Let’s Talk Turkey!

Written By: David Slade – Cooking in Colorado

To Brine or Not to Brine?

Brining a turkey is not a difficult process, it is rather simple and you probably have most of the necessary ingredients in your pantry. You can go with a basic brine which consists of water, salt (kosher or sea salt), and sugar and a vessel to brine the turkey in. The purpose of the brining process is to tenderize, retain moisture, and season the turkey. You can use a basic brine or you can add additional ingredients to add to the flavor of the brine. Below is the brine recipe that I am using this Thanksgiving, this is for a 21-pound turkey!

• 7-1/2 Quarts water
• 2-1/2 to 3 Cups Bourbon
• 3 Cups Orange Juice
• 1-1/4 Cups Coarse Kosher Salt
• 1-1/2 Cups Dark Brown Sugar (dissolve in warm water and cool before adding to brine mixture)
• 3 Large Navel Oranges (zest one orange and add zest to the brine, slice all 3 oranges into wedges and squeeze into brine and then add the wedges to the brine)
• 1 Large Onion (cut into wedges and add to brine)
• 4 Large Garlic Cloves
• 3 to 5 Bay Leaves
• 2 Tablespoons Peppercorns
• 2-1/2 Tablespoons Crushed Rosemary
• 2-1/2 Tablespoons Thyme

Add all of the above ingredients into a food safe container large enough for the brine and the turkey (I used a 5 gallon food safe bucket) and mix well. Add the turkey and completely submerge the turkey. Place a lid on the container and place into your refrigerator to brine. I would brine for a minimum of 12 hours.