Cranberry Turkey Brine is the perfect brine if you are looking for a nice juicy turkey. As we all know 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.
Cranberry Turkey Brine
Cranberry Turkey Brine is the perfect brine if you are looking for a nice juicy turkey. As we all know Turkey is a bird that has little fat, particularly the breast meat.
Ingredients
- 2 quarts/1.9 liters cranberry juice
- 1 cup salt or 1 1/2 cups/360 ml Kosher or coarse salt
- 1 cup/120 ml apple juice
- 1 cup orange juice
- 10 cloves garlic unpeeled and lightly smashed
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme
- 4 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 1 tablespoon dried Oregano
Instructions
- In a stockpot over medium heat, simmer cranberry juice, apple juice, orange juice and the dry ingredients until the salt 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.
