Turkey Trotter Broth

Yes, you read that right.  No I haven't lost my mind.

In my quest to produce more nourishing foods, I have been introduced to the concept of using the feet of poultry in stock.  I've been butchering chickens, turkeys, and ducks....and wasting one of the most healthful part of the birds.  The feet have more glucosamine and chondroitin than any of their other bones.  As someone with chronic joint problems, this is huge.  Supposedly, drinking a cup of this a day will keep the aches and pains at bay.  After a lot of research, here is the method I've chosen to make the stock.  Since I had 6 turkeys to process, it seemed like a perfect time to give it a try.

First, you peel the feet.  Yes, you heard that right.  Just like you scald the birds to make feather removal easier, you can scald the feet to remove the thick outer skin on the feet.  This step helps me get past the thought....of where these feet have been...

I use pliers to pull off the nails, the outer layer pops right off.  What you end up with is squeaky clean turkey feet....

I know, it takes some time to get past the thought.

But as healthful as this broth is, and if it helps my old achey joints.....I'll eat the feet!

The next step is the soak.  This step helps extract the minerals from the bones.  Use a good quality organic apple cider vinegar, about a tablespoon for each 2 quarts of cold filtered water.  Place the feet in a slow cooker, and cover with water...add the vinegar and allow it to soak for an hour.

You can make the stock on the stovetop or in a slow cooker.  I chose the slow cooker just so that I didn't tie up my stovetop for 2 days.

Next I introduce the cast of characters.  The usual suspects for making stock, carrots, onions, celery, garlic, with a bit of dried red chili flakes...

Rough chop the veggies, add a handful of black peppercorns, some dried sage, sea salt (I don't usually salt to my stock, but since I will be drinking this rather than cooking with it....it got salt). 

By the way, the carrot tops and celery bottoms all go out to the greenhouse; I plant them in the aquaponics system and let them grow all over again...

Fennel will grow from the cut-off bulb also, but you have to put it in a dry end of the system since it's more prone to rot.  Again, no waste.

You have to stay busy while waiting for the stock.  This is no instant procedure....you are extracting the gelatin and minerals from bones.  After about 24 hours of cooking at a low boil, the stock looks like this...

Give it another 12 hours at a low boil, and it looks like this...

You want that rich brown color...but more importantly look at the color of the bones....the minerals have been pulled out and the bones will actually crumble when you mash on them.  Strain.....

The result is a very rich, gelatinous stock...with very little fat.  I started with a gallon of water added at the beginning of the process.  That's a 2 quart jar. 

Imagine the flavor of a good turkey pot pie...in liquid form.  Once you smell and taste this stock, you will get past the thought....