Turkey Brine Calculator

How the calculator works

The calculator scales one published recipe. University of Illinois Extension gives a turkey brine built on 2 gallons of cold water:

• 4 cups of kosher salt, or 2 cups of table salt
• 1 cup of sugar

That is 2 cups of kosher salt and 1/2 cup of sugar for each gallon. Enter the amount of water you are using and the calculator multiplies both.

salt in cups = water in gallons / 2 x 4 (kosher salt)

sugar in cups = water in gallons / 2 x 1

If you choose table salt, the salt figure is halved. If you choose an overnight soak, the salt and the sugar are both halved, as the source directs.

How much water you need

The recipe is written around a turkey of 12 to 14 pounds, which the source suggests because that size is easier to handle. The brine has to cover the bird, so the amount of water depends on your container as much as on the turkey.

A tall, narrow stockpot needs less water than a wide cooler. The simplest way to find your number is to put the wrapped turkey in the empty container, pour in cold water one measured quart at a time until it is covered, and count. Take the turkey out, and that is your water. Four quarts make a gallon.

If you work in liters, 1 gallon is 3.79 liters. The calculator accepts liters and quarts and converts them.

Worked example

Your turkey fits in a stockpot and 6 quarts of water covers it. You are using kosher salt and brining during the day.

1. 6 quarts is 1.5 gallons.
2. Salt: 1.5 / 2 x 4 = 3 cups of kosher salt.
3. Sugar: 1.5 / 2 x 1 = 3/4 cup.

Now suppose you would rather start the night before and leave it until morning. Halve both: 1 1/2 cups of kosher salt and 6 tablespoons of sugar for the same 6 quarts.

With table salt in place of kosher, the day soak takes 1 1/2 cups and the overnight soak 3/4 cup.

Kosher salt and table salt are not the same cup

The source gives 4 cups of kosher salt or 2 cups of table salt for the same brine. The difference is the size of the crystals. Table salt is fine and packs tightly, so a cup of it holds far more salt than a cup of coarse, flaky kosher salt.

This is the most common way a brine goes wrong. A recipe written for kosher salt, made with the same number of cups of table salt, is about twice as salty as intended.

Illinois Extension recommends crystal kosher salt, and notes that table salt contains anti-caking agents and iodine.

The method

The steps below follow the source.

1. Start with a fresh turkey or one that is fully thawed. Remove the giblet bag and the neck.
2. Dissolve the salt and sugar in the cold water. Stir until the water looks clear, with no grains left at the bottom.
3. Put the turkey in the brine, breast side down. Cover the container.
4. Keep it cold for 6 to 8 hours, or overnight with the reduced salt and sugar.
5. Take the turkey out, rinse it inside and out under cold running water, and pat it dry.

The source also describes an optional step: leave the rinsed turkey uncovered on a shallow pan in the refrigerator overnight. The skin dries out, which helps it crisp in the oven. If you plan to do that, begin brining the day before you cook.

You can add crushed bay leaves, dried thyme or other dried herbs to the brine. They are optional and do not change the salt or sugar.

Choosing a container

The source lists a large stockpot, a plastic tub or a cooler. Whatever you use has to do two things: hold the turkey fully under the brine, and stay at 40 °F or below.

A stockpot that fits in your refrigerator is the easiest to keep cold. Check before you start that a shelf can be taken out to make room, and that it will carry the weight. Two gallons of water alone weigh nearly 17 pounds, before the turkey.

A cooler solves the space problem but needs watching. Add the ice packs, keep the lid shut, and keep it somewhere cool.

Tips and common mistakes

Thaw first. The method calls for a fresh turkey or one that is fully thawed, so count the thawing days back from the day you brine.

Dissolve the salt fully. Salt sitting on the bottom of the pot is not in the brine, so the water around the turkey is weaker than the recipe intends.

Do not extend the soak at full strength. If the turkey has to stay in longer than 8 hours, use the overnight amounts from the start.

Rinse and dry before roasting. The rinse is part of the method, inside the cavity as well as outside, and it is easy to forget when the oven is already hot.

Measure the salt level in the cup. Heaped cups of a coarse salt can add a good deal more than the recipe calls for.