🦃 Turkey Brine Calculator
Get the exact water, salt & sugar amounts for a perfect brine every time
| Brine Type | Salt % | Salt per Gallon Water | Salt per Liter Water | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Light | 3% | ¼ cup table / ⅓ cup kosher | 30g | Delicate birds, short time |
| Standard | 5% | ¾ cup table / 1 cup kosher | 50g | Most turkeys (12–18 lb) |
| Strong | 7% | 1 cup table / 1½ cup kosher | 70g | Short brines (4–8 hrs) |
| Wet Cure | 10% | 1½ cup table / 2 cup kosher | 100g | Very short brines only |
| Turkey Weight | Min Time | Ideal Time | Max Time | Water Needed (approx) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8–10 lb (3.6–4.5 kg) | 8 hrs | 12 hrs | 24 hrs | 1 gal / 3.8 L |
| 10–14 lb (4.5–6.4 kg) | 10 hrs | 16–18 hrs | 36 hrs | 1.5 gal / 5.7 L |
| 14–18 lb (6.4–8.2 kg) | 12 hrs | 18–24 hrs | 48 hrs | 2 gal / 7.6 L |
| 18–22 lb (8.2–10 kg) | 18 hrs | 24–36 hrs | 48 hrs | 2.5 gal / 9.5 L |
| 22+ lb (10+ kg) | 24 hrs | 36–48 hrs | 48 hrs | 3 gal / 11.4 L |
| Salt Type | 1 tsp weight | 1 cup weight | Conversion vs Table Salt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Table Salt | 6g | 292g | 1x (baseline) |
| Morton Kosher | 4.8g | 218g | 1.33x table salt |
| Diamond Crystal Kosher | 2.8g | 135g | 2.16x table salt |
| Coarse Sea Salt | 5g | 240g | 1.2x table salt |
| Volume | US Gallons | Quarts | Liters | Cups |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ½ Gallon | 0.5 gal | 2 qt | 1.9 L | 8 cups |
| 1 Gallon | 1 gal | 4 qt | 3.785 L | 16 cups |
| 1.5 Gallons | 1.5 gal | 6 qt | 5.7 L | 24 cups |
| 2 Gallons | 2 gal | 8 qt | 7.6 L | 32 cups |
| 2.5 Gallons | 2.5 gal | 10 qt | 9.5 L | 40 cups |
The brine of the turkey is an old method, that is made up of dipping the whole bird in salt water for one to two days before cooking it. That process helps so that roasted turkey becomes more tasty, juicy and tender. Although brine needs a bit more time the final result truly deserves the effort.
Health from the salt water enters the meat and truly changes its makeup on molecular level.
How to Brine a Turkey
The classic brine base of water is made up of mixing water, salt, sugar and various flavors, for instance herbs, spices or peels of citrus fruits. Those elements give to the turkey freshness, spice and rich flavor. Between popular recipes is that with brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, crushed garlic and salt.
Except that, one commonly mixes apple juice with brown sugar, kosher salt, pressed oranges, fresh gigner, whole cloves, bay leaves and crushed garlic.
brine with liquid strengthens the juiciness of the turkey. The addition of wet ingredients ensures that the meat does not dry during the cook. Moreover, the salt moistens the meat, because of what it cooks more quickly.
Sudden dip of the turkey in big tin with brine can give wonderful results, without knead of butter or oil.
One should leave the turkey in the brine at least one hour each pound of weight. Some recipes suggest whole 24 hours before the roasting. Others extend it even to 36 hours.
In the salt water, the bird rests breast side below. If necessary, one can weigh it so that it stays entirely covered. Help turn it often, and the whole must happen in cold place or refrigerator.
For big birds use bigger tins. The ingredients for brine cost little, so simply mix more until the turkey rests under the surface. Also store bought plastic bags for cooking from the supermarket help with big turkeys.
Enclose one bag in the second, enter the bird and the brine, later bind itflatly for ease.
It is possible to also choose dry brine. Here one rubs salt, that draws juiciness from the meat, that later mingles with it. Some believe that dry brine gives even better results.
Liquid brine sometimes causes soft skin and bland texture of the meat. Rather, the wet method with a fryer for turkey works well for certain cooking methods.
Almost all bought turkeys in stores already carry salt water for helping with tenderness and juiciness. Brine of pretreated bird can cause too much saltiness. Best is to check the label before.
Juice from fruits, as apple, orange or coconut, can replace up to a third of the water in the brine. The basic ratio is one part of juice against two parts of water.
After the brine, leave the turkey to dry in air in the refrigerator during 24 hours, to reach crisp skin. One should not recycle the brine from one turkey for another because of reasons of safety.
