T-day Turkey Brine

I have had several requests for my Thanksgiving Day Turkey Brine. Since we are coming up on the big day, I thought I’d share.

INGREDIENTS

1 to 1.5 full bottle of White Wine (if you use a whole bottle, have a spare ready for basting purposes – see note below)
1/3 – 1/2 Cup Olive Oil
1 Medium bunch of Red Seedless Grapes, rinsed and halved
2-3 Tbsp. Chopped Garlic
2-3 Tbsp. Fresh Rosemary (Dried is okay to use, too. Can also substitute Sage or Thyme, according to taste)
2 Tbsp. World Spice Merchants “Biscayne Citrus Rub”
2 tsp Kosher or Sea Salt
1 tsp Seasoned pepper

RECIPE

Combine all ingredients into a large mixing bowl. Be sure to crush the grapes slightly, in your hands, as you put them into the bowl Mix thoroughly.
Place bird in a large trash bag (or extra-large brining bag) and cover with brine, being sure to get some of the mixture into the body cavity. Loosely knot bag (or zipper brining bag), place bagged bird into roasting pan (in case the bag leaks) and refrigerate overnight. Be sure to turn the bird several times for even marinating. Remove Turkey from refrigerator at least 20 minutes before cooking. Remove Turkey from brine, prepare and cook turkey as you prefer.
NOTE: Turkeys done this way usually don’t have much in the way of drippings. So, as noted above, have some spare wine handy for basting purposes. You can also use some of the leftover brine during the first 1-2 hours of cooking (Be sure to allow at least an hour and a half of cooking time after last use of brine for basting). Also, I like to leave a bunch of the grapes outside the bird, and a few inside, while cooking – it adds to the flavor.
Turkey will be moist and full of flavor. Enjoy!

Prep Time = 15 minutes
Marinate Time = 24 hours
Marinates 1 Turkey

©2009 Caution: Caveman Cooking/UHearMe, Inc. All rights reserved. This recipe originally appeared on the Caution: Caveman Cooking blog at https://cavemancooking.wordpress.com authored by Caveman. This recipe may be shared and reprinted as long as this entire copyright message accompanies it.