So, you’ve gotten your pasture-raised turkey…
now what?
24-36 hours ahead of cooking your turkey get it into a brine. Brining is one of the ways to ensure that this will be the best turkey ever! There are a lot of brine recipes, choose one that appeals most to you. Below is a simple brine recipe that we’ve really enjoyed.
Turkey Brine Recipe
2 Cups kosher salt
1 Cup brown sugar
2 Gallons water
3 Bay leaves
1 Tablespoon Thyme
1Tablespoon Sage
1/2 Tablespoon Black pepper1/2 Gallon apple cider or apple juice
In a sauce pan, pour 4 cups of water, add salt, sugar and spices and simmer until fully dissolved. Combine dissolved mixture with water and apple juice and pour over turkey until it is completely immersed (remember to remove neck and giblets from bird before brining). Keep turkey chilled until ready to roast. When ready to roast turkey, rinse thoroughly and pat dry. Roast in 325 degree oven until internal temperature (thickest part of breast, not touching bone) reaches 165 degrees. Remove from oven and allow to rest for 15 minutes before carving.