Why Brine Your Turkey? 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 than 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.
During the brining process, the turkey absorbs the moisture, which in turn helps it stay juicy. The turkey absorbs salt too, it also gets nicely seasoned. The salt also has one other benefit, it breaks down some of the turkey’s proteins, making it more tender.
A bird that has been wet-brined for just 12 hours will have a better chance of staying juicy even if you overcook the turkey a little.
