The reviewer gave this recipe 5 stars. This recipe averages a 4.84 star rating.
Reviewed: Nov. 25, 2009
Excellent brine, made it as described only I added 1/4 cup of honey. Note: I have used other simple brines (salt and sugar and water), and this one is much more flavorful. Although, this recipe leaves out details of whether to rinse the turkey before roasting... since most other brining recipes call for it, I usually rinse the bird well inside and out, I imagine this might be why mine wasn't quite as salty as some other reviews have claimed?
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The reviewer gave this recipe 5 stars. This recipe averages a 4.84 star rating.
Reviewed: Nov. 25, 2009
Hands down the BEST and easiest brine recipe out there. As others posted.......DON'T sub the salt, use kosher or canning salt only. My 25'b turkey won't fit in the fridge during the brining, so I put it in a heavy duty trash bag in our coleman. Add the brine, and close the bag. Top with 2 bags of ice. You can also play with this recipe by adding sliced oranges, you favorite herbs like rosemary, etc. And, I've used a 'prebased' bird on several occasions, and its never too salty. Just be sure to rinse well in cold water (especially inside the cavity) and pat dry.
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Cooking Level: Expert

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The reviewer gave this recipe 5 stars. This recipe averages a 4.84 star rating.
Reviewed: Nov. 24, 2009
I do a lot of custom meat smoking and tried this brine instead of my custom blend. The ingredients are simple and you can find them at any super market. It leaves the turkey moist and flavorful the way it should be. Just remember to stir your brine every 4 to 6 hours after you place your bird in the brine if you can for a more evenly moist bird. Even if you do boil the salt down the ingrdients will settle. Great Brine . PS. i am a good cook but my spelling not so good.
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Cooking Level: Expert

Living In: Spokane, Washington, USA

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The reviewer gave this recipe 5 stars. This recipe averages a 4.84 star rating.
Reviewed: Nov. 23, 2009
DO NOT USE AN OVEN BAG!!!!! IT WILL BREAK AND RUIN YOUR LAPTOP!
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The reviewer gave this recipe 5 stars. This recipe averages a 4.84 star rating.
Reviewed: Nov. 23, 2009
FIRST-TIME BRINERS: AFTER BRINING, YOU MUST THOROUGHLY RINSE THE TURKEY IN RUNNING WATER (about 2 mins) and then PAT IT DRY thoroughly before baking. Also, DON'T BRINE A TURKEY THAT IS MARKED "PRE-BASTED". I suspect one or the other of these is the issue for those complaining about their bird being "too salty" even after cutting back on the salt. Do not cut back on the salt! The rinse and/or the unbasted bird will solve your problem. This recipe is terrific, but the author unfortunately assumed users would know these things. Do try it again!! I add 1/2 can of orange juice concentrate but everything else is the same. If you are using frozen turkey, it should be thawed before brining. A FRESH turkey will always turn out better.
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Cooking Level: Expert

Home Town: Wichita, Kansas, USA
Living In: Long Island, New York, USA

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The reviewer gave this recipe 5 stars. This recipe averages a 4.84 star rating.
Reviewed: Nov. 22, 2009
Yum! I'm suffering from turkey induced drowsiness right now because I ate so much of the turkey that I brined. The bird was a hit at dinner- everyone was used to dry turkey but this brine combined with a 4+ hour barbeque/smoke hit the spot!!!
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Living In: Los Angeles, California, USA

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The reviewer gave this recipe 5 stars. This recipe averages a 4.84 star rating.
Reviewed: Nov. 22, 2009
I used this recipe, only I boiled the first quart of water to dissolve the salt, then added the other ingredients. My husband smoked the turkey at 225 degrees for about 10 hours. It was so moist, and just fell off the bone. My Father-in-Law said it was the best turkey he ever ate.
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The reviewer gave this recipe 5 stars. This recipe averages a 4.84 star rating.
Reviewed: Nov. 21, 2009
In response to several less than perfect ratings, a good rule of thumb is to cut salt amount in half if using regular table salt to substitute for Kosher Salt. Kosher Salt is much less "salty" than regular salt. DO NOT use iodized salt for brining. Delicious recipe. Thank you.
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Cooking Level: Professional

Living In: Los Angeles, California, USA

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The reviewer gave this recipe 5 stars. This recipe averages a 4.84 star rating.
Reviewed: Nov. 21, 2009
Absolutely phenomenal! This was my first ever turkey last thanksgiving and it was a major hit. It was the first turkey I can ever remember that didn't make it to later being turned into turkey sandwiches. I was very nervous about cooking my first turkey with my family being full of exceptional cooks so the competition is high. I have never been a fan of white meat but this came out so juicy and full of flavor that it didn't require being smothered in gravy. The white meat was the first to run out! I used a roaster oven for the whole process from brining to cooking. Next year I will try this with smoker.
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The reviewer gave this recipe 5 stars. This recipe averages a 4.84 star rating.
Reviewed: Nov. 20, 2009
Wonderful, wonderful recipe! I discovered this recipe several years ago when hosting my first Thanksgiving and have used it ever since. Because it made such moist and tender meat, we have tried it on smoked, grilled, and roasted turkeys and chicken, and they all came out beautifully. *I am a bit surprised to read the reviews that said it was too salty. I don't use a lot of salt while cooking, so I can be kind-of sensitive to it...but this recipe turned out great. Make sure you do not substitute regular table salt if you don't have canning salt. This would definitely contribute to oversalting!
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Cooking Level: Intermediate

Home Town: Springfield, Virginia, USA
The reviewer gave this recipe 5 stars. This recipe averages a 4.84 star rating.
Reviewed: Nov. 20, 2009
We used this recipe last thanksgiving and it was phenomenal! We'll always use this recipe, even our 3 day old leftovers were moist and tasty. Thanks for the hint of dissolving the salt in a sauce pan w/ hot water first and then adding cold water to make 2 gallons. It works much better that way. Because our Fridge was full of the rest of the thanksgiving dinner, we used a 5 gallon Reynolds ziplock bag, added the bird and then put it in our cooler in the unheated garage for 2 days. If you live in a warm climate, just add ice to the cooler and you'll be fine.
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The reviewer gave this recipe 5 stars. This recipe averages a 4.84 star rating.
Reviewed: Nov. 18, 2009
I have smoked two turkeys using this brine and they were the best birds I have ever cooked. I used a 5gal. bucket for brining and put ice in it because it wouldn't fit in frig. Covered top with lid and added more ice as needed.
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Cooking Level: Intermediate

Home Town: Tomball, Texas, USA
Living In: Bacliff, Texas, USA

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The reviewer gave this recipe 4 stars. This recipe averages a 4.84 star rating.
Reviewed: Nov. 15, 2009
4.5 stars as written, our family gave it a 5 with some small changes. First, I cut the salt down to 1 cup. I thought 1 1/2 cups would be to much and it would have been to salty. I did use the type of salt called for in the recipe. After reading some reviews, I remembered someone had used large ziploc storage bags. I can't remember which section of the store they are in, but they are Ziploc brand XL storage bags. So I used HOT water for one gallon and mixed up the salt and sugar until it dissolved and then added the other ingredients and the 2nd gallon of water. Then I placed the turkey in the bag and placed the bag in a cooler filled with ice. Then you don't have to worry about gross turkey juice in your cooler. I let sit for 2 1/2 days, then drained and patted the turkey dry. Placed in the roaster and stuffed with quartered apples and an onion. I roasted it breast-side down at 500 degrees for 30 minutes, then turned it down to 325 and roasted til done. I made gravy with the drippings using milk and flour. I DID NOT add salt and if I would have added salt to the gravy, it would have been WAY too salty. Overall a very good brine and my turkey was very juicy and flavorful. Will use it for Thanksgiving dinner.
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Cooking Level: Expert

Home Town: Rochester, Minnesota, USA
Living In: Dickinson, North Dakota, USA

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The reviewer gave this recipe 5 stars. This recipe averages a 4.84 star rating.
Reviewed: Oct. 21, 2009
I will never cook another turkey without doing a brine first. It made such a difference! The meat was juicy and full of flavor. I put a clean trash bag in my bottom drawer of the fridge, put the turkey in the drawer, and poured the brine over the bird until it was covered. I did have some brine left and just dumped it. I let the turkey site for almost a day and a half, and it was excellent!
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Cooking Level: Intermediate

Living In: Sheldon, Iowa, USA

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The reviewer gave this recipe 5 stars. This recipe averages a 4.84 star rating.
Reviewed: Oct. 11, 2009
We made this for Thanksgiving a couple of years ago and it turned out great. I was even competing against a cajun-injected fried turkey. It turned out very moist and not too salty at all. The only problem I have is the logistics of brining a turkey. I tried the roasting bag method as someone suggested. The bag was overflowing out of the roasting pan so I was nervous for the whole 24 hours it was in the fridge. Then when I went to drain it, disaster struck and I had brine all over my floor. Yes--you may chuckle! I'm sure this was directly related to my clumsiness, but there has to be a better way. I'm thinking it has something to with an extra fridge!
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Cooking Level: Expert

Home Town: Webb City, Missouri, USA
Living In: Lubbock, Texas, USA

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The reviewer gave this recipe 5 stars. This recipe averages a 4.84 star rating.
Reviewed: Sep. 20, 2009
This is the first time I ever brined anything, and it was wonderful! I cut the servings to 4 and brined a 3lb. chicken...YUM! I can't wait to try it on a turkey. Thanks for this one.
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Cooking Level: Expert

Living In: Warren, Ohio, USA
The reviewer gave this recipe 5 stars. This recipe averages a 4.84 star rating.
Reviewed: Aug. 23, 2009
This is the best brine for doing a turkey. I have used it for several years now and would not change a thing. Makes the turkey moist and the best my family has ever eaten. They all love it.
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The reviewer gave this recipe 5 stars. This recipe averages a 4.84 star rating.
Reviewed: Aug. 10, 2009
Holy smokes, this was good. I cut the recipe in half because I was only doing a turkey breast. The only change I made was to substitute 1/2 of the water for apple juice. This was BY FAR the moistest turkey breast I have ever eaten. It was a little salty for my taste, but I'm going to give the recipe the benefit of the doubt (and five stars!) because I substituted table salt for canning and may have messed up on the conversion amount. Definitely try this: You will not be disappointed.
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The reviewer gave this recipe 5 stars. This recipe averages a 4.84 star rating.
Reviewed: Aug. 2, 2009
Yup, simple and easy and the difference it makes from an unbrined turkey is unbelievable.
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Cooking Level: Expert

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The reviewer gave this recipe 2 stars. This recipe averages a 4.84 star rating.
Reviewed: Jul. 11, 2009
This was my first time using the brine technique. My husband and I thought it was on the salty side. Although I did use it only on a turkey breast, I wonder if it would make a difference using the whole bird. I baked the turkey breast in a roasting bag, it came out REALLY moist, just too salty.
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Cooking Level: Intermediate

Home Town: San Jose, California, USA
Living In: Roswell, Georgia, USA

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