Shopping & Dining
Natural and organic turkeys, helpful tips and how to brine your bird from Catherine’s Market

Thanksgiving is a special holiday involving friends, family and the things for which we are grateful. Our annual celebrations almost always center around the turkey. And however you want to do it, Catherine’s Market has everything you need.

If you’d like them to do the cooking, download their Thanksgiving Menu below. If you’d like to do the cooking yourself, Catherine’s has top-quality all-natural and organic turkeys for you. Please call for availability and place your orders no later than Saturday, November 20. Then just pick up your prepared dinner or fresh bird on Wednesday, November 24.

And if you’ve never brined your turkey before cooking it, you’re about to discover a more flavorful, juicier bird. Just take a look at the article on how to brine your bird below.

Let Catherine’s do the cooking! Download the Thanksgiving Menu (PDF) >
Helpful Thanksgiving Reheating Guide (PDF) >

Brining for a jucier, tastier bird

For you “foodies” out there, how many times have you heard Emeril Legasse say, “Where I get my flour, it don’t come seasoned”? Well, the same holds true for your turkey. They don’t come seasoned. But you can do that easily by brining your bird before cooking. Brining not only adds flavor to the meat, but the salt in the brine actually draws moisture into the meat, for a juicier turkey on your table. You can brine your turkey prior to any cooking method – oven roasting, frying or smoking.

Here are a few things you’ll need to consider.

Submerge the bird
First, you’ll need a container large enough to submerge your bird. A clean, five-gallon bucket works well, even for large turkeys. Another approach is to use a large roasting bag, or food grade plastic bag. Just put in your bird, pour in your brine, work out most of the air with your hands and tie it up. This will keep the brine surrounding the turkey. You’ll probably want to put the bag and everything into a large bowl or roasting pan in case of leaks, or you might be brining your kitchen floor.

Use the right kind of salt
Another thing to be careful of is the type of salt you use. The recipe below calls for Kosher salt. It is not as harsh and salty as table salt. If you use table salt, your brine will end up too salty. If you must use table salt, cut the amount in half.

Be food safe
You might have your refrigerator packed with ingredients for your holiday dishes, but it’s important to refrigerate your bird while it’s bathing in the brine. If you can’t remove a shelf and brine your gobbler in the fridge, place your brining bucket or pan into an ice chest, surround with ice and cover. Brining can take a while and you don’t want unwanted bacteria to spoil your holiday or your guests'.

The Brine
2 gallons water
1-1/2 cups Kosher salt (or canning salt)
3 Tablespoons minced garlic
2 Tablespoons ground black pepper
1-1/2 cups light brown sugar
3 Bay leaves

Mix all ingredients in your bucket or container. Submerge your fully-thawed turkey. Allow to soak for 12 to 48 hours refrigerated. The bigger the bird, the longer it should bathe in the brine. And just a safety note: If you are frying your turkey, be sure to dry it thoroughly with paper towels before adding it to the hot oil. Hot oil and water just don’t get along.