So its finally the week of Thanksgiving and I am so excited. I am also a little overwhelmed. I still have so much to be done before I can sit back and give thanks. I spent most of yesterday washing anything I could fit in my washing machine. Nothing says that you love the holidays more than clean bed sheets in my opinion.
Tomorrow begins my holiday break from work (Thats what I am calling it) and I will be cleaning my house top to bottom while my wife works. I have about 20 people set to come to this dinner so I need to make sure everything is cleaned and sanitized.
The house is not the only thing I am focusing my energy on. I never knew how much preparation goes into a making a turkey and have a new-found respect for all the people who make them around this time. I have to say that this task is far from over in my house. Sunday I took the turkey out of my freezer and put it in the refrigerator to thaw. That does not sound too hard does it. Now tonight I am supposed to make my brine and let my bird marinate for 24 hours. One thing I am nervous about is the fact that I have no idea how much my turkey weighs. It’s not on the package so I have to find a scale tonight.
Like I said before, I am going to try brining my turkey tonight. I have no idea how this is going to turn out and I am super scared. One of my biggest fears is that I either overcook or undercook this bird. Anyways, here is my brine recipe that I will be using and the link to the site that has a little more detail instructions.
My Turkey Brine
- 12 cups water, divided
- 1 cup kosher salt
- 2 cups sugar
- 1 cup apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons sage
- 2 tablespoons thyme
- 2 tablespoons rosemary
- 1 tablespoon pepper
- 4 cups ice
- Bring 4 cups of water to a simmering boil. Add salt and sugar. Stir until the sugar has completely dissolved. Turn off the heat. Stir in 8 cups cold water, apple cider vinegar, sage, thyme, rosemary, pepper, and ice. The brine is ready to be used.
- Remove giblets and neck from the cavity. Rinse the outside and inside of a thawed turkey. Using paper towels, pat the turkey dry. Complete submerge the turkey in a large soup pot bigger than the bird and cover with a lid. Allow the turkey to marinate for 12 hours for a small turkey (8-10 lbs) and up to a full day for a bigger bird. Rinse turkey and pat dry before adding additional seasoning, butter, or oil in preparation for roasting.
The Thrifty Running Dad 