Perfect Turkey

Are you looking to cook the perfect turkey this Thanksgiving? I love to brine my turkey. This will make the moistest and juiciest turkey you will ever eat. The juices from the turkey will also make the best gravy it is to die for. I got this recipe from my mom. She always cooked our turkeys this way. I remember as a kid, waiting for my dad to carve the turkey and perhaps get a taste. You can cook any kind of poultry this way.

Brine:

1 gallon vegetable broth

1 cup sea salt

1 tablespoon crushed dried rosemary

1 tablespoon dried sage

1 tablespoon dried thyme

1 tablespoon dried savory

1 gallon ice water

In a large stock pot, combine the vegetable broth, sea salt, rosemary, sage, thyme, and savory. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently to be sure salt is dissolved. Remove from heat, and let cool to room temperature.

When the broth mixture is cool, pour it into a clean 5 gallon bucket. Make sure this bucket is food grade. I sometimes just use a large stockpot if my turkey will fit. Stir in the ice water.Wash and dry your turkey.

Make sure you have removed the innards. Place the turkey, breast down, into the brine. Make sure that the cavity gets filled. Place the bucket in the refrigerator overnight. I happen to live where it is cold so I just put it in the garage or on the front porch.

Remove the turkey carefully draining off the excess brine and pat dry. Discard excess brine.Cook the turkey as desired reserving the drippings for gravy. Keep in mind that brined turkeys cook 20 to 30 minutes faster so watch the temperature gauge.

I thought you might enjoy learning how to Stuff and carve a turkey. Thanks to Taste of Homes.