We are just a few days away from Thanksgiving and turkey is on the brain.  Are you getting flustered with how to cook that big, intimidating piece of poultry.  Today we are going to answer that age old question, to brine or not to brine?

Brining is a process of immersing meats into a liquid with a high concentration of salt, the brine is absorbed into the meat.  Because the meat is now loaded with extra moisture it will stay moist as it cooks.  Brining is easy but messy and takes a bit of planning.  A typical brine consists of 1 cup of salt for each gallon of liquid.  Completely submerge the meat into the brine.  Brining requires a large amount of liquid, a large non-porous vessel, space in your fridge, and lots of clean-up.  The excess brine contains salmonella and bacteria, so it requires careful removal and clean-up.

Brining is great, but the smartest, easiest way to do it is with a dry brine.  Even if you’re hosting Thanksgiving for the first time, this technique will make you look like a pro.  Instead of a liquid bath, dry brine your bird by rubbing salt and seasonings directly on the bird and let the meat rest in the refrigerator. 

  The advantages?  The turkey is prepped ahead of time, there’s no sloppy water, no special equipment is needed, and you get crispy skin.

If your turkey is tormenting you… let us help!