Best Citrus Turkey Brine
1 cup Kosher salt (or ½ cup regular salt)
½ cup brown sugar
2 Lemons, cut in wedges
2 oranges, cut in wedges
2 limes, cut in wedges
1 onion, cut in wedges
3 cloves garlic
4 bay leaves
1 Tbsp dried Thyme
1 Tbsp ground black pepper
1-2 cups orange juice
½ gallon water
1 gallon of ice and water mixture, mostly ice, 1 lb ice equals 1
pint water
Additional ice
Turkey oven bag
Heat ½ gallon of water with other
ingredients to mix everything together and dissolve salt. Remove from heat and
add ice water mixture. Remove turkey innards and rinse turkey. Place turkey in
oven bag inside cooler or pot. Add ice to bag on top of turkey. Carefully pour
in brine. Cinch up bag and tie shut, making sure turkey is completely submerged
in brine. Leave turkey in brine for 18-24 hours. Ice should be present the
entire time the turkey is brining. (Turkey must remain cold!) After brining,
remove turkey from brine and rinse thoroughly. Discard brine. Cook turkey using
desired recipe.
Roast Turkey
Preheat
the oven to 500 degrees F. Remove the bird from brine and rinse inside and out
with cold water. Discard the brine. Optional: Put butter or bacon between skin
and meat. Do not put seasoning on outside of bird, it will burn. Place turkey
in pan big enough to hold it. Roast the turkey on lowest level oven rack at 500F
for 30 minutes. Insert a probe thermometer into thickest part of the breast and
reduce the oven temperature to 350F. Set the thermometer alarm (if available)
to 161 degrees F. Cover turkey breast with “turkey triangle” of foil. A 14 to
16 pound bird should require an additional 1 ½ to 2 hours of roasting. Let the
turkey rest, loosely covered with foil or a large mixing bowl. Turkey needs to
rest at least 15 minutes before carving.
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