Turkey Brine

⏱ 20 mins 🍽 15 serving(s) 🏷 Poultry

This recipe creates a savoury brine to prepare a turkey for roasting, resulting in moist meat and crisp skin. The method involves simmering a mixture of vegetable broth, apple juice, sea salt and dried herbs, then cooling it completely. The turkey is submerged in this brine inside double-layered oven bags and refrigerated for 12 to 24 hours. After brining, the bird is dried and rested in the fridge for at least 6 hours before being roasted as usual.

Turkey Brine

Ingredients

  • 10 -18 lbs turkey
  • 1/2 gallon vegetable broth
  • 1/2 gallon apple juice
  • 2/3 cup sea salt
  • 1 tablespoon crushed dried rosemary
  • 1 tablespoon dried sage
  • 1 tablespoon dried thyme
  • 1 tablespoon dried savory
  • 4 cups ice water
  • 2 oven cooking bags, turkey size

Method

  1. Place the vegetable broth, apple juice, sea salt, rosemary, sage, thyme, and savory into a large stock pot. Heat until boiling, stirring often to dissolve the salt. Take off the heat and allow the mixture to cool completely.
  2. Take two turkey-sized oven cooking bags and place one inside the other to form a double layer. Ensure you use bags designed for food, like roasting bags. Open the double bag wide and position it in your roasting pan. If your pan is too large for the fridge, a very big bowl can be used instead.
  3. Fold back the top section of the double bag to create a cuff. Put the turkey inside the bags. Straighten the cuff and pour the cooled brine over the bird, followed by the ice water. Seal the inner bag tightly, pushing out air, and fasten with a twist tie. Repeat with the outer bag. Position the package so the turkey is breast down in the pan or bowl. Refrigerate for 12 to 24 hours, turning the turkey several times during this period.
  4. Take the turkey out of the bags, letting any extra brine drain away. Dry the skin thoroughly using paper towels. Dispose of the used brine and clean your sink afterwards.
  5. Put the turkey on a rimmed sheet pan or back into the roasting pan. Place it in the refrigerator, ensuring it does not touch other items, and leave it uncovered for at least 6 hours or overnight. This drying time helps the skin become crisp during roasting.
  6. Roast the turkey according to your preferred method, saving the pan drippings to make gravy. Note that a brined turkey typically cooks 20 to 30 minutes faster, so monitor its temperature with a meat thermometer.

Nutrition (per serving)

Sodium5167600 mg

Recipe details

CategoryPoultry
AuthorSooz Cooks