24 Days of Thanksgiving - Turkey Brine

I only eat turkey once a year. I love some turkey, don't get me wrong... but it seems like such a production to make and I only like productions on holidays. At any rate, a well-cooked turkey is the signature Thanksgiving meal. But, heaven forgive me, most people cook their turkey way too long. There's only so much gravy you can put on a dry turkey before people call you a gravy hog and then you're forced to wrestle them to the ground while your mother is taking bets on who will win.

But enough about last Thanksgiving.

Our little turkey secret? We brine. Oh yeah, we brine the heck out of that turkey... and it's always moist and yummy. For your consideration:

Boil up the following on your stove:

1 gallon of vegetable broth (it's 128 oz, save yourself the trouble of googling it)

1 cup of kosher salt

1/2 cup of brown sugar

1 tblsp whole peppercorns

After it's boiled, let it cool.

I know, it looks disgusting.  Persevere, my bloggy friends!

Here's a picture of my husband doing awful things to a turkey.  Look away if you must.

I told him that he and that turkey needed to get a room.  For realsies.

Once the brine has cooled, throw your turkey in.

Add a bag of ice over the top of him...

And then enough cold water to submerge the turkey completely.

The gobbling sounds like gurgling.

We soak our turkey in the salty cold bath for three days or so.  We put it in a sealed container and leave it out in the garage, checking to make sure it stays icy cold until turkey time.  Then, we cook it like we normally would.  It's a juicy turkey, which is the best part of Thanksgiving.

There is a scientific reason why soaking a meat in brine makes it juicy.  It has to do with osmosis.  It must also have to do with deliciousness.

Do any of you have a turkey secret? I'd love to hear about it!