Savory Turkey Brine
This savory turkey brine gets some of its salt from vegetable stock, which is important to remember if you are doing a standard brine calculation of 1 cup of table salt to 1 gallon of water. Do not use iodized salt as the iodine in it will spoil the flavor.
If you use a frozen turkey, it will need to be fully defrosted before brining. You will need to plan for one hour per pound of turkey, so the turkey will start brining 12 hours before cooking if you have a 12-pound turkey, and 20 hours before cooking if you have a 20-pound turkey.
Ingredients
2 quarts vegetable stock
1/2 cup salt (or 3/4 cup kosher salt)
1/2 cup white sugar
1 tablespoon dried rosemary
1 tablespoon dried sage
1 tablespoon dried thyme
2 quarts cold water
Preparation
Combine the vegetable stock, salt, sugar, rosemary, sage, and thyme in a large pot over medium heat. Simmer for about 15 minutes until the salt is completely dissolved.
Remove the pot from the from heat and allow the mixture to cool for 30 minutes. Add the cold water.
Place the turkey in a large plastic container. Pour the cold brine over the top. Cover the container and refrigerate. Brine the turkey for 1 hour per pound.
Rinse all the brine from the turkey thoroughly before cooking. Otherwise, there will be a salty flavor to the turkey. Discard any remaining brine and thoroughly clean the container.
Pat the turkey dry with paper towels, making sure to get inside the cavity. Apply turkey rub (if using), cook as directed, and serve.
Tips
Your turkey rub should not contain salt as the bird will already be perfectly salted. You can also omit salt from any stuffing you put inside the turkey. The turkey juices produced during cooking will season the stuffing well.
You will need enough refrigerator space when brining a turkey as it must be kept under 40 F for food safety. If space is tight, you can brine the turkey in a brining bag in an ice cooler, covered with ice water.
If you live in a cold climate you can set the turkey in the garage or on the deck overnight (provided animals cannot get to it)
Your turkey needs to be submerged in the brine, so you may need to make more brine depending on the container size and size of the turkey. By using a brining bag, you can get brine around more of the turkey without having to make additional brine.
Keywords: main, poultry
