Award Winning Turkey Brine Recipes

PERFECT ROAST TURKEY

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Melt the butter in a small saucepan. Add the zest and juice of the lemon and 1 teaspoon of thyme leaves to the butter mixture. Set aside.
• Take the giblets out of the turkey and wash the turkey inside and out. Remove any excess fat and leftover pinfeathers and pat the outside dry. Place the turkey in a large roasting pan. Liberally salt and pepper the inside of the turkey cavity. Stuff the cavity with the bunch of thyme, halved lemon, quartered onion, and the garlic. Brush the outside of the turkey with the butter mixture and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Tie the legs together with string and tuck the wing tips under the body of the turkey.
• Roast the turkey about 2 1/2 hours, or until the juices run clear when you cut between the leg and the thigh. Remove the turkey to a cutting board and cover with aluminum foil; let rest for 20 minutes.
• Slice the turkey and serve.

OUT OF THIS WORLD TURKEY BRINE

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.

ULTIMATE TURKEY BRINE

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.

GOOD EATS ROAST TURKEY

Steps:

• Two to three days before roasting: Begin thawing the turkey in the refrigerator or in a cooler kept at 38 degrees F.
• Combine the vegetable stock, salt, brown sugar, peppercorns, allspice berries, and candied ginger in a large stockpot over medium-high heat. Stir occasionally to dissolve solids and bring to a boil. Then remove the brine from the heat, cool to room temperature, and refrigerate.
• The night before or early on the day you'd like to eat: Combine the brine, water and ice in the 5-gallon bucket. Place the thawed turkey (with innards removed) breast side down in brine. If necessary, weigh down the bird to ensure it is fully immersed, cover, and refrigerate or set in cool area for 8 to 16 hours, turning the bird once half way through brining.
• Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F. Remove the bird from brine and rinse inside and out with cold water. Discard the brine.
• Place the bird on roasting rack inside a half sheet pan and pat dry with paper towels.
• Combine the apple, onion, cinnamon stick, and 1 cup of water in a microwave safe dish and microwave on high for 5 minutes. Add steeped aromatics to the turkey's cavity along with the rosemary and sage. Tuck the wings underneath the bird and coat the skin liberally with canola oil.
• Roast the turkey on lowest level of the oven at 500 degrees F for 30 minutes. Insert a probe thermometer into thickest part of the breast and reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F. Set the thermometer alarm (if available) to 161 degrees F. A 14 to 16 pound bird should require a total of 2 to 2 1/2 hours of roasting. Let the turkey rest, loosely covered with foil or a large mixing bowl for 15 minutes before carving.

BRINED TURKEY RECIPE

Steps:

• Cook 1 qt. (4 cups) water, sugar, salt, vinegar and pepper in saucepan on medium heat 10 min. or until sugar and salt are dissolved, stirring occasionally. Pour into plastic container large enough to hold brining liquid and turkey. Add remaining water. Cool completely.
• Remove and discard neck and giblets from turkey cavities.
• Add turkey to brining liquid; cover. Refrigerate at least 10 hours or up to 24 hours. Remove turkey from liquid; rinse well with cold water. Pat dry with paper towels. Cook as desired.

THE BEST BRINED TURKEY

Steps:

• In a large stockpot, heat 4 cups of water; sdd sugar and salt. Stir until dissolved. Add 16 cups cold water, cloves and bay leaves (2 cups of ice can be added to make sure water is cold). Stir to combine.
• Urwrap turkey; wash the turkey inside and out. Place breast side down in the stockpot with brine; water will just cover the turkey. Refrigerate 18-24 hours.
• Preheat the oven to 450°F. Take the turkey out of the stock pot; rinse the inside and out with cold water discarding brine. Place the turkey on a roasting rack inside a wide low pan, blotting the turkey with a paper towel. Tuck back the wings and rub the skin of the turkey with the oil. Place a piece of foil just over the breast of the turkey to cover for even roasting. Roast on the lowest rack of the oven for 30 minutes.
• Reduce oven temperature to 350°F. Pour 1 cup of water into the pan and continue to roast for an additional hour.
• Remove the foil from the breast and cook another 15-30 minutes. Insert ovenproof meat thermometer so tip is iin thickest part of inside thigh and does not touch bone. Roast until thermometer reads 165°F and drumsticks move easily when lifted or twisted.
• Let the turkey rest for 20-30 minutes (this is an essential step to allow the juices to redistribute and settle). Serve.