Cider Brined Turkey Recipes

CIDER-BRINED TURKEY

Steps:

• In a stockpot, combine the first 10 ingredients. Bring to a boil; cook and stir until salt and sugar are dissolved. Remove from the heat. Add cold beer and broth to cool the brine to room temperature., Place one turkey-size oven roasting bag inside the other. Place turkey inside both bags; pour in cooled brine. Seal bags, pressing out as much air as possible; turn to coat turkey. Place in a shallow roasting pan. Refrigerate for 18-24 hours, turning occasionally. , Remove turkey from brine; rinse and pat dry. Discard brine. Tuck wings under turkey; tie drumsticks together. Place on a rack in a shallow roasting pan, breast side up. Brush with melted butter; sprinkle with salt and pepper., Bake, uncovered, at 325° for 3-1/2 to 4 hours or until a thermometer inserted in thigh reads 180°, basting occasionally with pan drippings. Cover loosely with foil if turkey browns too quickly. Cover and let stand for 20 minutes before carving.

CIDER-BRINED TURKEY WITH MAPLE-CIDER GLAZE

Steps:

• For the turkey brine: Heat the apple cider, brown sugar, salt, peppercorns, garlic, bay leaves, oranges, shallots, parsley, sage and thyme in a saucepot to dissolve the sugar and salt. Then let the mixture cool completely.
• Divide the turkey pieces between two 2 1/2-gallon resealable plastic bags or containers big enough to hold them. Add equal parts of the brine to the two bags. Let rest for several hours in the fridge, preferably overnight.
• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
• Remove the turkey from the brine and pat dry. Rub the skin with oil and sprinkle with pepper. Set the turkey on a metal rack placed over a rimmed baking sheet and cook about 15 minutes per pound, or until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part registers about 165 degrees F. The temperature will go up 5 to 10 degrees as it rests.
• For the glaze: Place a small saucepot over medium-high heat. Add the apple cider, turkey stock, maple syrup, butter, peppercorns and orange rind. Bring the mixture to a light simmer and reduce by half. Baste the turkey every now and then during the last half of the cooking time.

APPLE CIDER TURKEY BRINE

Steps:

• Combine 4 cups water, apple cider, kosher salt, sage, rosemary, thyme, and peppercorns together in a large stockpot. Bring to a boil; cook and stir brine until the salt is just dissolved. Remove from heat; add ice cubes.

CIDER-BRINED TURKEY

Steps:

• In a large stockpot, combine boiled cider, hard cider, fresh cider, 2 cups salt, sugar, peppercorns, allspice, cinnamon, and bay leaves. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until sugar and salt dissolve, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat; add thyme, rosemary, oregano, and parsley. Let steep for 5 minutes. Add ice water, stir, and let brine cool to room temperature.
• Rinse turkey inside and out under cool running water. Remove giblets and neck; set aside for gravy or stuffing, if desired. Place turkey in a pot large enough to hold the turkey and the brine or a large, food-safe plastic bag, set in a pot or roasting pan. Cover turkey with brine, make sure both cavities of turkey are filled. Cover or tightly close bag and refrigerate 10 to 12 hours. If using a bag, rotate turkey occasionally to make sure it is evenly brined.
• Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
• Remove turkey from brine and rinse well under cold running water; pat dry with paper towels inside and out. Place turkey, breast-side up, in a large, heavy-bottomed roasting pan fitted with a rack. Rub all sides with butter, stuffing some underneath the skin. Season inside and out with salt and pepper. Stuff turkey with apples, celery, and onion. Loosely tie drumsticks together with kitchen twine. Transfer to oven and roast until skin is golden brown, about 30 minutes.
• Reduce heat to 325 degrees. Cover turkey loosely with a double layer of parchment paper-lined aluminum foil. Continue roasting, basting once every half hour with 1/2 to 3/4 cup stock, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the largest part of the thigh (avoiding the bone) registers 161 degrees, about 1 hour more.
• Remove from oven and transfer turkey to a serving platter. Let turkey stand, tented with foil, about 20 minutes before carving.

CIDER BRINED TURKEY

Steps:

• In a large pot over medium-high heat, add the oil garlic, onions, and orange and saute for 4 minutes. Add the cider and bring to a simmer. Add the salt and herbs and let simmer for 2 minutes. Remove from heat, add the water and the ice. Stir until the brine is cooled to at least room temperature. Add the turkey to the pot. The turkey should be completely submerged in the brine. Cover with a lid and put in the refrigerator. Let the turkey brine for a minimum of 12 hours and no more than 24 hours.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F
• Remove the turkey from the brine, rinse and pat dry. Tuck the wings under the back portion of the breast. Tie the legs together with piece of butcher's twine. Put the turkey, breast side up, in a roasting pan fitted with a rack. Add the chicken broth to the roasting pan. Put in the oven and roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted in thickest part of the thigh reads 165 degrees F, 15 to 20 minutes per pound, about 3 hours. Make sure to baste the turkey every 20 minutes with the pan drippings. If the turkey begins to brown too quickly tent it loosely with foil. Remove the foil the last 30 minutes of cooking. Transfer the turkey to a cutting board or serving platter and let rest at least 15 minutes before carving.
• Carve the turkey and serve with the Gravy.
• Melt the butter in a large skillet over low heat. Whisk in the flour and cook until the flour turns a light brown color, about 3 to 4 minutes. Slowly whisk in the pan drippings and the chicken broth. Add the thyme leaves and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Let the gravy simmer until thick, about 5 minutes.

BEST APPLE CIDER BRINED TURKEY

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, combine cider, vinegar, salt, and sugar; stir to dissolve salt and sugar.
• Bring to a low boil over medium heat; Add in peppercorns, sage, garlic, thyme and shallots.
• On low heat simmer for 5 minutes; remove from heat, add ice to brine mixture and set aside to cool.
• Remove the turkey from the wrapping, remove neck and giblets (set aside for giblet gravy), rinse and prepare bird by patting down with paper towels.
• Make a collar of the top of cooking bags (helps keep bags open), and slip bird inside, stand it upright (legs pointing up), and unfold the top of the bag.
• Once the brine is cooled to room temperature or less, pour the cooled brine over the bird, and add an additional cold water until bird is submerged in liquid.
• Squeeze out as much air as possible and secure with a twist-tie.
• Place the turkey, breast side down, in a roasting pan and refrigerate for 24 hours, turning over every 6-8 hours.
• Just prior to roasting, remove the turkey from the brine; discard the bags, brine, and all cured herbs, spices, and oranges remaining in the bird.
• Rinse the turkey under cold water and pat dry with paper toweling.
• The turkey is now ready to be roasted. See cooking times for Brined turkey as it will be less than typical cooking time.
• Before cooking the bird, I typically use a rub with olive oil or melted butter/margarine. I quarter an apple and stuff inside the cavity for cooking, tenting the bird until the last hour. This will be the BEST roasted turkey you've had, hands down! I even prefer this over deep fried turkey as it is about as moist and has much more flavor to it. I compliment this turkey by serving giblet gravy, sautéed herbed mushrooms and Apple Wine Stuffing.