10-12cupswaterplus an additional 1 gallon of water for the brining process
Instructions
Turkey Brine Recipe (Prepare 24 hours before cooking turkey)
Place the salt, sugar, herbs, peppercorns, carrots, onions, celery, and apples into a large stock pan. Cover with cold, filtered water or chicken/turkey stock.
Bring the mixture to a boil and then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes, or until sugar and salt have dissolved in water into the brine.
Remove the brine from the heat and let the brine cool for 30 minutes at room temperature and then cover and transfer it to the refrigerator to cool fully.
At this point, you can strain off the solids from your brine. I typically leave them in the brine and then discard them with the brining bag in the morning after removing the turkey from the brine. The choice is completely yours.
How to Brine a Turkey
On the night before you plan to roast your turkey, remove the turkey from the packaging, and discard the packaging, pop-up thermometer, gizzards, and neck from the cavity of the turkey.
Place the turkey into the brining bag or large stock pan and pour the brining liquid over the turkey into the bag.
Add additional cold water to cover the turkey completely in liquid. This is about 1 gallon of cold water.
Seal the brining bag, and place it into a container (such as a large pan or an empty produce drawer) to prevent cross-contamination if your turkey brine bag were to leak. Refrigerate the turkey in the brine for at least 8 hours or up to 18 hours.
Before roasting the turkey, remove the turkey from the brine and rinse off the excess salt on the turkey. Blot the turkey dry with paper towels.
Roast the turkey on the lowest level of the oven at 500 degrees for 30 minutes.
After 30 minutes, insert a probe thermometer into the thickest part of the breast and reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F. Set the thermometer alarm (if available) to 161 degrees F. A 14 to 16-pound bird should require a total of 2 to 2 ½ hours of roasting. If needed, tent the turkey breasts with foil if you notice they are browning too quickly.
Remove the turkey from the oven after it reaches the desired temperature and let the turkey rest, loosely covered with foil for 15 minutes before carving.
Notes
Turkey Size: This brine recipe is enough for a 10-14 pound turkey. Double for a larger turkey or cut in half for a turkey breast. Turkey: It is best to brine a fresh turkey that has not been injected with a sodium solution. That said, you CAN brine a frozen turkey, just be sure it is FULLY defrosted first!Money-Saving Tip: In the weeks leading up to the time when I plan to brine a turkey, I store vegetable and fruit scraps, along with wilted herbs in a large freezer-safe bag in the freezer. Onion peels, ends of celery, apple cores/peels, orange peels, wilted herbs, stems of rosemary, and thyme are all perfect to use for flavoring your turkey brine. Use 4 cups of vegetable scraps in place of the fresh vegetables, herbs, and apples in the brine.Feel free to use additional or fewer vegetables/fruits/herbs when making the brine. Salt and sugar are key in this turkey brine recipe. Sanitize: Be sure to work with the raw turkey cautiously and sanitize your workstation after working with the turkey to prevent food poisoning and cross-contamination.