Turkey (Poultry) Brine

Our brines make your food so mouth-watering delicious it’s like indulging in a guilty pleasure… without the guilt! The meat will be so moist & juicy you’ll be sorry you didn’t make more! With our kits, we’ve done all the proper measuring of the salt and spices, taking out all the guesswork for you. We have 3 brine mixes: our zesty Lemon Brine, our mouth watering Garlic Brine, and our tempting Turkey Brine. We can also always help you with the classic Corned Beef Brine, which uses our Pickling Spice.

What is brining and why should I brine?

Brining is the soaking of poultry, pork or other lean meats in a solution of water, salt and generally herbs and spices for the purpose of making the meat more moist and juicy, as well as more tender and flavorful. Brining actually works better to pull flavors into meat than using a rub. The salt solution increases the moisture holding capacity of the meat. While cooking or grilling, moisture is still lost, but 2 things happen – first you start with more moisture in the meat, and second, less moisture is actually lost from the meat because of the chemical process that occurs.

To summarize – it’s like giving your meat a relaxing bath that leaves it moist, tender, and deliciously seasoned!

How does it work?

Here comes the chemistry.  When meat is added to a salt solution, salt is drawn into the meat. The high salt concentration then draws the liquid deep into the meat, where it begins to denature the muscle proteins, hence tenderizing the meat. The liquid is then “stuck” in the meat, and does not easily release out, even during cooking. The spices? They are drawn into the meat with the saltwater mixture. (Unfortunately, the spices can’t really be drawn deeply into the meat without the salt) 

What should you brine?

Just about any meat you want. Pork, Shrimp, chicken, turkey and other poultry tend to be lean, and can all dry out easily even if overcooked by just a few minutes, making them great candidates for brining. If you plan to smoke a roast or rack of ribs, try brining it first to add moisture and flavor even deeper into the meat.

Brining Tips:

Always use a non-reactive container for your brine solution, such as glass, plastic, most crock-pots or stainless steel. Use a dish or heavy object to keep the meat submerged. If you use a brining bag, be sure to remove all the air so that the brine covers the meat.

Several sources recommend rinsing the meat after removing it from the brine, to remove any surface salt. The meat should also be completely dry before putting on the grill or in the oven.

Letting the meat "rest" for 5-20 minutes (depending on the size of the meat) after removing it from the oven or grill allows the extra moisture to redistribute for a juicier taste.

Our own recipe, blended with sea salt, sugar, garlic, onion, rosemary, sage, bay leaf, celery, and carrot.