Im planning to brine our turkey this year for the first time. Should I just us a basic salt brine the first time or try to add some spices? Once recipe I found also has brown sugar, garlic, red pepper, sage and Thyme.
Suggestions?
The only turkey brine I’ve done was salt only. Add enough salt to float an egg and throw the turkey in and let it soak.
Salt, water, brown sugar is all you need, anything else is more for you than a flavor profile into the turkey imo.
I’m going with the Alton Brown version–he never steers me wrong. I followed this recipe 2 years ago, and it turned out wonderfully.
1 cup kosher salt
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 gallon vegetable stock
1 tablespoon black peppercorns
1 1/2 teaspoons allspice berries
1 1/2 teaspoons chopped candied ginger
1 gallon heavily iced water
Salt, water, brown sugar is all you need, anything else is more for you than a flavor profile into the turkey imo.
I’m seeing 1 cup of salt per gallon as a standard measurement. (I can use egg to test) Do you add brown sugar on top of the salt or do you reduce the salt to add brown sugar? Thanks.
I’ve brined chickens,pork chops etc…but never a turkey. Is 24 hours in the brine good?
<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>BigWerm wrote:</div>
Salt, water, brown sugar is all you need, anything else is more for you than a flavor profile into the turkey imo.I’m seeing 1 cup of salt per gallon as a standard measurement. (I can use egg to test) Do you add brown sugar on top of the salt or do you reduce the salt to add brown sugar? Thanks.
I usually boil the brine and add salt and brown sugar until it’s super saturated, meaning until there is some salt and brown sugar crystals at the bottom of the pot and the water has taken as much as it can hold. Brine it for 12-48 30 hours, and then pat dry before you cook it. The best turkey I’ve ever done, was brined for about 18 hours, injected with a butter/Old Bay/apple cider mix then smoked on a Weber kettle with charcoal and cherry wood. But the brine makes it way more moist, regardless of your cooking method and is the way to go imo.
I brine with saltwater and add brown sugar, oranges, a lemon, sage, thyme, rosemary, and a healthy splash of windsor. Stuff the inside with the oranges from the brine, more sage, rosemary, and thyme, pull skin back and slide some butter slices under the skin. Then I smoke it at 275 for about 3.5 hrs.
Like Big Werm mentioned above, The meaty breast doesn’t take the citrus whiskey flavoring, however the crispy skin has a very nice citrus/ whiskey/ smoke flavor. It’s been a huge hit the last few years and I don’t think I’ll do a turkey any other way.
Either way you spin it, always brine. Dry turkey sucks.
As far as butter under the skin I warm up a couple sticks and add a tablespoon each of sage,rosemary & thyme and mix thoroughly with a fork for under the skin. I add flour to the remaining herb butter and add to gravy. If you make soup with the carcass add a couple ladles of gravy to it, it’s killer!
I’m seeing 1 cup of salt per gallon as a standard measurement. (I can use egg to test) Do you add brown sugar on top of the salt or do you reduce the salt to add brown sugar? Thanks.
The exception to the 1 cup per gallon is when the turkey has already been injected from the meat plant, many are already injected for moisture. In those cases, the salt can be cut back so that the turkey isn’t too salty and the texture changes as well.
I’ve brined chickens,pork chops etc…but never a turkey. Is 24 hours in the brine good?
That would be the absolute max. 1 hour per pound is best.
<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>belletaine wrote:</div>
I’ve brined chickens,pork chops etc…but never a turkey. Is 24 hours in the brine good?That would be the absolute max. 1 hour per pound is best.
Thanks Dave!
DON’T FORGET to rinse well before cooking!
Made this recipe last year. Absolutely amazing and will be doing it again this year.
For you guys that smoke your turkey do you still make stock & soup?
I’ve tried with chickens and had bad results.
For you guys that smoke your turkey do you still make stock & soup?
I’ve tried with chickens and had bad results.
Smoked turkey seems good the first day but prefer the roasted for everything from sandwiches, soup and pot pie.
I was going to brine and smoke our turkey but looking at what the FW bought, she got a jennie-o turkey that already has a turkey solution injected. From what I’ve read online, I shouldn’t need/do a brine then? Would I be good to go just to rub it down and smoke?
I was going to brine and smoke our turkey but looking at what the FW bought, she got a jennie-o turkey that already has a turkey solution injected. From what I’ve read online, I shouldn’t need/do a brine then? Would I be good to go just to rub it down and smoke?
Read my post above about salt ratio. You can still brine but just cut way back on the salt.
Missed that detail – thanks for that. I think I’ll still try to brine then.
For you guys that smoke your turkey do you still make stock & soup?
I’ve tried with chickens and had bad results.
Wife made a bunch of pot pie with the leftover smoked and I love it. We also usually make chicken salad sandwiches with leftover smoked chicken- that is something anyone who likes smoked bird should try!
We made turkey & rice soup with ours and it was fantastic.
I’m asking for your help in two ways this morning.
1) Keep all topics >>and replies<< Hunting/Fishing/Sports related. Please feel free to use FaceBook, Twitter or the hundreds of other platforms to bring up other topics
BK
I’m asking for your help in two ways this morning.
1) Keep all topics >>and replies<< Hunting/Fishing/Sports related. Please feel free to use FaceBook, Twitter or the hundreds of other platforms to bring up other topicsBK
Note to self: ONLY wild game and wild fish recipes in the RECIPE SECTION.
December 16, 2020 at 9:34 am#1997755
I’m asking for your help in two ways this morning.
1) Keep all topics >>and replies<< Hunting/Fishing/Sports related. Please feel free to use FaceBook, Twitter or the hundreds of other platforms to bring up other topics
Thats to bad. I had a bunch of money i was gonna give to the first ten people who replied to a topic i was gonna start but guess I have to do that somewhere else now.
Just a FYI – My reply on this post was due to a reply that I received on one of my post by Suzuki. I found it funny that he was questioning the content of my post while he was himself starting a post that also had nothing to do with Hunting/Fishing/Sports. I simply posted his reply on my post back to him on his.
To be clear, I have no problem with the subject matter of this post or with Suzuki in anyway !!!!
I’m asking for your help in two ways this morning.
1) Keep all topics >>and replies<< Hunting/Fishing/Sports related. Please feel free to use FaceBook, Twitter or the hundreds of other platforms to bring up other topicsBK
I thought it was funny. And I thought BK would also. Guess i should have added a smiley face. 
I thought it was funny. And I thought BK would also. Guess i should have added a smiley face. 
[/quote]
Sorry Suzuki – Was not sure of your intent. A Smiley Face probably would have helped.
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