Reviewed: Nov. 27, 2007

This was amazing! The turkey was so tender. My husband told me it was better than his moms. Our first thanksgiving was a hit!

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WAMMY

Cooking Level: Expert

Living In: Granite City, Illinois, USA

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Reviewed: Nov. 25, 2007

I am giving five stars b/c the turkey was so moist, but I am not sure if the oranges and onion and all that did anything. Maybe it added a depth of flavor I would have missed had I not added it. Very good over all I used one person's suggestion to brine my turkey in my veggie crisper drawer in my fridge. Worked perfectly. I will only brine a turkey from now on!

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outnumbered

Home Town: Chicago, Illinois, USA

Living In: Flowery Branch, Georgia, USA

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Reviewed: Nov. 24, 2007

I'm only giving this recipe 4 stars b/c I didn't follow it exactly; I'd rather give it 2 or 3... I used juices instead of the fresh fruit, b/c that's what I had. Other people did that with great success, though. My issue was that parts of the turkey were very salty (especially the leg/thigh meat) and others were fine. I was so excited about trying this recipe based on the reviews, but I probably won't be brining any poultry in the future. Seems like an awful lot of work when the turkey didn't taste any better than the turkeys I normally make.

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Korrine

Cooking Level: Expert

Home Town: Lakeville, Indiana, USA

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Reviewed: Nov. 24, 2007

I used this brine this Thanksgiving and it was lovely. I threw in a sliced grapefurit too. The turkey I made (Maple turkey from this site) came out juicy and tender. I will likely repeat this for Christmas.

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hisdrinkoffering

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Reviewed: Nov. 23, 2007

This brine made all the difference in my first turkey. I rubbed the bird with some salt then warmed up the water & other items plus added the additional salt. I wanted to ensure the salt dissolved. I placed in a clean, garbage bag & placed in the fridge. I had to omit the thyme because I had none on hand & used what I did have. The only thing negative to say was that while the bird was perfect the drippings came out too salty. When I used the drippings for the gravy & stuffing they both were edible but too salty for my taste. Nevertheless, I look forward to using this recipe again especially with chicken.

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wendybird

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Living In: Houston, Texas, USA

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Reviewed: Sep. 29, 2007

I have used this brine several times for chickens as well as turkeys. I should have rated it a long time ago. THIS WORKS FOR A GOOD JUICY CHICKEN, ROASTER OR TURKEY!!!!

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vreneem

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Home Town: Washington, D.C., USA

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Reviewed: Jul. 1, 2007

I have always used a plain salt brine for my poultry and decided it was time to try some flavours in the brine...This ia a great recipe! I doubled the recipe and added 1/2 C of brown sugar and used some whole peppercorns instead of ground pepper. I also added a bit of baking soda to the mixture to neutralize the acidity of the oranges and lemons; this helps the brine absorb into the meat better. I dry the bird after removing from the brine and get it into the oven right away; this ensures the brine stays in the meat. The weight of the food on itself begins to squeeze the brine out within minutes of leaving the bath. I've used this brine many times and I'm never disappointed. Works well for whole birds or pieces. Thanks!

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britishcolumbiagirl

Cooking Level: Expert

Home Town: Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada

Living In: Richmond, British Columbia, Canada

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Reviewed: Apr. 7, 2007

This was a great brine. The meat was so juicy and flavorful. I'm making it again in a roaster. Brining is the way to go.

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Katie Bug

Cooking Level: Expert

Home Town: Havana, Illinois, USA

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Reviewed: Jan. 18, 2007

This was really great. The entire family loved it, declaring it moist and very tasty. Although the prep work took a little time, I noticed that my boys and their wives were busily wrapping the leftovers to take home!! Great! I will do it again.

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Rick S.

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Reviewed: Dec. 3, 2006

This was pretty good! My family said it was the juciest turkey they ever had. I couldn't really taste how the brine seasoned the bird but it was moist.

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Carrie

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Home Town: Eaton, Ohio, USA

Living In: Englewood, Ohio, USA

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Reviewed: Nov. 27, 2006

After all the hype, I finally brined a bird, and it was worth it! Very moist throughout. This is a nice brine, but would suggest adding more citrus wedges, even some orange juice, to enhance the citrus flavor.

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SEWELL COOK

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Reviewed: Nov. 27, 2006

I used this brine for the Thanksgiving turkey, and it resulted in the most tender, juiciest bird ever! I did have to more than double the recipe in order to completely sumberge my 17 pound turkey. I also stuffed the lemons, oranges, garlic and bay leaves in the cavity before roasting. Everyone raved!

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Shannon

Cooking Level: Expert

Home Town: Lebanon, Pennsylvania, USA

Living In: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA

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Reviewed: Nov. 24, 2006

This is the first time I've brined a turkey, and I have to say it was the most moist ever! Instead of using a lemon and an orange, I used 1/2 cup Real Lemon juice, and 3/4 cup orange juice. Also used coarse kosher salt. Turned out delicious!

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Diana

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Home Town: Okinawa, Okinawa, Japan

Living In: U S A F Academy, Colorado, USA

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Reviewed: Nov. 23, 2006

I have struggled with Turkeys all my life...so did my mom, who was a really good homemaker and cook. For a long time I've cooked them in a sealed foil tent to hold in the moisture and flavor, basting at the end to get some good sizzle on it. This year I brined with this recipie (being very liberal with the quantities of ingredients, as it was a 20 lb bird) and then baked it in a tent, as usual......oh my goodnees. I will never not brine again. This is outstanding. Have a gourmet cook in the extended family, and my nieces and daughter were all comparing this bird to his (which are a seriously religious experience to eat, but I suspect he goes to a lot of trouble)... For the little bit of extra work involved, this is a superb way to treat a bird.

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CoyoteStew

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Reviewed: Nov. 22, 2006

Made my turkey VERY juicy and tender last year. I cooked a 22 lb turkey for 10 people, and there was none leftover!

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dayinta76

Cooking Level: Expert

Home Town: Honolulu, Hawaii, USA

Living In: Atlanta, Georgia, USA

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Reviewed: Nov. 22, 2006

Fantastic, best brine recipe that I have every used. My turkey was the juciest ever, even the breast.

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werscotties

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Reviewed: Nov. 18, 2006

I found that if the turkey is too salty that I could change the type of turkey and make a big difference. Butterball adds lots of salt injected in the bird. I like fresh local turkeys the best.

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JOEPOWERS

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Reviewed: Oct. 11, 2006

This was excellent and well worth the effort. Just make very sure you do not get a prebasted turkey. A fresh turkey works best.

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Tess

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Living In: Columbus, Ohio, USA

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Reviewed: Sep. 22, 2006

EXCELLENT! Brined turkey is the moisted and most flavorful I've ever had. I just mixed the salt, citrus and herbs into the water and dropped in my turkey. I also added a 1/2 cup of sugar and some sprigs of rosemary. Try this, you won't be disappointed.

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