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[ballantyne]

This comes from AllRecipes (Link to original here). Provides a great juicy, savory flavor, especially when the brined turkey is subsequently smoked. I've had several people tell me this was the best turkey they'd ever had.

Ingredients

• 1 gallon vegetable broth
• 1 cup sea salt
• 1 Tbs crushed dried rosemary
• 1 Tbs dried rubbed sage
• 1 Tbs dried thyme
• 1 Tbs dried savory
• 1 gallon ice water

Directions
Bring broth, salt, and spices to a boil, stirring frequently. The aim is to dissolve all the salt. Let cool to room temperature. Immediately before adding turkey(s), pour in the ice water.

I brine the turkey(s) in a 5-gallon bucket. After I add the brine and the turkey(s) I put a 2-gallon ziplock bag full of ice on top. I screw a lid onto the bucket, and then put the whole thing in a cooler. I've never had a turkey spoil that way.

[02ebz06]

Mine is similar, a few more ingredients.
Procedure different though.
I make the brine day before brining, let it cool to room temp, then into fridge overnight.
Then cold turkey goes into the cold brine for 24 hours.
Turkey temp never gets above 40 degrees.

Also use a brining bag in the 5 gal bucket.
Don't have to clean bucket that way. 

EDIT: I forgot, I don't add salt if the turkey is pre-injected.  Can get too salty.

[Conumdrum]

Your brine looks good, got all the goodies needed.

Respectfully, I used to do the full brine thing, it's a real pain when you have to do 4 turkeys.  I've moved to salting inside and out the day before and Simon and Garfunkel rub the morning of cooking.  Saves a lot of waste, hassle and thyme.

[pmillen]

EDIT: I forgot, I don't add salt if the turkey is pre-injected.  Can get too salty.

Does the brine work without salt?  I thought that it's the salt that causes the osmosis.

[Brushpopper]

Simon and Garfunkel rub the morning of cooking.  Saves a lot of waste, hassle and thyme.

 

[02ebz06]

EDIT: I forgot, I don't add salt if the turkey is pre-injected.  Can get too salty.

Does the brine work without salt?  I thought that it's the salt that causes the osmosis.

I didn't add salt this year because it was pre-injected.
There is enough salt in the what was pre-injected, I guess.
Was very juicy, not dry anywhere.

[pmillen]

I’m sorry, 02ebz06, I didn’t make myself clear.  I think by definition a liquid needs salt to be considered a brine.

As I understand the process, the brine is saltier than the liquid in the meat, so the two liquids attempt to equalize saltiness by osmosis.  Consequently, the salt ion transfer to the meat takes additional liquid with it along with some of the smaller molecules of other flavor items in the brine.

So, it seems to me that your turkey lost saltiness through osmosis when you soaked it because the liquid in the turkey was saltier than the liquid it was soaking in.  It seems to me that you weren’t brining, maybe it was more like a marinade.

By whatever name, your method worked the way you wanted, so—SUCCESS!

Only my  .  I'm not a subject matter expert.

[02ebz06]

I'm no chemist, what do I know. Hahahaha
Just followed a recipe I found on-line.