Looking for TURKEY HELP 101?

This year I will be brining a 12lb turkey and I have scoured the internet for an idiot proof recipe with kosher salt, sugar and cold water. Alton Brown, Tyler Florence, Emeril Lagrasse recipes are wayyyyy too much for me to get through.



Looking for a very simple recipe the bird is now thawing out on my kitchen table.



1stQuestion: How much kosher salt, sugar and cold water do I need to coat or submerge this 12lb bird let's say in a bucket or a small igloo cooler? Would it be okay to pack some ice around the bird as well to keep the cooler's temperature? Or can I just dump the ice in the brine as well (cause Alton Brown just dump the ice cubes in his brine with ice water combine...)



2nd Question: If I brine this bird the day before I am going to cook it, how long should I brine this 12lb (cause I don't want to do this brining method overnight, just in case its gets too salty this is my frist time brining don't want to mess this up), I rather get the brining process over and done with during the day....



3rd Question: After I brine the bird %26amp; pat it dry, how long or how many hours do I cook this12lb BRINED bird for?

Was told when the bird is brined it cooks up a wee bit faster because of all the salt juices the bird has retian which pretty much makes the cook time shorter....and to be honest my entire family loves a turkey with no pink/bloody meat in itl, we love our turkey meat charcoaled well done LOL....





Thank you so very much for all of your help :) Looking for TURKEY HELP 101?
you need 1 cup salt per gallon of water,....5 gallons should do....there is no rule for other seasonings . such as sugar..its a matter of taste...

instead of adding Ice to the brine and diluting it....freeze several baggies of water and add those to the brine water as needed..I freeze 8 and use 4 at a time...

for a 12 pound bird you need to soak it for at least 12 hours.



make sure your salt is completely dissolved before adding

your turkey.



cooking time is the same for a brined bird as it is for one that has not been brined.Looking for TURKEY HELP 101?
ATTENTION--U NEED TO THAW IT IN THE REFRIGERATOR!!!--OTHERwise bacteria will grow on it.--it should thaw by thurs.--if not then u can run it under water for a bit to finish the thaw.---i think u are headed for disaster with the brining.--skip it and cook it according to directions.--u will see the tip of leg bone pull away from the skin is a sign its done.
I used these recipes last year and it was AWESOME. The breast was juicy, not dry and cut with a fork. Several people said it was the best turkey they had ever had. I did not find it to have a different cooking time than any other turkey.



Brine:

1 gallon hot water

disolve into it 1 lb. kosher salt

add 2 qt. veggie broth

1 lb. honey

1 7 lb. bag ice



I used a large clean garbage bag to line an ice chest. I DID brine overnight and it did NOT have a salty taste at all. I think the honey makes the flavor round out nicely. Will stay cool overnight and not spoil due to ice in chest keeping it cool.



Then I used a glaze over it for basting and injected glaze into the turkey to add extra moisture. (probably overkill here)



1/4 melted butter

1/2 c wine

1/2 c honey

1/4 tsp. cinnamon





I baked the turkey breast side DOWN for 3/4 of the time. Then I flipped it to the traditional breast side UP. That small touch lets all the juices flow to the dryer parts of the birds but gives the breast time to get golden at the end.



Can't suggest cooking times because I researched cooking longer at a lower temp to add even more juciness. I am obsessive with my holiday prep but I promise this was the BEST turkey ever.
Here is a great site for all your questions and an additional recipe follows the website reccomendation. I hope this helps you out.



Website: cookshack.com/brining







Turkey Brine

Submitted by: SHERI GAILEY

Rated: 5 out of 5 by 250 members Prep Time: 5 Minutes

Cook Time: 15 Minutes Ready In: 8 Hours 20 Minutes

Yields: 15 servings



';This is a tasty brine for any poultry. It will make your bird very juicy, and gravy to die for!!';

INGREDIENTS:

1 gallon vegetable broth

1 cup sea salt

1 tablespoon crushed dried

rosemary 1 tablespoon dried sage

1 tablespoon dried thyme

1 tablespoon dried savory

1 gallon ice water



DIRECTIONS:

1. In a large stock pot, combine the vegetable broth, sea salt, rosemary, sage, thyme, and savory. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently to be sure salt is dissolved. Remove from heat, and let cool to room temperature.

2. When the broth mixture is cool, pour it into a clean 5 gallon bucket. Stir in the ice water.

3. Wash and dry your turkey. Make sure you have removed the innards. Place the turkey, breast down, into the brine. Make sure that the cavity gets filled. Place the bucket in the refrigerator overnight.

4. Remove the turkey carefully draining off the excess brine and pat dry. Discard excess brine.

5. Cook the turkey as desired reserving the drippings for gravy. Keep in mind that brined turkeys cook 20 to 30 minutes faster so watch the temperature gauge.