How much salt to water do you guys use?

Years ago I read that seasonings other than salt don't penetrate into the meat and it's a waste of ingredients/money to put them in the brine. But I see these brine kits that have all sorts of other stuff in them. Are these kits worth the money? Like Meat Churches bird baptism kit?

I think it was amazing ribs .com where I read not to bother with anything other than salt.

I can tell the difference when adding sugar to brine. I use Jeff Phillips at smoking-meat.com as a resource for amounts and recipes.

I have heard that before, but I think you can taste the other ingredients. They won't be strong, though.

Here is what I do to brine a turkey.

2qt water
1/2 - 1C salt (I've been using less lately)
3-4 bay leaves
4t oregano
6t basil
4t rosemary
2T cracked pepper
2 orange peels
6c orange juice

I bring some of the water to boil and steep all the ingredients in the hot water. Once cooled I line a tall/skinny pot with a baking bag and pour everything in. Draw up the bag to help cover the turkey. Put it the refrigerator overnight.

Rinse and dry the turkey. Mix a stick of butter with orange zest and work it under the skin. Bake uncovered at 350.

Can also spatchcock and smoke. Turns out amazing.

I use this: https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/good-eats-roast-turkey-recipe-1950271

I don't have a pic of the recipe but this one is really close. I do a sweet tea brine on my turkey. Got the recipe from Chris Shepherd's old restaurant, Underbelly.

https://www.justapinch.com/recipes/sauce-spread/marinade/sweet-tea-brine.html

KRamp90 said:

---

I use this: https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/good-eats-roast-turkey-recipe-1950271

---

I do t stuff with the aromatics, we do traditional stuffing.

Will the skin stay in place once you put it underneath there when you're cooking it

If your bird has been injected when you buy it, brining isn't necessary, because a standard brine will equalize via osmosis. The worse thing you can do is over-salt it.

The best thing you can do is get the bird out of the bag 24 hours before you're going to cook it, put it on a wire rack, and leave it uncovered in the refrigerator. That will dry out the skin and make for better browning and crisping of the skin.

Yes it does.

I followed this recipe last year and got rave reviews from the family. I had never cooked a turkey before so I can't tell you much else about it.

https://brianlagerstrom.com/recipes/roast-turkey/

from Grok last year… and the smoked turkey was great

Simple and Reliable Turkey Breast Brine Recipe

Brining a turkey breast is a great way to keep it juicy and flavorful, especially since boneless or bone-in breasts tend to dry out easily. This recipe makes enough brine for a 48 lb turkey breast.

#### Ingredients (for the brine)
- 1 gallon (16 cups) cold water
- 1 cup kosher salt (or cup table salt)
- cup brown sugar (or granulated sugar)
- 4-5 cloves garlic, smashed
- 1 tablespoon black peppercorns
- 2-3 bay leaves
- 1 tablespoon whole allspice berries (optional, but adds warmth)
- 1 tablespoon dried thyme or fresh thyme sprigs
- 1 tablespoon dried rosemary or fresh rosemary sprigs
- Optional flavor boosters: orange or lemon zest/peels, fresh sage, juniper berries, or a splash of apple cider

#### Instructions
1. **Make the brine**
In a large pot, combine 4 cups of the water with the salt, sugar, garlic, peppercorns, bay leaves, and any herbs/spices. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring until the salt and sugar fully dissolve (about 5 minutes). Remove from heat.

2. **Cool it down**
Add the remaining 12 cups of cold water (or ice water) to cool the brine quickly to room temperature or colder. You can also add a few handfuls of ice to speed this up.

3. **Brine the turkey breast**
Place the turkey breast in a large brining bag, food-safe plastic container, or a clean cooler. Pour the cooled brine over the turkey, making sure it's fully submerged. If needed, weigh it down with a plate or a sealed bag of water.
Refrigerate for **12-24 hours** (overnight is perfect; don't go much longer than 24 hours or it can get too salty).

4. **Rinse and pat dry**
Remove the turkey from the brine, rinse thoroughly under cold water to remove excess salt, and pat very dry with paper towels. This step is crucial for crispy skin if roasting.

#### Tips
- For a 4-6 lb breast: 1218 hours is ideal.
- For an 8 lb breast: up to 24 hours is fine.
- If you're short on time, a 6-8 hour brine still makes a big difference.

Sounds like it's getting time for the Annual Thanksgiving Turkey: Oven/Fry/Big Easy Cooker Thread re-up again.

Can't wait!

Picking out my Cigar soon for the highly intensive cook!

jt2hunt said:

---

Will the skin stay in place once you put it underneath there when you're cooking it

---

Toothpicks at the edge of the skin keep it from pulling up.

Meateater (Steve Rinella) Basic Brine

1 gallon water
1 C Kosher
1 C packed brown sugar
10 black peppercorns
3 bay leaves
8 lbs of ice (add after brine cools and before bird bath)

SR = trained chef and has probably brined more protein than TA combined.

I use this simple brine and it is great/cheap. I have not raosted a turkey in decades, for what it is worth. Spent years frying them (brine is not needed) and have been smoking them now for the better part of a decade.
Maybe using a more complex brine makes a difference when roasting, not sure.

I have used Meat Church Brine on smoked chicken and found no more complex flavor than the basic brine. If you are smoking the bird I dont't think the "extras" matter much, if at all. I do a good dry rub under the skin (breast/thighs/legs) and on the surface. Always delicious.