Turkey is a bird that has little fat, particularly the breast meat. And we all know fat keeps the meat from becoming dry and tough. If you want to avoid a dry bird for thanksgiving then you might need a little help. This is where brining comes in. At its simplest form a brine is a basic solution of water and salt.
By giving a turkey a nice soak in this solution, you can actually add a bit more moisture and flavor into the bird before it’s ready to roast. This Maple and brown sugar turkey brine will give your bird a nice sweet and savory flavor.
Brown Sugar and Maple Turkey Brine
This Maple and brown sugar turkey brine will give your bird a nice sweet and savory flavor.
Ingredients
- 3 quarts/3.8 liters water
- 1 quarts of apple juice
- 2 cups/475 ml brown sugar
- 1 1/2 cups/360 ml maple syrup
- 3/4 cup/180 ml Kosher salt
- 1 cup soy sauce
- 5 to 6 whole cloves garlic peeled
- 8 whole bay leaves
- 4 large sprigs thyme
- 2 teaspoons whole peppercorns
Instructions
- In a stockpot over medium heat, simmer apple juice, brown sugar, maple syrup and dry ingredients in the water until the salt and sugar dissolve, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and let cool.
- Submerge the turkey in the brine, top with a plate, and put a large can or a few cans on the plate to hold the turkey under the brine.
- Refrigerate the turkey in the brine for 12 to 24 hours.
- Before roasting, remove the turkey from the brine, rinse it off under cold water so it’s not too salty, and pat it dry with paper towels.
- Follow your favorite recipe and roast without using additional salt.
