Brining a Turkey

When it comes to turkey recipes, proper brining is a basic preparatory step. Just like marination, it keeps the flesh soft and tender. Brining a turkey before cooking sounds easy, but deciding the best flavorful herbs for the brine recipe is a bit confusing. There are certain culinary spices, which you can add in the turkey brine recipe. If you know how to brine a turkey in the correct way, the rest is simply roasting or grilling in the regular way.

Ways to Brine a Turkey

Brining is a way to increase moisture retention in the meat, thereby yielding a soft flesh even after cooking. The salt content in the brine also allows the meat to hold more seasonings, resulting in a flavorful turkey. There are no basic rules for brining a turkey. You can adjust the salt quantity and soaking time, as per your preference. Same versatility goes with selecting the ingredients; the only thing is to use table salt and kosher in the brine recipe. Here are some turkey brine recipes that you can try out at home.

Flavorful Turkey Brine
Ingredients

• 8 cups hot water
• 4 cups ice water
• ⅔ cup kosher salt
• ⅔ cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon juniper berries, crushed
• 2 teaspoons whole allspice berries, crushed
• 1 teaspoon black peppercorns, crushed
• 6 whole cloves
• 4 sprigs fresh thyme
• 5 fresh sage leaves
• 2 bay leaves

Directions for Preparation

In a large saucepan, combine together salt, sugar, juniper berries, allspice berries, black peppercorns and cloves. To this, pour hot water and add thyme, sage and bay leaves. Stir well and heat over medium high heat. Stir constantly until salt and sugar are dissolved totally. Continue boiling for 3 - 4 minutes and remove from heat. Pour iced water to this stock brine solution and wait till it reaches room temperature.

Put one large plastic oven bag inside the other to create double thickness. With their mouths open, place the plastic bags in a large bowl. Put turkey in this with the breast side down. Gently, add brine solution into this double thick bag. Then add additional 2 cups of cold water. Secure the neck of the bags, so that there is no brine leakage. If time permits, refrigerate for 12 - 24 hours. Turn the turkey during the course of brining. With this recipe, you can brine a turkey that weighs 12 pounds.

Best Turkey Brine
Ingredients

• 1 gallon vegetable stock
• 1 gallon heavily iced water
• 1 cup kosher salt
• ½ cup light brown sugar
• 1½ teaspoons allspice berries
• 1 tablespoon black peppercorns
• 1½ teaspoons chopped candied ginger

Directions for Preparation

This is the best recipe for brining a young turkey, weighing 14 - 16 pounds. In a large stockpot, add vegetable stock, kosher salt, brown sugar, allspice berries, peppercorns and candied sugar. Put it over medium high heat and bring to a boiling temperature. You can stir the mixture with a long-handled spatula to ensure complete dissolving of the ingredients. Remove from heat and allow to cool down.

As you plan to cook turkey, soak it in brine overnight or whole day. What you can do is take a 5 gallon bucket and combine together brine solution and iced water. Immerse already thawed turkey into this solution, ensuring that the breast part is facing down. Leave it like that in a cool area, or if possible, refrigerate it for at least 8 hours. At the time of cooking, remove turkey from the brine and rinse thoroughly with cold water.

Whether you are looking for information on brining a turkey for deep frying or a turkey breast for roasting, the basic tips remain the same. The logic is to use appropriate amounts of water, salt and other ingredients according to the quantity of turkey.