# Turkey Seasonings



## Roxy (Oct 28, 2007)

What do you season your turkey with?  We always buy a Butterball turkey and was just wondering- do you add more seasonings to it and if so...what seasonings?


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## TATTRAT (Oct 28, 2007)

I typically brine my bird. Salt, peppercorns, apple juice, bruised sage, a little brown sugar and lemon zest, then fry it or cook breast side down in a v-rack.


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## Katie H (Oct 28, 2007)

Gosh, I haven't bought a Butterball in over 25 years.  I try to buy as fresh a no-name turkey as possible with no butter/oil added.  The last several years I've been brining mine in a plain salt/water mixture.

When I cook it, stuffed, I just season it with some salt and pepper.  The seasoning comes from the onions, celery, green pepper and sage that are in my stuffing.  I baste my bird with some butter and white wine and drippings.


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## QSis (Oct 28, 2007)

I season the cavity with salt, pepper, and Bell's poultry seasoning Google Image Result for http://www.hometownfavorites.com/images/recipe/bells_seasonings.gif

If I have them, I put fresh sage leaves under the breast skin, then rub the skin with oil and sprinkle it with salt and pepper.

I do cook my bread stuffing inside the bird, and baste only with the pan drippings.

Lee


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## Constance (Oct 28, 2007)

I rub the bird with olive oil, then season it inside and out with S&P, thyme, and crushed sage. 
I don't bother to brine the bird unless we're cooking it on the grill, as they already have water added.


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## jkath (Oct 28, 2007)

I make my turkeys in an 18 quart roaster. It makes the most incredibly moist bird! And, you can actually pull the bones right out of the bird.
Here's my recipe:


Inside the cavity of the bird, put 1-2 large navel oranges, each quartered. Leave the skins on, since that has the orange oil in it. Between the skin and the meat, add a mixture of 3 Tbsp.rubbed or dalmation sage, 1/2 tsp. pepper and 1/4 tsp. salt. Then, mix up in a separate bowl: juice of 1 orange & 2 c. hot water mixed with 2-3 chicken bouillion cubes. Pour a bit of the liquid into the roaster, set the turkey in and then pour the remaining liquid on top. Rub some butter on top of the turkey skin. Cook around 3-4 hours (depending on the size of the bird), and now and then ladle out some of the liquid and baste the bird with it.


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## GotGarlic (Oct 29, 2007)

Like Katie, the only seasoning I use comes from the stuffing. I baste with butter and pan drippings.


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## Andy M. (Oct 29, 2007)

I do this.


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## YT2095 (Oct 29, 2007)

plain old Smokey bacon here.
I don`t add any herbs/spices or anything beyond that to a roast turkey.


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## Caine (Oct 29, 2007)

Thyme, sage, marjoram, rosemary, black pepper, and nutmeg.

It's called McCormick's poultry seasoning and you can buy it in your regular grocery store.


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## jennyema (Oct 29, 2007)

I brine mine using water, salt, sugar, soy sauce, apple juice, garlic bay leaves, black pepper.

I stuff the cavity with chopped onion, garlic, apples, lemon, parsley, sage, thyme, bay leaves and old bread that has been soaked in white wine.


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## jkath (Oct 29, 2007)

Jenny, that sounds incredibly delicious.


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## VeraBlue (Oct 29, 2007)

Sage and thyme, shoved under the skin with a bit of butter....and thats in addition to brining it in apple cider and kosher salt.


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## Robo410 (Oct 29, 2007)

looks like any of the above is great advice!


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## carolelaine (Oct 29, 2007)

I brine mine in water, salt, sage, and thyme.  Then I stuff it with onion, apple, celery, carrotts.  I make a rub with salt, pepper,thyme, sage, parsley, sometimes a little rosemary, and butter and rub it under the skin.  I do my dressing outside of the bird in a casserole dish using the turkey broth that comes off the bird.


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## Nurse Erin (Oct 29, 2007)

I always put 2 celery stalks, 2-3 cloves of garlic and 1 small to medium yellow onion.  I baste it with a mixture of real butter, sage, salt and pepper about every 10-15 minutes.  It takes time, but it is well worth it.  It is beyond juicy.

As an added bonus, it ends up looking like one the adds for a turkey because it turns such a pretty golden brown.


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## jennyema (Oct 30, 2007)

Nurse Erin said:


> I always put 2 celery stalks, 2-3 cloves of garlic and 1 small to medium yellow onion. I baste it with a mixture of real butter, sage, salt and pepper about every 10-15 minutes. It takes time, but it is well worth it. It is beyond juicy.
> 
> As an added bonus, it ends up looking like one the adds for a turkey because it turns such a pretty golden brown.


 

Basting a turkey doesn't make the meat any moister.  Skin is a very effective moisture barrier.  Virtually none of the butter penetrates the skin.  You'll need to put the butter _under_ the skin to have any effect, moisture-wise.

Plus opening the oven that often during cooking is really not a very good thing.

Basting does make for a lovely deep brown color though.  You can get that through basting only a few times during cooking.


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