!!!!)

[Kuvy]

- since my Grapefruit/Eyeballs title worked so well on the last one, I thought I'd try it with this one! (LOL!)

DM-I-L gave me a GIANT turkey carcass yesterday (from our Easter dinner). I had a bag of "for stock" veggies and some chicken bones in the freezer in a ziplock, so I figured I'd make stock today.

The problem is, by the time I get around to making stock, I always end up making tons and don't know how to store it. I've got two HUGE pots simmering away on the stove right now and only two small tupperwares available for use!!

I was thinking about trying to somehow fill up a bunch of the large zip-lock bags with it and freeze them.
How do you guys do it?
Is there a special stock container that I could maybe find at a restaurant supply store?!?!?!?!


Ack :eek:

[Kathy B]

That's what all my leftover yogurt/sour cream containers are for!

[Gilgamesh37]

Boy, this has been a tough month on your eyeballs, Kuvy. I feel for your ophthalmologist... ;)

I do two different things with stock. I freeze it in ziplocs (often in the quart size ones, just cuz I find those handier)--but whichever size you use, I do think it's helpful to actually measure it and write it on the outside--"2 cups chix stock" or whatever). I like the ziplocks cuz you can lay them flat to freeze, and then stack them on their side or upright and they're so nice and neat. I do know other folks who take the ziplocks and put them in a tupperware, just so they freeze as a nice square shape. I also sometimes freeze stock in ice cube trays (if you've got one free) and then put the frozen cubes in a ziplock. Personally for stock I find the cup measurements more helpful--the ice cube tray I generally find more useful for stuff like apple juice or coconut milk (I think most ice cube trays are approx 2 Tbl per cube).

[Kuvy]

OK so I can fill up a bunch of Glad sandwich zipper bags and just stick them in the freezer to freeze, laying horizontally? Maybe I should stand them vertically inside something else to be safe, until they freeze...

[Gilgamesh37]

yep, you should just be able to lay them flat (I sometime stick them on a cookie sheet, since I have metal bar shelves in the upper part of my freezer, and I don't like them to slip through and freeze all bumpy). Just remember not to overfill them (since they get bigger when they freeze). Frankly, I've always used ziplock freezer bags, which I think may be a little heavier plastic than standard glad sandwich bags? You might want to try one test bag first, just in case.....?

[Kuvy]

Good point Gilgamesh37! Thanks I will!!!

[SweetTooth]

What will you be using all of this turkey stock for? I have lots in the freezer and don't know what to do with it.

[Gail]

First of all, let me say that the knowledge that your eyeballs are now spurting something less acidic is a great sense of comfort to me.

Secondly, I'll save you the time by asserting that just any ol' ziplock won't cut it in the fridge. I thought I'd fill up a bunch of baggies with chicken broth once. It ended up a terrible mess (and a major failure.)

[Kathy B]

Originally posted by SweetTooth
What will you be using all of this turkey stock for? I have lots in the freezer and don't know what to do with it.

Homemade stock makes a wonderful base for soup....much better than canned broth. I am sure you could sub turkey stock in any recipe calling for chicken broth or chicken stock.

[Kay Henderson]

Like Gilgamesh, I store turkey (or chicken) stock in the freezer in 1-quart Ziplok bags. (I've always used the regular ones, but I'm sure the freezer bags would work as well, maybe better.)

I agree with Kathy B on using stock as the basis of soup. I used to make a particular turkey soup after Thanksgiving each year. It was good, but I got bored with it. Now I just freeze the stock and make different kinds of soup.

You could also freeze the stock in small containers or sturdy Ziplok sandwich bags for recipes that call for a cup of chicken or turkey stock or broth. The ice cube tray idea would work as well. In small quantities like this, even without a recipe, it flavors grains and pasta nicely when substituted for water.

[gperls]

To give you an alternative that works for me, I freeze my stock in Ball jars. I use the quart size, and even vacuum them with my Foodsaver (optional step). I keep a jar in my refrigerator for everyday use. You could use the pint size jars if you didn't go thru it very fast.

I go through it pretty fast, about a quart a week, making soups, sauces, and gravies. Once it's handy to use, you'll find many ways to embellish whatever you're cooking.

[PamN]

Once you've made your stock, strained it and defatted it (I do this by leaving in the fridge overnight and scraping off the surface layer of fat), you can boil your stock down to make it more concentrated and to take less space in the freezer. I use a big wide-mouthed pot for this so it will go more quickly. I taste as it's reducing, and when it seems about right for soup, I reduce it by at least 50% more. I can add water if I'm using it for soup, and a small chunk will give a super-stock hit to a gravy that needs flavor help.

After that, I chill overnight again and the next day I have stock Jell-O jigglers I can package for freezing. Like Gilgamesh and Kay, I use plastic bags. Generally I freeze by 1-cups in zip-seal sandwich bags first (flat in a casserole dish or jelly roll pan), and then pack the little bags in a gallon freezer bag when they're frozen solid. I don't bother with ice cube trays -- I find you can break off a chunk of the stock pretty well if you just need a little; that one cup makes a nice thin layer spread out over the sandwich bag.

Just be sure to label your freezer bags so you know the stock is concentrated.

[purplefishy]

Just as a note, if you are going to pour the stock into the plastic bags, make sure they are supported. And don't leave them standing up on their own and turn around to do something else because you think the bag is stable. Its not. The evil broth will suddenly spasm, make the bag collapse, and spill all over everything. Not that I have had this happen, but I have heard of such things happen to less attentive folks . . . . .;)

[Kuvy]

I just got back from the store. I bought a 5-pack of those Glad Entree Containers - the super-cheap tupperware-type ones. $2.39, microwaveable, freezable, etc., and STACKABLE!

I probably should have bought more... Maybe I'll reduce my two giant pots-ful as PamN suggests...

Thanks again!
:D