If you want to serve a tender turkey this year…BRINE IT!
Last year, I watched a cooking show where they were brining the turkey before cooking it for Thanksgiving dinner. The finished turkey looked fantastic. I mentioned it to my husband, who does the Thanksgiving cooking, and he said he would give it a try. It came out delicious. We are doing it again this year and I highly recommend you give it a try.
Brining is the process of “soaking” your turkey before you cook it. You submerge the turkey in water and add what seems like quite a bit of salt. The water and salt keep the turkey moist; but the turkey doesn’t end up tasting salty, which I was afraid of. Once you have the water and salt mixed together, you can add any number of spices that will add great flavor to your turkey. The salt will help the turkey absorb the flavors. We chose to put in bay leaves, allspice, black pepper and a little sugar. The flavor was fantastic.
If you decide to brine your turkey, find a pot that is big enough to cover your turkey in water. If the turkey is not fully submerged, make sure you keep turning it so the whole turkey gets in the brine.
How to Brine a Turkey
- Use a fresh turkey, or defrost yours and clean it out.
- Create your water/salt mixture. Use 1 cup of salt for every gallon of water.
- After the salt is dissolved, add 1 cup of sugar for every gallon of water and let it dissolve. You can use warm or hot water to dissolve your salt and sugar but be sure to let it get back to room temperature and then add some ice to cool it down.
- When the salt and sugar are dissolved, you can add your other spices. If you like a sweet flavor, you can even add some honey.
- Put the turkey in the water and put it in the refrigerator. If your turkey is very large you can keep it in a cooler with ice to keep the temperature cold.
- Keep the turkey in the brine 1 hour for every pound of turkey. It’s better to take it out a little early then leave it in too long.
- When it’s done brining, take it out, rinse it off and cook! You will have the most tender and delicious turkey ever!
Here’s a great recipe that you can use to brine your turkey or you can use it as a guide and modify it to your own taste.
- 1 gallon vegetable broth
- 1 cup sea salt
- 1 tablespoon crushed dried rosemary
- 1 tablespoon dried sage
- 1 tablespoon dried thyme
- 1 tablespoon dried savory
- 1 gallon ice water
Add more water and salt as needed to cover your turkey. Remember 1 cup of salt for every gallon of water. This recipe is very basic and almost everyone will love the flavor.
Happy Thanksgiving!
- Jennifer
Last Minute Thanksgiving Recipe Ideas
Looking for other last minute Thanksgiving recipe ideas? Give some of our favorite healthy Thanksgiving recipes a try:
Orange Thanksgiving – aka Sensei’s Thanksgiving menu (Butternut Bisque, Jalapeño and Jack Corn Bread Stuffed Acorn Squash and Pumpkin Custard)
Delicious Pumpkin Hummus
Butternut Squash & Apple Soup
Roasted Acorn Squash
Healthy Thanksgiving Dessert Recipe Ideas
Lite 'n Easy Crustless Pumpkin Pie
Have a very Happy Thanksgiving!
- The Sensei Team
Labels: Holiday Eating, holiday ideas, Jennifer
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