Honey Apple Turkey Brine Recipes

HONEY BRINED SMOKED TURKEY

Steps:

• Combine the hot water and the salt in a 54-quart cooler. Stir until the salt dissolves. Stir in the vegetable broth and the honey. Add the ice and stir. Place the turkey in the brine, breast side up, and cover with cooler lid.. Brine overnight, up to 12 hours.
• Remove the turkey from the brine and dry thoroughly. Rub the bird thoroughly with the vegetable oil.
• Heat the grill to 400 degrees F.
• Using a double thickness of heavy-duty aluminum foil, build a smoke bomb. Place a cup of hickory wood chips in the center of the foil and gather up the edges, making a small pouch. Leave the pouch open at the top. Set this directly on the charcoal or on the metal bar over the gas flame. Set the turkey over indirect heat, insert a probe thermometer into the thickest part of the breast meat, and set the alarm for 160 degrees F. Close the lid and cook for 1 hour.
• After 1 hour check the bird; if the skin is golden brown, cover with aluminum foil and continue cooking. Also, after 1 hour, replace wood chips with second cup.
• Once the bird reaches 160 degrees F, remove from grill, cover with aluminum foil, and allow to rest for 1 hour. Carve and serve.

HONEY-APPLE TURKEY BRINE

Steps:

• Pour water into a large stockpot and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Add salt and honey and stir to dissolve. Remove pot from the heat and stir in apple slices, onion, garlic, bay leaves, rosemary, thyme, sage, and peppercorns. Let brine cool to room temperature. You can set the pot in a sink full of ice water to speed up the cooling process.
• Stir in apple cider, ice, and apple cider vinegar. Allow brine to fully chill to 40 degrees Fahrenheit (4 degrees C), or colder, before using.

HONEY BRINED HERB ROASTED TURKEY

Steps:

• Remove giblets and neck from turkey, reserve for gravy. Rinse turkey with cold running water and drain well. Blot dry with paper towels.
• Prepare brine by mixing water, honey and salt in a large bowl. Stir until honey dissolves. Add half the thyme and sage along with the garlic and black pepper. Set aside. Add chicken stock.
• Line an extra-large stock pot with a food-safe plastic bag. Place the rinsed turkey in the bag and pour brine over the turkey. Gather the bag tightly around the turkey, causing the turkey to be surrounded by the brine. Seal the bag and refrigerate the pot, bag and brined turkey for at least 12 hours.
• Pre-heat oven to 350°F Remove turkey from brine and pat dry inside and out. Discard brine. Place turkey, breast side up, on a rack in a large shallow (about 2 1/2" deep) roasting pan.
• Squeeze lemon juice into the main turkey cavity. Put the squeezed lemon halves into the cavity along with the rest of the thyme and sage. Coat turkey lightly with oil and sprinkle inside and out with salt, pepper.
• Insert an oven safe meat thermometer into the thickest part of the thigh, being careful the pointed end of the thermometer does not touch the bone. Roast turkey, basting with poultry stock every half hour or so.
• Loosely cover with aluminum foil to prevent over browning, remove foil during last hour and a half of cooking time. Continue to roast until thermometer registers 180°F in the thigh, or 170°F in the breast.
• Remove turkey from the oven and allow it to cool for 15-20 minutes before carving.

APPLE AND HONEY FLAVORED ROASTED TURKEY

Steps:

• Place the turkey as wrapped in the refrigerator for a day or two to defreeze.
• Unwrapped the turkey and place outside in a big pot; cover it with cold water, change the water every 30 minutes (it will take at least six hours to thaw);.
• Stick your hand in the cavity and remove any organs, or "things" you may find inside of the turkey cavity and trim excess fat.
• Under cold water, rub the turkey gently with your fingers to make sure it is clean.
• When the Turkey is clean, soak it with two squeezed lemon juice for 30 minutes and rinse the turkey, and pat dry with paper towels.
• Place the turkey, breast side up on roasting pan with rack.
• Into main cavity, sprinkle squeezed fresh lemon juice; add lemon peels and 1 bunch fresh thyme cavity. Fill the turkey body (main) cavity with apple slices.
• Tuck wings; tie legs together.
• Mix the paprika, garlic, black pepper and salt.
• Rub the skin and the cavity with the softened butter or oil, and season well with the mixed spices.
• Combine the apple juice, honey and the chicken or vegetable stock; stir until honey dissolves.
• Pour 3 cups of the mixed stock into the bottom of the roasting pan.
• Cover the turkey with an aluminum foil making it like a tent.
• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Place turkey in oven and start roasting; remove aluminum foil after 2 ½ hours.
• Cover the turkey generously with the juices on the bottom of the pan; repeat glazing every 20 minutes. Whenever the drippings evaporate, add stock to moisten them, about 1 cup at a time.
• Roast until turkey is deep brown and thermometer inserted into thickest part of thigh registers 180°F, it will take 2 ½ to 3 hours.
• Transfer the turkey to a large cutting board; remove the stuffing (the Apple slices, lemon peels and thyme) and let it stand for at least 20 minutes before carving. Serve it warm.

HONEY-APPLE TURKEY BREAST

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°. In a small saucepan, combine apple juice concentrate, honey and mustard. Cook over low heat 2-3 minutes or just until blended, stirring occasionally., Place turkey breast on a rack in a foil-lined shallow roasting pan; pour honey mixture over the top., Bake, uncovered, 2 to 2-1/2 hours or until a thermometer reads 170°, basting with pan juices every 30 minutes. (Cover loosely with foil if turkey browns too quickly.) Cover and let stand 15 minutes before carving.

HONEY-BRINED TURKEY BREAST

Steps:

• For brine, place first four ingredients and 4 cups cider in a Dutch oven; bring to a boil. Cook and stir until salt is dissolved. Add rosemary; remove from heat. Stir in remaining cider; cool to room temperature., Place one roasting bag inside the other. Place turkey breast inside both bags; add brine. Seal bags, pressing out as much air as possible; turn to coat turkey. Place in a baking pan. Refrigerate 6-24 hours, turning occasionally., Preheat oven to 325°. Line bottom of a roasting pan with foil. Drain turkey, discarding brine. Place on a rack in prepared pan; pat dry., Roast turkey 30 minutes. Brush with oil; roast until a thermometer reads 170°, 1-1/4 to 1-3/4 hours. (Cover loosely with foil if turkey browns too quickly.) Remove from oven; tent with foil. Let stand 15 minutes.