Thanksgiving Turkey Recipe
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Ingredients: |
Ingredients: 1 C course salt 2 sticks salt-free butter (room temperature) 2 tbsp grated orange peel 1 tbsp grated lemon peel ¼ C fresh orange juice ¼ C fresh lemon juice 1 tbsp ground thyme 1 fresh or thawed turkey
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Directions: |
Directions:1. Pour 4 quarts of water into a large pot big enough to hold your turkey and the water without overflowing. Add the salt and stir until dissolved. 2. Prepare bird according instructions on packaging, removing giblets, rinsing, etc. 3. Soak overnight, or a minimum of 2 hours, turning a few times to make sure that all areas of the skin have a chance to soak. |
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Personal
Notes: |
Personal
Notes: I use a giant stock pot that I found at a garage sale when we were first married to brine the turkey. I don't know who I thought I was going to be cooking for when I bought it but it is great for this purpose. I've only ever used it for brining turkey and during COVID when we had 7 people in the house and my insta-pot couldn't handle such large meals.
I've heard that some people brine their turkeys in a cooler, which makes sense but would require careful disinfecting before and after. Don't skip the brining. It's worth it.
Butterball.com is your friend, Visit early and often to get ready for the big day. They have online calculators to help you know what size bird to buy, how to thaw if frozen (at least one day of thawing for every 4 lbs!!), and how long to cook.
The best part of Thanksgiving are the days of chopping, prepping and baking with family. Make your turkey plan early so that you can enjoy that time.
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