Apple Cider Turkey Brine Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Can I use apple cider vinegar in my brine? ›

Citrus Apple Cider Vinegar Brine will make your turkey moist and full of flavor! This turkey brine is easy to make and worth the extra step to make a delicious turkey for Thanksgiving! Brine turkey for 8-12 hours.

Feeding, Watering & Care

Dehydration is a major stressor. During the heat of the summer, you might consider adding one tablespoon raw organic apple cider vinegar or trace mineral salt to each gallon of water. This helps improve hydration and digestion as well.

You should always rinse the turkey after wet or dry brining. Once rinsed, you can let the turkey air dry, uncovered, in the refrigerator for several hours, or pat it dry with a paper towel.

Today, marinades are generally used to bring out the flavor of the meat. An ideal ingredient for this purpose (among many other uses!) is apple cider vinegar. As a powerful bactericide, it helps eliminate any impurities in the meat.

A general rule is 2/3 vinegar to 1/3 water when making brine. This ratio will result in an acidic enough base for whatever vegetable you choose to pickle. Other recipes may have a lighter vinegar brine but you must follow the exact recipe when using those or risk spoilage.

Brine is all about ratios. 1/4 cup (4 tablespoons) of salt to 1 quart (4 cups) of cool water. If you have time, heating the brine solution and then letting it cool before pouring it over the meat helps to get more flavor, especially if you are using spices.

Along with salt, sugar (either brown or white granulated) is a dry-brine must-have, essential both for its browning capabilities and flavor-enhancing properties. Breaking out the sugar is my favorite way to ensure that my turkey comes out perfectly tender and golden brown every November.

One key reason is the taste—whether you wet-brine or dry-brine, using all! that! salt! infuses the bird with flavor, giving it an extra boost before you add any spices or aromatics. It also helps the meat retain its moisture and can help you avoid over-cooking, our associate food editor Kelsey Youngman explains.

Butterball turkeys are of the highest quality product and will be sure to impress your guests. Here's why Butterball is the right choice, especially for the holiday season: Butterball turkeys are always tender and juicy because we take the extra step of individually pre-brining them based on size.

Do you fully submerge a turkey when brining? ›

This dilutes the salt solution to the best ratio for brining and also helps further cool the solution. Make sure the turkey is completely submerged. If needed, prepare more brine solution at a ratio of 1/4 cup salt per quart of water to completely submerge the turkey. Cover and refrigerate.

It doesn't matter if you're roasting, frying, or smoking your turkey, there's no need to give it a rinse unless you've brined it (more on that below). Cooking the turkey kills any bacteria, but washing a turkey before you cook it opens the door to dangerous cross contamination.

Apple cider vinegar made from fermented apple juice is a good choice for many pickles. It has a mellow, fruity flavor that blends well with spices. But it will darken most vegetables and fruits. Cider vinegar may be substituted for white vinegar of the same acidity.

Apple cider vinegar makes a great 1:1 substitution for white wine vinegar in any dish that might benefit from sour apple notes. Try it in German potato salad or warm farro salad, or use it in the pickling liquid for giardiniera or the marinade for sheet pan honey-Dijon chicken and vegetables.

Apple cider vinegar is an amazing preservative and can be used to create a pickle base. It will give your pickle the perfect tanginess and will preserve it for a long time. Just mix apple cider vinegar with salt, chilli powder, oil and your pickle base is ready.

Adding apple cider vinegar (ACV) to a bath may promote general skin health. It may also help soothe the symptoms of any skin infections or other sources of irritation.