We have all experienced the disappointment of dry, flavorless Thanksgiving turkey. The secret to an amazing, moist, flavorful turkey is a brine bursting with flavors from spices, citrus fruit, and sweet apple cider.
Many traditional Thanksgiving turkey recipes focus on imparting flavors through rubs or stuffing, but without a delectable brine to infuse flavor, many recipes simply give you rich flavors that are merely skin deep.
Be sure to thaw your turkey completely before beginning this brining process. If you are cooking a turkey for Thanksgiving, we would recommend
Thanksgiving Apple Cider Turkey Brine
2 cups of unfiltered apple cider (NOT VINEGAR)
2 gallons of cold water (approximately)
1 large onion, diced
1 ½ cups of powdered garlic salt
1 cup of dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons of whole black or pink peppercorns
2 oranges thinly sliced
2 lemons thinly sliced
1 cup of fresh cranberries, crushed or diced
5 large sprigs of fresh rosemary
2 tablespoons of dried sage (rubbed or powdered)
- Place all of the ingredients in a large pot and stir thoroughly until the sugar is completely dissolved.
- Add your thawed Pastured Thanksgiving Turkey and submerge it completely. If you do not have a pot that is large enough, consider using a turkey brining bag.
- Refrigerate the turkey in the brine 18-24 hours.
- Remove turkey from brine, discard the brine, and pat dry.
- Prepare your turkey using your favorite recipe.