Turkeys, turkeys everywhere

I am in the process of boiling my third turkey skeleton in three weeks.  It is being boiled for ninety minutes, with onions, garlic, and celery added.  When it's done and has cooled off enough for me to handle, I will spend a half-hour more picking the tidbits of meat off the bones and discarding the bones and skin.  I always get at least two cups of meat off the bones that most people would throw away.  
Once I strain the broth and have collected the meat, I put the meat in the broth and either make soup right then, or freeze it for later.  Today's batch will go in the freezer; once you have this part done, it's an easy matter to make turkey soup on some future day when you want a quick meal:  Just set it on a burner to thaw and heat up, chop a few veggies, toss in some seasonings and cook for thirty minutes, and viola! it's done.  
This particular turkey carcass was given to me by my ex-daughter-in-law.  A couple of weeks ago, a local friend I used to work with drove over with what was left of a turkey she cooked.  Yes, friends and neighbors, I have been known to take donations.  
I made soup from our Thanksgiving turkey on Tuesday, the day I was so worn out from trudging over hill and dale checking on the cow and her calf.  It was the easiest thing I could think of, since the broth was all prepared in the freezer.  I made such a big batch, I sent half of it to my daughter's family; Cliff and I ate it for two days straight.  
I have shared my Better Homes and Gardens recipe before, but here it is again.  The three vegetables I use are carrots, onion, and celery, because they are ones I always have on hand.  I add the meat to the broth at the same time I put in the veggies, although the recipe says to add it last.  After all, it boiled for an hour and a half earlier, so what is another half-hour going to hurt?

TURKEY FRAME SOUP

ingredients

• 1
  meaty turkey frame
• 8
  cups water
• 1
  large onion, quartered
• 1/2
  teaspoon garlic salt
• Chopped cooked turkey, optional
• 1
  16 ounce can tomatoes, cut up
• 1
  tablespoon instant chicken bouillon granules
• 1 1/2
  teaspoons dried oregano, basil, marjoram, or thyme, crushed
• 1/4
  teaspoon pepper
• 3
  cups (any combination) sliced celery, carrots, parsnips, or mushrooms; chopped onion or rutabagas; or broccoli or cauliflower flowerets
• 1 1/2
  cups medium noodles
  directions

  1.Break turkey frame or cut in half with kitchen shears. Place in a large Dutch oven or kettle. Add water, onion, and garlic salt. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 1-1/2 hours.

  2.Remove turkey frame. When cool enough to handle, cut meat off bones; coarsely chop. If desired, add more cooked turkey meat (enough to equal about 2 cups total). Set meat aside. Discard bones.

  3.Strain broth; discard solids. Return broth to Dutch oven. Stir in undrained tomatoes, bouillon granules, herb, and pepper. Stir in vegetables. Return to boiling; reduce heat. Cover; simmer for 15 minutes.

  4.Stir in noodles. Cover and simmer for 8 to 10 minutes more or until noodles are done and vegetables are crisp-tender. Stir in cooked turkey; heat through. Serve immediately. Makes 6 main-dish servings.

  Make-Ahead Tip::

  5.For individual servings, prepare soup and freeze in 1-1/2-cup freezer containers, leaving a half-inch head space. Seal, label, and freeze up to 1 month. To serve, transfer 1 portion of frozen mixture to a small saucepan. Cover and cook over medium heat for 15 to 20 minutes or until heated through, stirring occasionally.

  nutrition facts (Turkey Frame Soup)

  • Servings Per Recipe 6,
   
  • cal. (kcal) 260,
   
  • Fat, total (g) 6,
   
  • chol. (mg) 75,
   
  • sat. fat (g) 2,
   
  • carb. (g) 31,
   
  • fiber (g) 3,
   
  • pro. (g) 20,
   
  • vit. A (RE) 93,
   
  • vit. C (mg) 17,
   
  • sodium (mg) 848,
   
  • calcium (mg) 81,
  • iron (mg) 4,
   
  • Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet