How to Brine a Thanksgiving Turkey

Brining is a method of adding moisture to a Thanksgiving or Christmas turkey to keep it from coming out dry and tasteless. In fact this method is good for use with any type of poultry and is similar to marinating chicken in a salty, acidic liquid infused with herbs, citrus and spices. My favorite way to prepare my holiday turkey is to thaw it two days prior to cooking and brine it the day before. In the past I have labored for hours over a turkey only to have to choke down dry pieces of meat or cover it in a ton of gravy to disguise it.

Why use brine?

Many people assume that this method of flavoring a turkey will make it too salty but this is not the case. The combination of salt, sugar and seasonings soak into the meat and flavor it from the inside while keeping a high amount of water in the tissues of the meat so it retains that moisture even after several hours of cooking in a hot oven. The air inside a heated oven makes moisture evaporate that is why basting is so important. This hot air can also evaporate the moisture out of your turkey.

Preparation Method

Place your frozen turkey in the refrigerator to thaw two days prior to the day you will cook it. This allows plenty of time for the bird to thaw completely. If you are short on time you can thaw the bird in cold water for 30 minutes for each pound of turkey. For Example a 10 pound turkey would need five hours to thaw out prior to brining.

Once the turkey (or duck, chicken, etc.) is completely thawed you will need a pan or container large enough to fit the bird and have room at the top for the bird to be completely submerged in the liquid. A large stockpot will work perfectly. You may need to remove one of the racks from the refrigerator to have room for the pot overnight. The meat can marinade overnight and be ready to cook early the next morning. Here is a basic brine and an additional poultry brine that is suitable for all types of poultry.

Poultry Brine:

2 quarts of vegetable stock or water

½ cup salt

½ cup brown sugar

1 tablespoon each of: rosemary, thyme, sage

½ teaspoon ginger and allspice

Sprinkle of black pepper

Or package of fresh cut herbs often found in supermarkets

1 orange, sliced in quarters and squeeze the juice into the liquid

1 cup wine, brandy or bourbon

Bring the pot to boil over medium heat and stir to completely dissolve sugar and salt crystals. Once salt and sugar are dissolved, remove from heat and allow cooling to room temperature. Place the thawed turkey in the pot and add enough water to completely cover the turkey. Place the pot in the refrigerator and cover with lid. Leave in refrigerator overnight or for a minimum of 10 hours.

Before Cooking

Remove the turkey from the pot, drain the liquid and discard. Rinse the meat thoroughly to remove any residue of salt or herbs. The turkey is now ready to smoke, roast or deep fry!

Caution:
Be sure not to add any additional salt when cooking as the meat will retain a little saltiness from the marinade.