It’s almost turkey time! Whether you love it or hate it, turkey is a timeless tradition that many people look forward to on Thanksgiving. The reason why many people dislike turkey is because it can be a little bland if it’s not prepared correctly. If your turkey hasn’t been quite juicy enough, try brining. A brine is essentially a salt solution, transferring salt and water from the brine into your turkey. Most people also add, sugar, spices or citrus fruit to create extra flavor.
Before you prepare your brine, you need something to hold your turkey and solution. While some people use coolers, plastic bags or pots, we suggest only using a Cambro container. A Cambro container is the best vessel for brining because it is food safe, protects your turkey and you can see through it to watch what’s happening.
There are several popular Cambro containers that you can use for brining your Thanksgiving turkey:
- CamSquare® or Camwear® Round
- 10 lb. or less – 8qt. CamSquare
- 12 to 14 lb. – 12 qt. CamSquare
- 16 lb. to 20 lb. – 22 qt. CamSquare
- Ideal for smaller turkeys
- 14 to 20 lb. – Full Size, 8″ deep Camwear Food Pan
- Ideal for large turkeys
- 14 to 20 lb. – Full Size, 182612CW
- Ideal for large turkeys
Simple Brine Recipe
Chef JT Walker, Executive Sous Chef at SoFi Stadium, shares his simple, easy brine recipe for a 14 to 16 lb. turkey.
“Ever since I first heard about brining turkeys, I do the technique every year now. It’s my cheat for keeping my turkeys moist, and my friends all follow the same basic formula.”
Ingredients:
- 5 gal. vegetable or chicken stock
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ¾ lb. salt
- Additional spices to your flavor (Ex: fresh thyme, fresh sage, fresh rosemary, allspice berries, fresh ground pepper)
- 8lbs ice
Directions:
- Add stock and spices to a pot and bring to a boil.
- Combine with ice to chill brine.
- Submerge turkey for 24 hours.
- Before roasting your turkey, rinse it off under cold water to prevent it from tasting too salty and pat dry with paper towel.
- Roast turkey and enjoy!
