I'm not sure where I found this brining method, but it is a good one and I use it every year.

I hope you have a very Happy thanksgiving.
The Old Guy

Once you try brining a turkey,  or any other poultry you will never go back to your old method of roasting again. Happy Thanksgiving.

How to Brine a Turkey

A simple brine can take your turkey from standard to spectacular.

The best way to create a moist and tender turkey is by using a brine. Soaking your turkey in a salt-and-water solution for several hours helps the meat hold moisture while cooking. You'll get a juicy turkey every time.

TIP

Not prepping a big feast? Brining works great on whole chickens too.

Step 1

Gather the Ingredients

What you'll need: 1/2 cup of salt, 1/2 cup of brown sugar, three teaspoons of peppercorns, two oranges, three teaspoons of dried thyme, three teaspoons of dried basil, 1 1/2 gallons of water and, of course, your turkey.

Step 2

Prepare the Brine

Combine all the ingredients except your turkey in a large stockpot and bring the mixture to a boil over high heat. Turn down the heat and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes. Remove the brine from the heat and allow it to cool.

TIP

Don't brine turkeys labeled kosher or prebasted. They've already been seasoned with a salt solution, and brining them again may make your turkey too salty.

Step 3

Rinse & Let the Turkey Rest

If previously frozen, make sure your turkey is completely thawed. Remove the giblets from the cavity and rinse the inside and outside of the turkey in cold water. Pat the turkey dry with paper towels and the submerge it in the brine. Use a container that's large enough to hold the turkey but small enough for your fridge. Or place the turkey and brine in a brining bag, making sure to squeezing out excess air.

Refrigerate your brining turkey for at least 8 hours and up to 24 hours. When it's done, remove the turkey from the brine, rinse and pat it dry with paper towels and now it's ready to roast.

Things that you always wanted to know!

Image via WikipediaWhat follows are a list of things that you always wanted to know, and will also make you an expert at Trivial Pursuit.  You will amaze your friends with these little known facts and such..........

Peel a banana from the bottom and you won't have to pick the little "stringy things" off of it.

Take your bananas apart when you get home from the store.  If you leave them connected at the stem, they ripen faster. (really)

Peppers with 3 bumps on the bottom are sweeter and better for eating.
Peppers with 4 bumps on the bottom are firmer and better for cooking.

Add a teaspoon of water when frying ground beef.  It will help pull the grease away from the meat while cooking.

Heat up leftover pizza in a non-stick skillet on top of the stove, set heat to med-low and heat unitl warm.  This keeps the crust crispy.  No soggy micro-pizza.

Store your open chunks of cheeses in aluminum foil.  They will stay fresher much longer and not mold.

Hate foggy windshields??? Buy a chalkboard eraser and keep in the glove box.  When the windows fog, rub with the eraser.  It works better than a cloth.

If you seal an envelope and then realize you forgot to include something minside, just place your sealed envelope in the freezer for an hour or two.  It will unseal easily.

The end.
Enjoy.
The Old Guy