How to Properly Store Homemade Turkey Stock for Maximum Freshness

Making homemade Turkey Stock is an easy way to extend delicious holiday leftovers. Use it for turkey soup or freeze it for later!

Post holiday leftovers are always a beloved way to extend the celebrating just a little bit longer.

A fabulous and EASY way to do this when turkey has been served is to make some homemade Turkey Stock.

It’s rich with flavor, easy to store or freeze and a perfect jumping off point for making homemade soups.

Though this post is focusing on turkey stock, many of the fundamentals are the same of making any type of stock.

Making your own turkey stock from leftover bones and scraps after a holiday meal or roast turkey dinner is a great way to reduce food waste. Simmering the bones, veggies, and aromatics yields a rich, flavorful broth perfect for soups, gravies, risottos, and more. But like any perishable food, proper storage is key to preserving your homemade turkey stock and keeping it safe to eat. Follow these tips on the best ways to store, freeze, and reheat turkey stock for maximum freshness and flavor.

Cool the Stock Completely Before Storing

The first important step is allowing the stock to cool down fully before storing it. Hot stock should never go straight into the fridge or freezer. The drastic change in temperature can lead to bacteria growth.

Here’s how to cool stock

Strain the solids out of the hot stock through a fine mesh strainer.
Place the strainer over a large bowl and let the stock drip through slowly Don’t force or squeeze the solids as that can make the stock cloudy
Once strained, transfer the stock to a clean container. A large glass or ceramic bowl works well.
Let it come to room temperature, then place in the fridge uncovered The stock should reach refrigerator temperature within 1-2 hours
Refrigerate overnight so the fat solidifies on top. In the morning, skim off and discard the fat with a spoon.

Your cooled, de-fatted turkey stock is now ready for storage!

Refrigerate for Up to 4 Days

For short term storage, keep homemade turkey stock in the fridge for 3-4 days max. Here are some tips:

Use clean, airtight glass or plastic containers. Mason jars work perfectly.
Fill containers to the rim to eliminate air pockets where bacteria can grow. Leave about 1 inch of headspace if freezing.
Cover and label containers with the type of stock and date made. Store in the back of the fridge.
If the stock starts to smell funky or look cloudy, it’s gone bad. When in doubt, throw it out!
For maximum flavor and freshness, use refrigerated stock within 3-4 days.

Freeze for Up to 6 Months

Freezing is ideal for longer term storage and keeping turkey stock on hand. Follow these freezing tips:

Cool stock completely before freezing. Freeze in portion sizes based on how you plan to use it.
Mason jars, plastic freezer containers, or heavy duty zip top bags all work for freezing liquid. Leave 1 inch headspace.
exclude all air and seal containers tightly. Air causes freezer burn.
Label bags/containers with type, amount, and date frozen. Place flat in the freezer.
Frozen stock stays fresh and flavorful for 4-6 months. Don’t exceed this or quality declines.
Thaw overnight in the fridge or quickly in a water bath. Never thaw at room temp.
Use thawed stock within 3-4 days. Don’t refreeze after thawing.

Can the Stock for Shelf Stable Storage

Canning turkey stock makes it shelf stable so it can be stored at room temperature. Follow these canning tips:

Use a pressure canner and proper canning technique. Improper canning can harbor botulism bacteria.
Choose glass canning jars and self sealing lids. Follow manufacturer instructions.
Leave 1 inch headspace at the top of each jar. Wipe rims clean.
Process pint or quart jars for 25 minutes at 10-11 PSI per your altitude.
After processing, allow jars to seal and cool. Check lids have sealed properly.
Label jars with contents and date. Store in a cool, dark place up to 1 year.
Inspect jars before use. Don’t use if seal is broken, contents look abnormal, jar is leaking, etc.

How to Use Turkey Stock

Homemade turkey stock is endlessly versatile in cooking and adds rich flavor. Here are some delicious ways to use it:

Soups – Turkey noodle, turkey rice, turkey vegetable, chowders, etc. Add cooked turkey meat.
Sauces & gravies – Use as the liquid for pan sauces, gravy from drippings, turkey pot pie filling.
Risottos & pilafs – Cook rice in turkey stock instead of water for added flavor.
Stews, chilis, braises – Turkey stock builds a flavorful base.
Casseroles and savory pies -Turkey stock gives great taste to any baked dish.
Poach or braise vegetables, eggs, fish, poultry in stock.
Drink plain warmed stock as a nutritious cup of soup broth.

With proper storage techniques, your homemade turkey stock can feed you delicious meals for months to come. Follow these tips on cooling, refrigerating, freezing, and canning to get the most out of your stock making efforts.

how to store turkey stock

What is Turkey Broth?

Turkey broth is made in a similar way to turkey stock but DOES include meat. Technically, broth is a liquid that has had meat simmered in it.

Preparing broth CAN contain bones but doesn’t have to. It DOES have to contain meat in the simmering.

Broth is often flavored with seasonings so could be sipped or used as a soup base.

If you’ve made stock or soup from scratch you may have run into the term ‘mirepoix’. Mirepoix is a French term pronounced ‘meer-pwaa’.

Mirepoix is a combination of chopped vegetables which are sautéed on lower heat in butter or oil. It is used as a flavor base for soup or stews.

The vegetables are NOT browned or cooked until caramelized or translucent in the case of onions.

The classic mirepoix trio is: carrots, celery and onion.

We are using this in the turkey stock recipe.

Turkey Stock vs Turkey Broth

The terms ‘stock’ and ‘broth’ are often used interchangeable but they aren’t exactly the same thing.

Canning Rich Turkey Broth!

FAQ

Should turkey stock be covered or uncovered?

Do you simmer this stock uncovered? A. Yes, but don’t let it simmer too hard (a bare simmer is best) because you don’t want the liquid to reduce too quickly. In fact, if you have the time, you could partly cover the pot with the lid.

Can I leave turkey stock on the stove overnight?

Continue to cook the stock at a low simmer until flavorful, at least 12 hours or up to 24 hours.

Can you freeze turkey stock in glass jars?

Step #6: Portion turkey stock into glass jars for freezing (See jars photo below). For the portion that you plan to freeze, you’ll want to make sure that it’s room temperature before putting in the freezer. This is to keep the glass jars from cracking from the drastic change in temp!

Does turkey bone broth go bad?

If you follow a typical recipe, then bone broth will last around 5 days in the fridge and up to 12 months if stored in the freezer. However, there are some things you can do to extend the best-buy date to 7-8 days in the fridge and 24 months in your freezer.