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Personally, I can’t get enough turkey throughout the year, Thanksgiving and Christmas just isn’t enough for me. I probably make a turkey 4-5 times each year. So, who makes the best turkey in your family, your Mom, Grandma, or Sister? Well, if you follow this trick that I use when making my turkey, the answer will be YOU!!
The trick to making the best turkey ever, is called brining (basically a salt bath – and no, it doesn’t make the turkey salty.) When you brine a turkey, it is the most moist, tender and juiciest turkey you will ever have, and it cuts down on cooking time by 20-30 minutes. You will need to do this the night before your turkey day because it has to sit in the brine for 12 hours.
Here is what you’re going to need for this fantastic brine:
1 gallon vegetable broth
1 cup sea salt
1 tablespoon crushed dried rosemary
1 tablespoon dried sage
1 tablespoon dried thyme
1 tablespoon dried savory
5 lb. bag of ice
Directions:
In a large stock pot, combine the vegetable broth, sea salt, rosemary, sage, thyme, and savory. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently to be sure salt is dissolved. Remove from heat, and let cool to room temperature.
When the broth mixture is cool, pour it into a clean 5 gallon bucket. Stir in the ice.
Wash and dry your turkey. Make sure you have removed the innards. Place the turkey, breast down, into the brine. Make sure that the cavity gets filled. Place the bucket in the refrigerator overnight, or in a cool place.
Remove the turkey carefully draining off the excess brine and pat dry. Discard excess brine.
Cook the turkey any way you desire and reserve the drippings for gravy. Keep in mind that brined turkeys cook 20 to 30 minutes faster so watch the temperature gauge. This recipe is enough brine for a 10-18 pound turkey. If you have one any bigger than an 18 lbs turkey, double the brine recipe, all except the ice – the 5 lbs bag will suffice.
Enjoy!
