need help with homemade soup

[tileman]

I got a new crock pot for christmas and thought I'd go all out and make turkey soup from scratch. So I boiled the turkey carcass and stuff for a few hours strained it, cooled it, removed the fat from the top. Then I used some stock for my soup. Which I added turkey pieces, potatoes, onions, garlic, carrots, beans and various seasonings such as thyme, oregano, salt, pepper and parsley.
I let this mix simmer for 6-7 hours, stirring occassionally.

Sounds like it would be good. But it has no taste. I mean NO taste. I added more salt/pepper and such after about 5 hours but nothing. Hoping tomorrow that it actually taste like something.

Any ideas on what could have gone wrong?

 

[pjlla]

Next time (sorry.... too late for this time) try oven roasting the carcass along with some onions, carrots, celery in the pan you used to cook the turkey in. After the carcass is roasted then you put it in the pot with the water and the veggies and simmer with the cover off for several hours.... at this time I also add bay leaves and peppercorns (I have found that other herbs/spices make the water foamy). Then I strain the broth....cool it to remove the fat, then reheat and add the turkey, veggies, spices, salt, pepper, etc. But sometimes it just seems that my broth/stock is just not as flavorful as canned.... so I add a bit of buillion..... HTH............P

 

[tileman]

well, next time perhaps it will be better.
So, loading the pot up with lots of goodies may help flavor the final stock.

Another question, the stock I ended up with gets jelly like when refridgerated. Is that suppose to happen?

 

[disneyfreakjackie]

I also add some chicken boullion cubes to my homemade soup!!

 

[piratesmate]

Yes, you get that nice gelatinous texture because you've boiled the bones. Believe it or not, that's how they originally got the gelatin used for Jell-o. Once it warms up, it will become thin again.

I usually boil my bones/carcass right in the pan the bird was roasted in - along with the skin & drippings (I don't make gravy.) I also add bouillon for taste, but usually not until later. This is how my grandmother made hers. I've never heard of roasting the carcass. Oh - I've also found it seems to help if the bird is really good & done in the first place. DSis always undercooks her meat IMHO & her stock is never as strong as mine.

I've found a combination of things to rub into the bird before roasting that really makes a difference when making the stock. It makes the meat sooo flavorful! I put fruit slices under the skin & put the extra ends (after squeezing the juice over the bird) inside the carcass.
Kosher salt
½ - ¾ tsp lemon pepper
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp ground celery seed
½ tsp lemon zest (I use dried)
¾ tsp orange rind (I use dried)
2 – 3 oranges or lemons
½ c orange juice or
¼ c lemon juice