Jeff’s Cajun Poultry Brine

Name: Jeff’s Cajun Poultry Brine
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 20 min
Yield: Makes about 2½ gallons
Ingredients: ¼ cup coarsely ground black pepper; 1 Tbsp dried rosemary leaves; ¼ cup Worcestershire sauce; ¼ cup molasses; 3 cups sugar; 2 cups kosher salt; 2 gallons water; ¼ cup Zatarain’s Concentrated Shrimp and Crab Boil (optional); ¼ cup white wine (not cooking wine); 1 Tbsp dried thyme leaves

Preparation info

Makes about
2½ gallons

Difficulty
Easy
Ready in
20 min

Appears in

Smoking Meat

By Jeff Phillips

Published 2012

About

I love using this all-purpose poultry brine, and it smells really nice while it simmers on the stove. This recipe is the result of me trying to come up with something a little different. I use the Zatarain’s Concentrated Shrimp and Crab Boil if I’m in the mood for Cajun-style turkey; otherwise, I leave it out.

Ingredients

2 gallons water
2 cups kosher salt
3 cups

Garnish
Fish course
Pescatarian
Gluten-free

Method

Combine the water and salt in a stockpot large enough to hold at least 3 gallons of water. Set on medium-low heat until the salt is completely dissolved and the water is clear.

Add the remaining ingredients. Allow the brine to simmer over low heat for about 15 minutes without boiling. Remove the brine from the heat and set aside to cool to room temperature. Place the brine in the refrig