Low Sodium Brined Turkey

For your Thanksgiving bird, follow these turkey cooking instructions to make low sodium brined turkey. By using a brine, extra flavor will be added. The result will be a savory and perfect main dish with enough leftovers for great turkey sandwiches!

Notes

Check out more recipes just like this one in a collection of 8 Sensational Thanksgiving Turkey Recipes.

Ingredients

1 cup low sodium salt substitute
1/2 cup light brown sugar substitute
1 gallon low sodium vegetable stock
1 tablespoon black peppercorns
1/2 tablespoon allspice berries
1/2 tablespoon candied ginger
1 gallon iced water
5 heads of garlic
1 cup pre-made meat marinade
2 stalks of celery
2 sliced apples
2 cut up lemons
2 quartered onions
1 piece of cheesecloth
2 cups melted margarine
2 cups low sodium chicken broth

Instructions

The night before, combine low sodium salt substitute, brown sugar substitute, low sodium vegetable stock, peppercorns, allspice berries and ginger in a stock pot and bring to a boil. Stir to dissolve solids, then remove from heat, cool to room temperature refrigerate until thoroughly chilled.
Early on the day of cooking combine the brine and ice water in a 5 gallon bucket. Place thawed turkey breast side down in brine, cover, and refrigerate or set in cool area, like a cooler with ice, for 6 hours. Half way through brining, turn turkey over once.
Thanksgiving morning, separate the skin on the breast and the meat by taking your hand and gently run it between the two. Stuff whole peeled garlic cloves under the skin.
Using your favorite marinade and a turkey syringe, inject marinade all over turkey. To avoid clogging up the syringe, strain marinade before use.
Stuff turkey with celery, sliced apple, cut up lemons and quartered onion. Soak cheesecloth in melted margarine.
Whack 4 heads of garlic with a glass to break apart. Don't peel cloves. Scatter in turkey pan.
Cook at 500 degrees F for 30 minutes. Decrease temperature to 350 degrees F and cover turkey with margarine soaked cheesecloth. Baste with low sodium chicken broth right over the cheesecloth to keep the cheesecloth moist.
Cook until internal probe thermometer reads 161 degrees F. Remove from the oven and let rest for at least 15 minutes. Then loosely cover with foil.