Preparing the brine takes minutes and a brined turkey has more flavor that is better balanced, and has a firmer, plumper texture. Also, sea salt brining your turkey makes for a juicier bird, every time.
What is brining? A brine is a salt solution, and salt subtly denatures the proteins in the turkey, allowing them to hold more water, making for a juicier bird. Since you are bringing brine into the bird, make the brine of the finest stuff using Hawaii sea salt
Never use Kosher salt in your turkey brine.Kosher salt is 100% pure sodium chloride. Kosher salt is used for extracting water from meat so stay away from that when brining
Buy good sea salt. Any relatively mineral rich sea salt will do. You will need about 2 cups. Many people ask about Himalayan salts. They are fine, and contain about 3 percent trace minerals which is good.
Ingredients and recipe for a 16 lb bird
1 ¾ cups sea salt
2 ½ gallons of cold water. the best is bottled spring water not tap water.
½ cup maple sugar
1 bay leaf
2-3 crushed allspice
6 peppercorns
Bring 2 cups of the water to a boil, mixing in all the above ingredients, mixing to dissolve the salt as much as possible. Let the water cool for half an hour, then combine back with remaining 2 ½ gallons to make your brine. Put turkey in double layer plastic garbage bag breast down, pour cold brine solution over bird, get all excess air of out of bag and tie off.Place bagged brined bird in fridge and let soak for 24 hours.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees
Remove bird from fridge, pat dry, stuff with the stuffing of your choice, sew cavity shut, and roast in the oven. Cook until the internal temperature of the bird (at the inner thick part of the thigh) is 165 degrees. 165 degrees kills salmonella, yet leaves the Turkey moist on the inside and crackly on the outside.
Carve and serve!
Hawaiian Sea Salt From the Hawaiian Islands – 5lb Bag
Hawaii Premium Salt from the Ocean
Medium Grind White Sea Salt
5lbs bag
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Price: $19.00
