The Turkey's Annual Salt Bath

This is a huge week for eating and enjoying food with friends and family. I am making my own Thanksgiving feast this year and will post dishes and pictures as I cook. I am brining a turkey for the first time and am so excited to see how it comes out. Part of this journal is adding my recipes as they are works in progress, this years Thanksgiving is definately part know-how and part experiment - so fingers crossed as the process unfolds. I wanted to mention a few tips about what is involved with a brine and some safety tips for cooking and preparing a turkey for anyone who is doing this for the first time.
A brine for meat or salt bath is composed of mainly salt. I know big suprise! It works by denaturing or breaking the protein strands of the meat and allowing salt to enter the cells where it stays through the duration of cooking. It is a form of tenderizing and will help keep moisture in the meat as it cooks. The brine does not make your turkey "taste" too saltly, but will help to make it moist and juicy. A dry turkey is the worst.
The type of salt you choose to use really matters. Keep this in mind when reading recipes for brining if they do not state they type or band of salt to use. If you are using table salt for a brine remember that it has double the salt taste as kosher salt. Kosher salts also vary in the strength of the taste by brand. For example Morton's Kosher salt has a stronger salt flavor than Daimond Crystal. Use what you have, I prefer the taste of kosher salt. You can also use sea salt, but for the amount needed for a brine it tends to be the most expensive and has about the same salt flavor as the Morton's kosher but types may vary.
I discussed the ratios of salt and water with Amanda, my step-mom who is an amazing chef and she recommends to estimate that 1C of Morton's Kosher salt to 2 gallons of water or vegatable broth is a good start to a brine. If using Daimond Crystal then 1 1/2C of salt and if using table salt then 1/2-3/4C. This size of brine would be enough for a medium sized turkey 10-14lbs. Now that you have the salt to water ratio, you can add any flavors you wish; examples would be orange peel, lemon peel, whole cloves, bay leaves, peppercorns, whole allspice berries,crystalized ginger or sugars etc. If adding sugar the ratio for this brine would be 1/2C to the total 2 gallons of liquid. The spices 1-2 tablespoons. If you are going to add sugar (brown sugar works well) you will need to heat the brine the day before you are going to use it. Add all of your ingredients into a pot using half of the water or 1 gallon. Then bring to a rolling boil and allow to completely cool. You can leave this on the stove top with a lid until the next day to use. Will keep for 2-3 days if needed. This year I am going to use only the salt and water and season the bird after the brining process.
It is important to remember to defrost your turkey in the refrigerator for 2-3 days depending on the size. It if is a big bird it may take longer. Once defrosted, rinse your turkey under cool water, take out any innards or the neck that may have come with it, you can save these for gravy. Choose a bucket (clean of course) or large pot that will fit all the liquid and the bird. Add the brine (if heated add that part first then a remaining 1 gal of liquid) to the bucket then 1-2 lbs of ice cubes. Add the turkey breasts down into the bucket or pot. Remember to turn the turkey half way through to get both sides if some of the turkey is poking out. You can leave the turkey out if the ice remains, or in the garage if it is cold outside. Brine turkey for about 1/2 a day or 6-8hrs or overnite. After the brine rinse your turkey again to get any excess salt off and pat dry with paper towels. Then season your bird inside, on top and under the skin too is a great place to introduce flavor, I like to use my hands for this process and really rub the seasoning in. This can be a fun job for kids to help with just make sure to wash hands really well afterwards.