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Turkey Brine

I think the method of Thanksgiving cooking that is growing the most in popularity is turkey brining.  I tried it out on a chicken, and the chicken turned out moist and tender. It has a little bit of a salty taste but not overly so. If you are on a salt free diet, I wouldn’t recommend it, but otherwise, it’s a delicious great tasting way to prep a turkey.  

The Turkey Brine I used was Spice Hunter Turkey Brine.  It contains: Sea salt, brown sugar, dried cranberries, dried apple, garlic, orange peel, juniper berries, Malabar black peppercorns, thyme, rosemary and sage.  I wondered if you would be able to taste any of the other flavors in your turkey(chicken) and we could.  I didn’t use any other seasonings when I roasted it because I wanted to see what the brine would do to the bird.  So without any other seasonings when I roasted it, the chicken was flavorful.  I got little bites of flavor here and there that were a delicious addition to the chicken. 

Brining the Turkey.

Preparation:

• Just combine the contents of the 11 oz. jar or half of the 22 oz. jar to one gallon of boiling water for a turkey of up to 14 lbs.
• Cool thoroughly and refrigerate until chilled.
• Place thawed turkey, brining mix and an additional gallon of water into a large container or bag so that the turkey is completely submerged.
• Keep refrigerated or on ice for 12-24 hours.
• Before roasting, rinse with cold water and pat dry.

Since I was trying the brine on a chicken, I used a large bowl with a lid that fit over the chicken and the brine.  You could use a large pot with a lid and store it in the fridge, or a large bag and store it in a cooler with ice surrounding the bag of turkey. 

Spice Hunter also has a recipe to make your own Herb Brined Turkey.

Herb-Brined Roast Turkey

Ingredients:

For brine:

• (15- to 20-pound) fresh turkey
• 2 cups coarse salt
• ½ cup brown sugar
• 2 Tbsp. The Spice Hunter Malabar Black Peppercorns
• 2 Tbsp. The Spice Hunter Mediterranean Rosemary
• 1 Tbsp. The Spice Hunter French Thyme
• 2 Tbsp. The Spice Hunter Rubbed Dalmatian Sage
• 1 gallon vegetable or chicken broth

For roasting:

• 1 medium red onion, chopped
• 1 medium carrot, chopped
• 1 medium celery rib, chopped
• 6 Tbsp. unsalted butter, room temperature
• The Spice Hunter Citrus Pepper Fresh Twist Grinder

Preparation:

Stir 2 gallons water, broth and salt in large pot until salt dissolves. Stir in the remaining brine ingredients. Add turkey to brine. Place large plate atop turkey to submerge. Place in refrigerator. Soak turkey 8 to 10 hours. Remove turkey from brine; rinse and pat dry. Preheat oven to 450°;F. Place turkey on rack in large roasting pan. Place cut vegetables inside turkey cavity. Rub butter over turkey. Grind the Citrus Pepper Fresh Twist Grinder over turkey to evenly season. Place turkey in oven. Reduce temperature to 325°;F. Roast turkey until thermometer inserted into thickest part of thigh registers 175°;F, about 2 ½ hours. Transfer turkey to platter; tent with foil. Let stand at room temperature 30 minutes before carving.
Garnish suggestions: roasted onions, roasted red potatoes and/or green beans

To make us even happier Spice Hunter has an Organic Line of spices.

Spice Hunter spices Spice Hunter Organic Spices

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