14 Reviews of Apple Cider Brine

From: Fulkenhaut

On Nov 29, 2002

I had never heard of brining a turkey before, and then within 24 hours, I heard 3 references to it on TV and radio! Have I been living under a rock? Anyway, I thought I'd give it a try. The turkey turned out great! Thanks Sue L! Before pouring the brine into the turkey cavity, a scored the membrane between the cavity and the breast meat. The next day, I roasted the turkey breast-side-down for all but the last hour so all the juices would run into the breast meat. One word of caution, the sugar in the brine causes the turkey to brown more quickly that it usually does. Keep an eye on it, and cover with aluminum foil to prevent it from getting too brown.

From: Hey Jude

On Nov 27, 2003

This is the first time I've brined and we loved it! Sue, I like your method of using the turkey cooking bags and turning the turkey now and then...it worked well for me in my tiny kitchen (and equally tiny refrigerator). I never could of fit a bucket in my fridge and the weather wasn't quite cold enough to keep it in the garage. I used your recipe, as is, and then grilled the turkey on my Weber. Oh, was it good! DH can't stop talking about it, I'll be doing turkey this way from now on. Thanks so much for this recipe, I'm now a brining pro!

From: justcallmejulie

On Dec 25, 2004

So many brine recipes call for soy sauce; a big turn off for me. The apple cider in this recipe caught my eye immediately! Turkey will no longer be turkey in our home without this recipe. It was extremely easy to prepare and tasted wonderful. Leftovers were succulent, not dry. Tips from my experience: Remember to allow for plenty of time to cool the brine before you put it with the turkey (spoilage issues)and if the turkey is very big, thus requiring a longer cooking time, use plenty of foil to cover it as the high sugar content makes it burn easily. I won't cook a turkey without this recipe again! Thanks for sharing!

From: Charlotte J

On Dec 29, 2004

This was my first time brining a turkey. Very easy to make up the brine. Just pop your turkey in a bag, pour the brine on, tie up the bags and just remember to turn the turkey a few times. Loved the flavor the fresh ginger gave the bird. As Fulkenhaut states, the sugar does make the skin get darker faster, as it happened to mine. Next time I make this, I'm going to start baking the turkey for the first half of the baking time with foil over the bird. Then watch it closely. Thank you for sharing. I served a great Christmas dinner with your help.

From: JaydensMommy22

On Dec 1, 2003

Made my Thanksgiving turkey with this brine and it was great. The meat was nice and juicy. Great flavor. DH commented on the turkey being the best yet. Thank you for the recipe! We loved it.

From: * Pamela *

On Jan 2, 2005

This was my first time brining a turkey and this was a great recipe to try. I should have read through all of the reviews before I baked the bird because the skin was burned black. However, the meat under it was delicious and the meat was very tender. I will make this again, but I will keep a better watch on the turkey to prevent it from burning next time. Thanks for posting!

From: BothFex

On Jan 31, 2004

Used this brine on my Christmas turkey- it was ever so lovely! I skipped the bag part and flipping the bird about. Just placed it breast side down in a large bowl filled with brine overnight (figured the breast meat is what dries out and it needed the brine the most). Also didn't have time to dry it out- just stuck it in the oven and followed my usual port turkey Port Turkey. Got great reviews all 'round.

From: erinBOberrin

On Nov 26, 2006

I always have good luck when I brine turkeys, but decided to try a different recipe this year. And I'm so glad I did! This was EXCELLENT! My guests said this was the best turkey ever. It was so juicy and flavorful and the gravy made with the drippings was SO GOOD! We brined our 20 pound turkey for about 10 hours, flipping after 8. My only concern was that there wasn't enough liquid to fully cover the turkey - but it certainly taste good regardless. I will definitely make this one again - thanks Sue L.!!

From: Miss Wahoo

On Dec 5, 2006

I've brined my turkeys for the last several years, and we LOVED the flavor this brine gives the meat. I threw in a handful of candied ginger since I was out of fresh, and it seemed to work just fine. My bird did get a little dark, but I'd been roasting it breast-up and was able to flip it, so no one ever knew. This brine is my favorite so far. I plan on trying it on a chicken soon, just to see if it's really as good as it seems to be. Thanks, Sue L!!!

From: Just-a-cook

On Nov 11, 2009

I used your recipe and Alton Brown's suggestion to brine in an insulated beverage cooler. It was perfect...brine stayed icey cold and the bird was completely submerged without taking up 'fridge space. Thanks for a great recipe.