Take a moment to gather all your ingredients. You’ll want to ensure everything is fresh. Make sure to have a large stock pot on hand, a fine mesh strainer, and storage containers for the finished product.

Chop the carrots, celery, and onions into roughly equal pieces. There’s no need for precision here since you’ll be straining the stock later. Just make sure they’re about uniform in size to promote even cooking.

With all the ingredients prepped, toss the turkey carcass into the stock pot. Follow it up with the chopped vegetables, garlic, and peppercorns. Make sure the carcass has as much meat on it as possible. Don’t worry about getting every little bit—the key is extracting flavor.

Fill the pot with water until everything is covered by about two inches. This will allow for ample simmering. Generally, I find between 10-12 cups of water works well.

Put the pot on the stove over high heat and bring everything to a boil. Once it starts boiling, reduce the heat to low so it can simmer. You’ll know it’s ready when you see small bubbles gently breaking the surface.

Allow the stock to simmer for at least 4 hours. If you have the time, letting it simmer for up to 8 hours will yield even richer flavors. Just keep an eye on it, adding water if you notice it getting too low.

Once the stock is ready, carefully remove it from the heat. Pour the liquid through a fine mesh strainer into another pot or a large bowl. Discard the solids—those veggies and bones have done their job!

Let the stock cool to room temperature before transferring it to airtight containers. You can refrigerate it for a few days or freeze it for extended use.