My Favorite Turkey Brine Recipe - Oh Sweet Basil (2024)

FAQs

Should you add herbs to brine? ›

Brines can be simply salt and water however, the addition of herbs and spices can give your brine added flavor.

The amount of time will depend on the type of brine you use; however, do not brine any longer than two days and always keep the turkey and brine refrigerated (at 40°F or less).

This recipe uses canning or kosher salt, not table salt. Using table salt in this amount will make the brine too salty. Always brine foods in a food-grade, nonreactive container such as a stainless steel or enameled stockpot, a brining bag, or a food-grade plastic bucket.

Add water, salt, sugar, garlic, thyme, sage, rosemary, allspice berries, and pepper to a stockpot. Over medium heat, simmer until the salt and sugar dissolve, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and let cool completely.

Their action lowers the pH of the brine to a point that no pathogens can survive. This is the same microbial activity found in a healthy human gut. They perform the very same tasks in the small intestine as in the pickling jar; they create a pH so low that no pathogens can proliferate.

How to Make Ina Garten's Perfect Roast Turkey. You'll start by making a dry brine. The dry lemon-herb salt mixture is sprinkled directly onto the turkey (instead of dissolved in liquid in which to submerge the bird).

You should always rinse the turkey after wet or dry brining. Once rinsed, you can let the turkey air dry, uncovered, in the refrigerator for several hours, or pat it dry with a paper towel.

Q: Can I stuff a brined turkey? A: We do not recommend stuffing a brined bird because the drippings from the turkey can add too much salt to the stuffing. We prefer to cook our stuffing separately.

Yes! Do not leave a turkey brining on the counter or it'll spoil. Treat it just like you would a raw turkey, because that's what it is—always refrigerate it!

Are butterball turkeys brined? ›

Butterball Fresh Whole Turkey is all natural*, never frozen, gluten free, and raised without hormones on American farms. Every fresh turkey is pre-brined before packaging for meat that's always tender and juicy. *All natural means minimally processed and no artificial ingredients.

Basic Brine

Place that volume of water in a container large enough to hold the brine and the meat. Add 1 tablespoon of salt for every cup of water you used and mix until the salt is completely dissolved. For example, if you are using 1 gallon (16 cups) of water, add 16 tablespoons (1 cup) of salt.

There is one occasion when table salt actually has a small leg up over kosher salt: when you need to dissolve it quickly in a liquid. When you're making a high-salinity solution (such as a brine), table salt will dissolve a little faster than kosher salt due to the smaller size of its crystals.

Himalayan salt also has a high mineral content, which makes it ideal for brining. When added to water, it creates a strong saline solution that helps to preserve food. The high mineral content also gives the food a delicious flavor.

Yes! You can choose to use a seasoning blend, make your own, or salt-then-season. Just remember to omit salt from the seasonings you are using after you pre-salt or dry brine. If you choose to add seasoning when you dry brine, start with the salt on your food.

Brown sugar, cloves, cinnamon, black peppercorns, and orange zest are added for a bright, flavorful, and tangy brine.

A good rule of thumb to follow for a dry brine is at least one hour for a beef steak, chicken or pork and up to 24 hours. Here's why dry brining these smaller cuts of meat makes a difference. If you salted immediately before cooking, the salt will stay on the surface and be part of the crust.

You can absolutely season your meat after brining. Keep in mind that the brine is very salt-rich, so you won't need to add any extra salt. Feel free to season with your favorite dry rub after brining. You can also toss the meat with low- or no-salt liquid marinades.