November 22 2011 • Posted by corene

Happy Thanksgiving!  I’m in the brine camp.  You?

I’ve brined my turkey for the past 9 years and will never go back.  It truly makes a difference!  True - getting a 14 pound bird into the bag sloshing it around for 24 hours is a little nuts…but it’s worth it.  This is the recipe I’ve been using that I clipped out of a magazine all those years ago, modified a bit to suit our taste.  Enjoy and happy Thanksgiving from my family to yours! 

Brine:
8 cups apple cider (or juice, just be sure it is unsweetened) 
2/3 cup kosher salt
2/3 cup sugar
1 tablespoon black peppercorns, crushed  
1 tablespoon whole allspice, crushed
6-8 (1/8-inch-thick) slices peeled fresh ginger
10 whole cloves
2 bay leaves

2 cups ice cold water

Combine the first 8 ingredients in a saucepan.  Bring to a boil and simmer for 3-5 minutes, until the sugar and salt completely dissolve.  Remove from the heat - add the 2 cups ice cold water and let brine cool COMPLETELY. 
Brine should be cold before using!  This is the basic brine solution…This recipe takes you through all the steps to complete the brine process and roast the bird.