Do I Need To Boil The Brine For The Spiced And Superjuicy Turkey?

Asked by Cnbb7. Answered on 2nd December 2025

Full question

I'm making the Spiced And Superjuicy Turkey for the first time and just wanted to check if I need to bring the brine to a boil first and then cool before adding the turkey? Thank you.

Our answer

Nigella's Spiced And Superjuicy Roast Turkey (from NIGELLA CHRISTMAS) brines the turkey in a bath of salted water that also includes sugar, herbs, spices and citrus. The turkey can be brined for up to 2 days before roasting and this method gives a moist and easy-to-carve bird.

It is not necessary to boil the brine before using. The concentration of salt is not that high, so the salt should fully dissolve in the water without needing to heat the liquid. Use cold water and just keep stirring until the salt and sugar have completely dissolved. Once the turkey has finished its soaking you should discard the brining liquid as it is not suitable for another use.