Do you brine your turkey?

[mommytotwo]

If so, could you share your recipe, and any tips.

 

[honeydiane1953]

No but if you want to brine everyone raves about Alton Brown's recipe. Go to foodnetwork.com and click on Alton Brown and he'll have it for you.

 

[okeydokey]

I use the Alton Brown Method. It makes a moist, flavorful bird. Just make sure you rinse it well if you are planning on making gravy from the drippings, otherwise the gravy is too salty.

 

[Hrhpd]

If so, could you share your recipe, and any tips.

Yes. I used Alton Brown's recipe years and years. Then last year I tried Emeril's beer brine recipe.

Emeril's was far, far superior to Alton's.

I double the recipe because we usually cook a 20+lb turkey:

Emeril's Beer-Brined Turkey

Ingredients
2 quarts apple cider
2 cups dark brown sugar, packed
2 cups kosher salt
1/4 cup black peppercorns
1 tablespoon juniper berries
4 bay leaves
1 cinnamon sticks (3-inch)
1 teaspoon whole cloves
4 quarts dark beer
1 turkey (8- to 10-pound)

Cooking Directions
Combine the apple cider, brown sugar, salt, peppercorns, juniper berries, bay leaves, cinnamon, and cloves in a large pot or bowl. Stir to dissolve the sugar and salt.

Combine the mixture with the beer in a 40-quart cooler, or large plastic container. Place the turkey in the brine and, if necessary, weigh down with heavy dinner plates to completely submerge. Cover with plastic and refrigerate for 24 hours.

 

[Pooh67_68]

Patsy here is a few recipes from food network cooks. I have not tried any of them so not sure how easy they are or how they taste.


http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/emeril-lagasse/brined-and-roasted-turkey-recipe/index.html

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/honey-brined-smoked-turkey-recipe2/index.html

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/sandra-lee/cider-brined-turkey-recipe/index.html

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/...rkey-with-maple-cider-glaze-recipe/index.html

 

[mommytotwo]

Thank you everyone for the recipes, and suggestions. Hope all of you have a Happy Thanksgiving!

 

[Kennywife]

ITA about the Alton Brown recipe. It's awesome!

 

[LukenDC]

I use the brine from Williams & Sonoma. It's amazing!

 

[low-key]

nope dont bring mine, my sister makes it at her house , she would be mad if everyone brang there own turkey

 

[mhsjax]

Ok, is it just me, but how can anyone put cloves or cinnamon or cloves or anything like that on a turkey. OMG the though just makes me sick. I don't want those spices on my meat. I can taste a clove from a mile away. I know I am in the minority but it would just completely ruin the turkey for me. And don't even get me started on the gravy from this. Or somehow do you not taste it? I really want to know. My neighbor keeps trying to get to me to try it and I told her when hell freezes over.

 

[shinysparklybubbles]

Ok, is it just me, but how can anyone put cloves or cinnamon or cloves or anything like that on a turkey. OMG the though just makes me sick. I don't want those spices on my meat. I can taste a clove from a mile away. I know I am in the minority but it would just completely ruin the turkey for me. And don't even get me started on the gravy from this. Or somehow do you not taste it? I really want to know. My neighbor keeps trying to get to me to try it and I told her when hell freezes over.

I agree %100 with this. I hate cloves.

 

[kimmar067]

....I usually buy the brining packet at Whole Foods and leave the bird in for a day...

 

[Kitzka]

Ok, is it just me, but how can anyone put cloves or cinnamon or cloves or anything like that on a turkey. OMG the though just makes me sick. I don't want those spices on my meat. I can taste a clove from a mile away. I know I am in the minority but it would just completely ruin the turkey for me. And don't even get me started on the gravy from this. Or somehow do you not taste it? I really want to know. My neighbor keeps trying to get to me to try it and I told her when hell freezes over.

I hate cloves too. I omit it from every reciepe that calls for it. yuck! I think it's something with the smell. I can smell/taste it in pumpkin pies. I love pumpkin pie when I make it (no cloves!)

 

[luvmy3jewels]

We usually brine our turkey if we are roasting it. I use the pioneer woman's turkey brine recipe and it always turns out moist and delicious!

 

[NotUrsula]

No matter what recipe you use, here is a hugely important caveat: DO NOT SUBSTITUTE TABLE SALT FOR KOSHER SALT!!!!

Many, many people make that mistake and live to regret it. Kosher salt is not as strong as table salt, and it also does not penetrate the meat as easily. Table salt will exponentially increase the saltiness.

I rinse the bird inside and out in cold running tap water for a good twenty minutes after I take it out of the brine. It takes work to remove the excess salt that is under the skin, but be sure to do it, because that is where most of it gathers.

I still stuff the bird, but with a brined bird you have to make adjustments: do not put any salt in the stuffing mixture, and also reduce the liquid that you add to it. (All of the components that I put in my stuffing are already cooked; you could eat the mix raw and it would not hurt you. I never use egg in stuffing.)

 

[wowsmom]

Last year was the first time I brined. I used the recipe from Penzey's Spices. You can find it at www.penzeys.com - it's called Parker's Turkey Brine (or something like that).

My 15 year old told me last week I MUST brine again this year.

 

[kimmar067]

No matter what recipe you use, here is a hugely important caveat: DO NOT SUBSTITUTE TABLE SALT FOR KOSHER SALT!!!!

Many, many people make that mistake and live to regret it. Kosher salt is not as strong as table salt, and it also does not penetrate the meat as easily. Table salt will exponentially increase the saltiness.

I rinse the bird inside and out in cold running tap water for a good twenty minutes after I take it out of the brine. It takes work to remove the excess salt that is under the skin, but be sure to do it, because that is where most of it gathers.

I still stuff the bird, but with a brined bird you have to make adjustments: do not put any salt in the stuffing mixture, and also reduce the liquid that you add to it. (All of the components that I put in my stuffing are already cooked; you could eat the mix raw and it would not hurt you. I never use egg in stuffing.)

....actually, I usually use coarse sea salt....

 

[wiigirl]

Yes. I used Alton Brown's recipe years and years. Then last year I tried Emeril's beer brine recipe.

Emeril's was far, far superior to Alton's.

I double the recipe because we usually cook a 20+lb turkey:

Emeril's Beer-Brined Turkey

Ingredients
2 quarts apple cider
2 cups dark brown sugar, packed
2 cups kosher salt
1/4 cup black peppercorns
1 tablespoon juniper berries
4 bay leaves
1 cinnamon sticks (3-inch)
1 teaspoon whole cloves
4 quarts dark beer
1 turkey (8- to 10-pound)

Cooking Directions
Combine the apple cider, brown sugar, salt, peppercorns, juniper berries, bay leaves, cinnamon, and cloves in a large pot or bowl. Stir to dissolve the sugar and salt.

Combine the mixture with the beer in a 40-quart cooler, or large plastic container. Place the turkey in the brine and, if necessary, weigh down with heavy dinner plates to completely submerge. Cover with plastic and refrigerate for 24 hours.

I think I am going to try this this year!

 

[mikehn]

Yes. I used Alton Brown's recipe years and years. Then last year I tried Emeril's beer brine recipe.

Emeril's was far, far superior to Alton's.

I double the recipe because we usually cook a 20+lb turkey:

Emeril's Beer-Brined Turkey

Ingredients
2 quarts apple cider
2 cups dark brown sugar, packed
2 cups kosher salt
1/4 cup black peppercorns
1 tablespoon juniper berries
4 bay leaves
1 cinnamon sticks (3-inch)
1 teaspoon whole cloves
4 quarts dark beer
1 turkey (8- to 10-pound)

Cooking Directions
Combine the apple cider, brown sugar, salt, peppercorns, juniper berries, bay leaves, cinnamon, and cloves in a large pot or bowl. Stir to dissolve the sugar and salt.

Combine the mixture with the beer in a 40-quart cooler, or large plastic container. Place the turkey in the brine and, if necessary, weigh down with heavy dinner plates to completely submerge. Cover with plastic and refrigerate for 24 hours.

I would have a tough time wasting 4 quarts of beer

 

[erin1715]

Has anyone just done a simple salt, sugar, water brine? I've never brined but I don't want to use all the ingredients, so I'm thinking of just something that simple.