Soaking your turkey in brine prevents your turkey from drying out during the roasting process. Brined turkey is tender and succulent in a way that you can't achieve without brining; therefore, brining the turkey is well worth the extra time and effort. There are many recipes for brine solution, so select one that matches your taste as well as the rest of your menu. You must soak your turkey in the brine overnight or up to three days ahead of the time; placing the turkey and brine solution in a cooler can help to keep it safely chilled and out of the way.
Step 1
Combine the vegetable stock, water, kosher salt and spices in the cooler. Mix well.
Step 2
Submerge the turkey in the cooler. Place the bags of ice over the turkey and close the lid.
Step 3
Leave the turkey in the brine for two to three days before you plan to cook it. Turn the turkey every 12 hours to ensure that it brines evenly. Replace the bags of ice when they thaw with fresh ice.
Step 4
Remove the turkey and stuff and cook it according to your recipe.
Tips and Warnings
- Use only ice in resealable bags so that the ice won't melt and release water into the brine solution. Melt water will dilute the brine and cause the turkey to not brine well.
- The turkey must remain at 38 degrees F -- replace the bags of ice once they melt.
Things You'll Need
- 1 gal. vegetable stock
- 1 gallon iced water
- 1 cup kosher salt
- Spices such as allspice, black peppercorns, ginger, thyme or cinnamon
- Large cooler
- 12-16 lb. turkey
- 2-3 Additional sealed bags of ice
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