Brining is a method of soaking meat in a water-based salt mixture before cooking to lock in moisture. Brines are typically a blend of salt and other ingredients for infusing flavor – this can be anything from sugar, herbs, spices, and pepper to dried fruits – into your meat.

Brining increases meats’ water capacity, so brined meat is incredibly moist. An additional advantage for busy Thanksgiving hosts is that brining eliminates the need for basting to keep the turkey moist, allowing for time and attention to be devoted to preparing other parts of the traditional feast.

The salt in a brine interacts with the muscle proteins in meat to actually dissolve part of the muscle filaments, which increases the water-holding capacity of the muscle protein cells. The cells retain this extra water throughout cooking, therefore reducing water loss. Brining works on any poultry, and is also good on pork.

No. You will want to completely thaw your turkey before brining to make sure the proteins in the meat are able to fully absorb the brine.

While the bird will be safe to eat, your turkey may taste too salty. If it only brined for slightly longer than 24 hours, it will probably taste fine. Rinsing the brine off the bird for an extended time with cold water may also help.

Unfortunately, the hot brine can begin to cook your turkey, which can make it susceptible to growing bacteria. In this case, we cannot guarantee the safety of your turkey and recommend that you start over so as not to risk contamination.

Brining works well on both farm-fresh and store-bought turkeys. Make sure to fully de-feather and clean any bird before brining. If buying your turkey, make sure the bird is not pre-brined or self-basting as the end result will be overly salty.

Turkeys up to 25 pounds work best with The Spice Hunter Turkey Brine.

For birds over 12 pounds, make the full brine recipe. For birds 4 pounds to 12 pounds, make half the brine recipe and refrigerate while brining for 12-24 hours. For birds under 4 pounds, make a quarter of the recipe.

Brining works well with any poultry as well as pork, so don’t limit yourself to turkey alone. Try the brine on whole chicken or pork roast for a crowd-pleasing main course. To brine 4 to 12 pounds of pork or poultry, make half the turkey brine recipe. For below 4 pounds, make one quarter of the recipe. Refrigerate while brining the meat according to the following times:

Whole chicken: 6-12 hours

Chicken pieces and pork roast: 4-8 hours

Pork chops: 2-4 hours

Yes, just be sure to adjust the proportions accordingly. To brine up to 9 pounds of any whole small poultry, use half of our 11-ounce pouch and follow the turkey brine recipe, then brine for 4-8 hours.

We must admit that we have not tested our brine on a turducken. The technique of brining should work just fine, but we can’t tell you exactly how long you should leave it in the brine.

Unfortunately, there is too much salt in the brine to use it as a dry rub.

Yes, The Spice Hunter Turkey Brine is certified kosher by the Orthodox Union (OU) and carries the kosher symbol on the label.

The Spice Hunter Turkey Brine will retain its full flavor for up to 36 months after purchase.

Absolutely. When dry, The Spice Hunter Turkey Brine will retain its full flavor for up to 36 months after purchase. Keep in mind you can also use this same brine to make moist and delicious pork and poultry anytime throughout the year.

No. The Spice Hunter Turkey Brine pouch (available in Original and Lemon, Garlic & Herb flavors) comes with a brining bag that can fit a 25-pound turkey. Any container big enough to hold your turkey and the brine will work in a pinch – we recommend a (clean!) bucket, an ice chest or picnic cooler, or a garbage bag.

Store your turkey in the refrigerator or on ice overnight, making sure the temperature does not exceed 40°F. If your turkey doesn’t fit in the refrigerator, store it in an ice chest or picnic cooler with ice, which will keep its temperature even.