Turkey brining 101

So, I realize it’s Thanksgiving and so this may not be so useful today but hopefully for the future, or for some other fowl. We decided to brine the turkey this year, well Andrew did really, I am a turkey purist but I was semi-willing to try something new. Mom’s store was busy  — she sells Ho-Ka Farms fresh turkeys and they are delicious in case anyone wants to buy one next year, as well as every side imaginable. But she took the call anyway, and here’s what we decided on the brine.

What you will need:

1 cup of kosher salt

1 cup sugar

1 cup dried herbs of your choosing (we used dried parsley, rosemary, thyme, and garlic)

1/4 cup peppercorns

Peel of two lemons

1.5 gallons of water

Boil about half the water with the salt and sugar so that it dissolves. Combine the rest of the water and the herbs, add ice or let it sit.

IMPORTANT: Don’t put hot water on your turkey! It will be bad times.

Let the solution cool. Put the turkey in a bag and dump the solution in. The turkey should be submerged. If it’s not, add more water.