Ultimate Brine For Turkey Recipes

Steps:

• Combine 1/2 cup salt, the sugar and 1 quart water in a medium pot and bring to a boil over high heat. Stir until the salt and sugar are fully dissolved, about 1 minute. Remove from the heat and add the peppercorns, thyme, sage and lemon strips. Let steep and cool to room temperature.
• Pour the brine into a large stockpot or bucket and add 3 quarts cold water. Remove the neck and giblets (reserve for gravy) from the turkey and put it into the brine, pushing it down to cover. Refrigerate for 24 hours.
• Remove the turkey from the brine; rinse and pat dry. Cook according to your favorite method.

Steps:

• Combine 2 gallons cold water with the apple cider, brown sugar, salt, peppercorns, bay leaves, garlic, rosemary and orange peels in a large pot. Stir until the salt and sugar dissolve. Bring to a boil, then turn off the heat and cover.
• Allow to cool completely, then place into the fridge to chill. Place uncooked turkey in the chilled brine solution, then refrigerate for 16 to 24 hours.
• When ready to roast the turkey, remove from the brine. Submerge the turkey in a pot or sink of fresh, cold water. Allow to sit in clean water for 15 minutes to remove excess salt from the outside.
• Discard the brine. Remove the turkey from the clean water, pat dry, and cook according to your normal roasting method.

Steps:

• The night before roasting, remove giblets and turkey neck; rinse turkey inside and out. In a large stock pot or 5 gallon bucket mix water with remaining ingredients. Stir well until all the salt is dissolved. Place turkey in the pot cover with a lid and refrigerate overnight or at least 8 hours. Remove turkey from the brine, rinsing well. Follow your regular cooking instructions.

Steps:

• In a food-grade large bucket or container large enough to hold your turkey, mix together the water, salt, garlic, pepper, Worcestershire sauce and brown sugar. Store in a refrigerator, and soak turkey for 2 days before smoking or roasting.

Steps:

• Combine all ingredients in a non-reactive pot, bring mixture to a boil, lower heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes (partly covered). Allow brine to cool completely.
• Rinse turkey under cool running water, inside and out (remove giblets from body cavity). Pat turkey dry with paper towels, then immerse turkey in cooled brine.* Turkey should be completely submerged in liquid (place a plate on top of the bird if necessary to keep it covered with the liquid).
• Cover the pot and refrigerate* for 8-10 hours or up to 24 hours. Remove turkey, rinse, pat dry, and roast as usual.
• COOK'S NOTE: For a very crispy skin: after removing the turkey from the brine, rinsing it and patting it dry, allow the turkey to stand UNCOVERED in the refrigerator for 6-12 hours or overnight. This will dry the skin and result in its being crispy at serving time.
• This resting period has the added advantage of evening the degree of brininess throughout the meat (it will be less salty on the surface of the meat, more evenly brined throughout), and resting produces a slightly more tender result.
• *Be sure the container used for brining turkey is non-reactive: use enamel, glass or crockery or stainless steel - never cast iron or aluminum. The pot should be just large enough to contain the turkey (so the brine will be sufficient to cover the bird). Brining Bags are now available from many cookware stores, as well as giant-size Ziplock bags (food safe) that may be used alone, or use within a sturdy pot.
• *NOTE REGARDING THE CONTAINER (AND REFRIGERATION) FOR BRINING TURKEY:.
• We have learned that many folks do not have sufficient room in their refrigerators - or sometimes a pot big enough - for the turkey in its brine. Our solution is suggest that the turkey be placed, along with the brine, in a food-safe plastic bag, such as a turkey roasting bag (available in most markets). Then, the bag, with turkey and brine inside, can be placed in an insulated cooler, a large stock pot or plastic crate, (or even a deep sink) and surrounded by ice, "blue ice" or empty plastic bottles that have been filled with water and frozen. [The latter suggestions are to keep ice from melting into water which can be messy.] Then the cooler is closed, or the sink covered, and the turkey can be brined there for the number of hours required - checking to be sure that the temperature of the brine is maintained at below 40 degrees, for safety. It is imperative that the temperature never be allowed to rise above 40 degrees - add more ice/blue/ice as needed.
• ** NOTE REGARDING THE AMOUNT OF SALT IN BRINE: A milder brine may be made, which may have a less flavorful result - but if salt is a concern (the entire turkey will absorb only 10-15% of the brine) the amount of salt may be reduced. For the desired chemical effect to take place, however, the proportions cannot be less than 2/3 to 1 cup of salt per gallon (4 quarts) of water or other liquid.
• **TYPES OF SALT:.
• Kosher salt is the ONLY type of salt to be used in making brine (it is sweeter and more pure than ordinary table salt). Kosher salt is available in two varieties. The most common is flaked salt (example: Morton Kosher Salt) which has been pressed into flakes by rollers. The other type is a four-sided crystal (example: Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt). The crystal-shaped salt measures differently because of its shape. Use about 25% (one quarter) MORE crystal salt than flaked salt when measuring for brine or other recipes. The formula is: 1 tablespoon of regular table salt is equivalent to 1 ½ tablespoons flaked kosher salt, or 2 tablespoons, diamond crystal kosher salt.
• ***NOTE REGARDING BRINING TURKEYS TO BE "DEEP FRIED:".
• When a turkey will be deep fried (Cajun style or otherwise), too much sugar will cause the bird to blacken on the outside. It is best, therefore to use water, rather than apple juice or cider, and to greatly reduce the amount of sugar called for in the above listing of brine ingredients.
• Variations:.
• *A listener called last year to report that using beer instead of juice resulted in a wonderful flavor - she even used Guiness, a more bitter-tasting beer - and loved it!
• Along the same vein, another listener said that she made the brine as directed, then - after it had cooled - she added an equivalent (the same) amount of flat dark beer and another full one cup of brown sugar (packed measure). After stirring the mixture until the sugar dissolved, she proceded to brine her turkey in the mixture - and indicated that the result was just fabulous.
• **BRINING A GOOSE: This brine works exceptionally well for brining a goose before roasting. The meat of the goose benefits greatly from brining for 12 to 24 hours. Follow the same directions for goose as you would for brining a turkey.

Steps:

• Bring water to a boil in a large stockpot. Stir salt and sugar into the water until dissolved; bring water again to a boil. Add cloves, bay leaves, peppercorns, rosemary, and thyme to the water, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook mixture at a simmer for about 20 minutes.
• Refrigerate brine until completely cooled.

Steps:

• To make the brining solution, dissolve the salt and sugar in 2 gallons of cold water in a non-reactive container (such as a clean bucket or large stockpot, or a clean, heavy-duty, plastic garbage bag.) Add the oranges, lemons, and poultry herbs. I like to squeeze out some of the juices from the oranges and lemons into the solution before I add them. (Note: If you have a big turkey and need more brine, use 1/2 cup salt and 1/2 cup brown sugar for every additional gallon of water.).
• Remove the neck, giblets, and liver from the cavity of the turkey and reserve. Rinse the turkey inside and out under cold running water.
• Soak the turkey in the brine, covered and refrigerated, for at least 4 hours and up to 24 hours.
• Remove turkey from brine and rinse inside and out with cold water. Pat dry and prepare turkey according to your recipe.

Steps:

• Rinse turkey in cool water.
• In a very large clean container (non-corrosive pan or stockpot such as stainless steel or glass or a food-grade plastic container), mix salt and water together until salt dissolves. Stir in brown sugar and spices, mix well until sugar dissolves.
• Totally submerge poultry in solution and store, covered, in refrigerator for at least 6 hours and up to 8 hours. Since brining does not preserve meat, the turkey must be kept below 40 degrees F throughout the entire brining process. Ice packs may also be used to keep turkey at a safe temperature of below 40°F.
• Remove turkey from brine. Discard brine. Thoroughly rinse turkey under a slow stream of cool water, rubbing gently to release salt and sugar, both inside and out. Pat skin and both interior cavities dry.
• * NOTE: The ratio of water to salt is appropriate for a 15-pound turkey. If a larger or smaller turkey is brined, please calculate accordingly.
• * *NOTE: Other combinations of herbs may be added including 6-8 bay leaves, 3 cloves garlic and 2 teaspoons black peppercorns. Or a spicy flavor may be achieved by the addition of 1 cup small dried red chile peppers.
• In the cavity of turkey, place onion, carrot and celery.
• Brush turkey with melted butter.
• Roast turkey, breast side down, in a preheated 325 degree F oven for 2 hours. During this time, baste legs and back twice with melted butter.
• Remove turkey from oven and protecting your hands, grasp turkey with several layers of clean paper towels at both ends, and turn turkey, breast side up.
• Return turkey to oven and continue to roast, basting twice with pan dripping. Continue to roast until internal temperature reaches 170°F in the breast and 180°F in the thigh. NOTE: A brined turkey cooks slightly faster than an unbrined turkey, so check the internal temperature frequently.
• Remove turkey from the oven and allow to stand for 20 minutes before carving.
• Transfer to a platter and garnish with fresh fruit.

Steps:

• Combine 2 1/2 cups water and salt in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly, until salt is dissolved, about 3 minutes.
• Pour water and salt mixture into a 5-gallon bucket. Add 1 gallon of water.
• Combine 2 1/2 cups water and brown sugar in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly, until sugar is dissolved, about 3 minutes. Pour into the bucket.
• Stir apple juice, whiskey, and lemon juice into the bucket. Add chopped apple. Squeeze in orange juice and add in rinds.

Steps:

• Combine all the ingredients in a large pot, cover, and bring to a boil.
• Boil for 1 minute, stirring to dissolve the salt.
• Remove from the heat and cool completely, then chill before using. The brine can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.
• For turkey, place the thawed bird into a food grade plastic bucket, pour the cooled brine over top, add ice water to completely submerge the bird (nothing peeking out).
• Place the lid on the bucket and keep cold overnight at least 12 hours.
• Remove from brine, take out any of the aromatics that may be hiding in the cavity of the turkey, pat dry and let the turkey come to room temp for a few hours BEFORE you put it in the oven.
• (For my turkey, I added a fresh lemon, one head of garlic and some fresh herbs to the cavity of the bird before roasting).
• For chicken brine the bird UP TO BUT NOT MORE THAN 12 hours, I've not used this recipe on chicken but I've read the warnings of people who have left chicken in this brine for too long and it comes out salty!

Steps:

• In a large pot stir together the stock, water, brown sugar, salt, all spice, black pepper, cinnamon, and thyme Bring to a boil, turn to medium heat and let simmer for 5 minutes Remove from heat and cool completely, no cheating now!
• Place the turkey in a clean 5 gallon bucket and pour the brine over it Cover and let sit over night Flip the turkey in the morning, a few hours before cooking After the turkey is done in the brine, remove it from the brine and place it in its baking pan On a microwave safe plat, place the red, onions, cinnamon sticks, and thyme or rosemary Sprinkle with about 1/4 cup water and microwave on high for 7 minutes Place the apple, onions, cinnamon sticks, and thyme or rosemary inside the turkey Inject the turkey with the butter, optional Preheat oven to 500F, yes I know it's high, but trust me Cook the turkey for 30 minutes or until it is browned Cover with heavy duty foil and turn the oven down to 350F Bake for 2 1/2-3 hours more or until the turkey has reached an internal temperature of 161F.
• Remove turkey form the oven and allow to sit for 20 minutes or so before carving.
• **Youcan infuse the injection butter with garlic cloves, thyme, rosemary, pepper corns, or cinnamon sticks by just slowly melt it in a small sauce pan with one of those choices in it.
• Just remember to strain before injecting.
• Serving Suggestions: Mashed potatoes, corn, biscuits, corn bread, peas, or just bread.