Making turkey stock w raw turkey bones? I have seen it mentioned they should be cooked first, but I have a raw carcass.

Why would making chicken stock with raw bones be good, and the same with turkey be not good?

Poodleranch
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8 Comments

QueenSashy
QueenSashy November 21, 2015
As Susan and scruz pointed out, it is really a question of what kind of broth or stock you like. Roasting bones will give you entirely different flavor profile. If you are going for light and fresh flavors, then raw bones is what you want. If you would like earthy and deeply flavored broth, you could roast the bones in the oven (375F for about 40min). Needless to say, both are wonderful.
 
scruz
scruz November 20, 2015
i think broths are lighter in both color and flavor and are made more from unroasted meat bones. i find i am preferring broths more than stocks.
 
Poodleranch
Poodleranch November 20, 2015
I feel much better now! Thanks for all the good info!
 

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Susan W.
Susan W. November 20, 2015
So many people use cooked carcasses because it often comes from a roast they've eaten. I prefer raw bones. I feel they have all of their collagen and minerals intact. I do sometimes broil or roast for a short time to add that extra flavor, but most of the time, I don't.
 
702551
702551 November 20, 2015
Nah, I usually make poultry stocks with raw bones. So do most chefs and commercial stock manufacturers.

Making stock with turkey bones will taste slightly different than with chicken bones. The two meats taste different, don't they?

It would be wise for you to taste the turkey stock as it cooks and to think about how the different flavors may or may not be suited for whatever dish the finished stock will be added to. In some cases, you'll think the turkey flavor is acceptable. For other applications, you may decide to use genuine chicken stock. No one here can make these decisions for you.

I would label it turkey stock and not chicken stock.
 
Poodleranch
Poodleranch November 20, 2015
Thanks! I think since there are so many turkey stock recipes and they are using a cooked carcass, I got nervous. I'm sticking it back in the pot!
 
702551
702551 November 20, 2015
Turkey stock recipes call for cooked carcasses because 95% of the time, that's what home cooks have. They roast an entire turkey for Thanksgiving, Christmas, whatever and have a cooked carcass. Those recipes are saying "here's how to make stock with that cooked carcass" not "this is the best way to make poultry stock."

When you use cooked poultry, the brown bits definitely affect the flavor of the stock. I've made chicken stocks countless times with differing proportions of raw and cooked chicken remmants, sometimes all raw, sometimes mostly cooked, most of the times a combination of both and it certainly makes a difference.

Personally, my preference would be to make poultry stocks with only raw bones/meat, but I find that using some cooked pieces is adequate for my needs. That's a personal judgment call based on years of making, tasting, and using poultry stock.

Just treat it like a chicken stock and move on to more interesting things.
 
Poodleranch
Poodleranch November 20, 2015
I had dumped it all in a pot with water and started heating it, but just looked on line and found a site that says it doesn't taste good that way--i took out the bones, thinking, maybe I need to roast them now--or is it too late??
 
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