How-Tos
Brine
Make your turkey turn out moist and delicious by seasoning the entire turkey, not just the skin, with a process called brining. When you brine, a raw turkey is soaked in salted water for a number of hours while refrigerated to help it retain moisture during the cooking process.
Guidelines to Get You Started:
- Use a fresh turkey to eliminate the need for thawing. Brining is ineffective on a frozen turkey.
- Use 1 cup kosher salt per gallon (4 quarts) of water. If you must substitute table salt, use 1/2 to 3/4 cup per gallon of water.
- Add herbs if desired. You could add a combination of 6 to 8 bay leaves, 1/2 cup dried rosemary, 3 cloves peeled garlic, 2 teaspoons peppercorns, and 1/2 cup dried thyme leaves. Try adding some brown sugar or 1 cup small dried red chili peppers if you want to add some heat.
- Length of brine time depends on the size of the turkey. As turkey gets larger, increase brine time rather than salt concentration.
- Place turkey, breast down, in a large container made of food-grade plastic, stainless steel, or glass that will fit in the refrigerator. Add brine to cover. Keep cold in refrigerator while brining.
- Remove turkey from brine after recommended time and pat dry with paper towels. Not necessary to rinse. Cook turkey as desired.
NOTE: The turkey will look bluish-white before cooking and will not brown as well as non-brined turkeys.
| Turkey (lb.) | Brine Time (hrs.) |
|---|---|
| Less than 12 | 6 to 8 |
| 12 to 14 | 12 |
| 20 and over | 12 to 24 |
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