How Do You Feel About Brining the Turkey?

My husband is a briner. He started with Alton Brown's. I think he's changed it some over the years, but it's a good start.

I have been a 'briner' on and off for a few years. I generally use Alton Brown's brine:

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/good-eats-...

But have also subbed out the stock for cider if I feel moved.

This year it will be a smallish turkey to suit my smallish crowd.

Happy thanksgiving!

I've been preparing Thanksgiving dinner for almost 30yrs and I have never brined a turkey and never had an epic fail.

I buy Butterball frozen, let it thaw out in fridge (it is dong that now), wash it the day of prep, stuff it and slow roast it for 3-4hrs on low then when it is ready, I blast it to brown it. I have a sweet thermometer that has a timer on it for temp and timing and I use that along with basting it. I do create a tent for it while cooking so moisture stays in.

I've never had fried turkey but I have heard they are wonderful.

I am cooking this year for daughter and hubby as usual plus daughter has some friends from college who either have to work or for some reason could not go home, so I have a house full of college kids coming! I can't WAIT! One of the girls (no idea her heritage) has never been to or had a traditional Thanksgiving dinner so this will be interesting.

A couple of years ago I learned how to dry-brine, and it's changed everything.

Prior to that, I was wrestling with large plastic tubs of water and salt, finding a place to put them so the turkey would stay cold (or thaw out in the water), dealing with the heavy container of water afterwards - it was a lot of hassle.

Dry brining ensures that the turkey stays moist and it's very easy. But you do have to plan ahead. By the way, we don't roast a giant turkey, like those 20 pound birds (or even bigger). Those can take a long time to cook since they're so big, and can cook unevenly. It's better to cook 2 turkeys that are about 12 or 14 pounds (just make sure they weigh about the same) and you'll get a better turkey and have plenty for leftovers.

4 days before you're going to cook the turkey, prepare the brine. For every 5 pounds of turkey, use 1 tablespoon of Kosher salt. Kosher salt crystals are jagged and flat and cling to meat better than regular salt. So if you have a 14 or 15 pound turkey, use 3 tablespoons of salt. You can add some seasonings to the salt if you want (orange zest or dried sage or a little black pepper depending on your preference). Add about a heaping teaspoon of the seasoning to the entire salt amount. I like a little orange zest and sage.

Gently pat and rub the salt all over the turkey, inside and out. You might put the turkey on a clean dry towel first, to catch any salt that might fall off. Put the turkey in a plastic bag (the jumbo 2.5 gallon zip lock bags work well, or a brining bag). Seal it and put the turkey in the fridge for 3 days. On day 4 remove the turkey from the bag and brush any remaining salt off, gently. Put the turkey back in the fridge, uncovered, out of the bag. Just set it on the bottom shelf on the bag (and discard the bag afterwards), or use a sheet pan or roasting pan. Let the turkey sit there for a day.

Before roasting, remove the turkey from the fridge for about an hour, so it's not super cold when it goes into the fridge. You can slide some butter and/or olive oil under the skin if you want to. Loosely stuff the turkey with lemons and onions (cut in half or quarters) and fresh herbs, like rosemary, sage and thyme.

I roast it for about a half hour at a high heat (about 425 degrees, then turn the oven down to about 350 until the turkey is done. Use a meat thermometer (never rely on those plastic pop up timers) and cook until the turkey registers 165 in the deepest part of the thigh. Don't let the thermometer touch a bone or you won't get an accurate reading. It takes about 15 minutes per pound.

Then, remove the turkey from the oven and let it rest, covered with foil, for at least 30 minutes. That's important.

ETA: brining (either in salt water or dry brining) is not about salty flavor, or adding salt to turkey. It doesn't make the turkey saltier, and its purpose has nothing to do with taste. Salting the turkey means that the proteins in the turkey meat, which naturally contain water, mix with salt. The salt affects the proteins by kind of stretching them and opening them up. The protein cells draw the salt in and relax, and then when the heat is applied (during the cooking process), the cells do not tighten up but instead stay relaxed and therefore they can retain moisture (instead of tightening up and squeezing moisture out). So brining is all about a moister protein structure, and therefore, a moister turkey.

I like the taste of turkey just as it is and I don't like salty things, so I've never considered brining. I roast using a Reynold's roasting bag and I've never had a dry turkey. It's so easy and tastes delicious, I'm never sure why people go to such effort to do something more complicated.

I usually brine. I just fill the roaster with salt and water and soak the turkey all morning in the fridge before I roast it. It makes for a moist turkey and gives some flavour. I also find that the water ensures that the turkey is thawed completely and all the ice crystals are gone. I like to cook my turkey upside down so that the dark meat juices baste the breast meat while it roasts.

We love it. Never had a bad turkey that had been brined..

Follow their directions, just remember to not stuff the Brined Turkey, it will make the stuffing too salty.

I had to take out the lower shelf of my fridge to get the container in there for the 24 hours.. So I used a cooler for all of the vegetables and other things I was preparing..

You don't have to brine a turkey to be successful but it does make a really good turkey as well. I have never brined a a turkey and been fine, my husband brines his turkeys. I wonder if the difference is I always cook in the oven, he has always used a roaster oven.

Anyway he brines in a large cooler. That way it keeps cold without taking up half the fridge.

Oh be careful when buying a turkey, some are already brined and if you brine those it is nasty.

Not a clue. I've never had a "brined" turkey, I'm sure. I haven't noticed anything lacking.

M.,

I can state I've NEVER did a turkey with brine. I've deep fried (OH MY GOD...amazing) and I NEVER thought I'd like it...

I have had a brined turkey and it was good. I think it was a tad salty but overall good.

Why not give it a shot?!! I say go for it!

I have never brined a turkey.I did have turkey tonight that was brined and it was dry. Here is a recipe that I have been doing ever since I found it a few years ago. I put garlic in the butter before I put it under the skin. Even after the leftovers have been in the freezer for six months it is still just as good.

Ingredients
Original recipe makes 1 (12 pound) turkey,
1 (12 pound) whole turkey
6 tablespoons butter, divided
4 cups warm water
3 tablespoons chicken bouillon
2 tablespoons dried parsley
2 tablespoons dried minced onion
2 tablespoons seasoning salt
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PREP
10 mins
COOK
5 hrs
READY IN
5 hrs 10 mins Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Rinse and wash turkey. Discard the giblets, or add to pan if they are anyone's favorites.
Place turkey in a Dutch oven or roasting pan. Separate the skin over the breast to make little pockets. Put 3 tablespoons of the butter on both sides between the skin and breast meat. This makes for very juicy breast meat.
In a medium bowl, combine the water with the bouillon. Sprinkle in the parsley and minced onion. Pour over the top of the turkey. Sprinkle seasoning salt over the turkey.
Cover with foil, and bake in the preheated oven 3 1/2 to 4 hours, until the internal temperature of the turkey reaches 180 degrees F (80 degrees C). For the last 45 minutes or so, remove the foil so the turkey will brown nicely.

I have never brined a turkey in my life, nor do I use those nasty plastic baking bags. I slather it with butter (not margarine) and baste the living hell out of it and it always comes out perfect.

Never have "brined". ONLY way I do a turkey is in Reynolds Bag. (Directions are in the box which includes other meats too)

Thaw turkey as directed, take out giblets (may be in the neck cavity or may be inside the turkey). I cook the giblets and neck separately.
I salt and pepper the cavity of the turkey, also put salt in the neck cavity. Inside the cavity of the turkey, I place celery and onion, then I apply melted butter all over the turkey and about 1/2 stick of butter in the cavity. I then bind or tie the turkey wings and legs with string or unwaxed dental floss, so turkey is compact. Place tablespoon of flour in the bag, shake around then put the turkey in, close bag and cut 6 slits in top of the bag so steam will escape. No basting needed, will be a tender juicy turkey.

Depending on size of turkey, may fit in 9x13 cake pan or larger roasting pan. When done, it will be nicely browned and the "pop up" timer will let you know. Or use a thermometer. There will be a ton of nice rich broth for use in gravy or to make dressing. All the mess will be inside the bag.

After done carving and using what you want, the carcass, skin and fat / bones can be put into large dutch oven or stock pot, add water, almost to top of the bones, add some chicken boullion, celery and may need a little more salt or seasoning. I even put the bag with the goodies that stick to the bottom, in the pot as well. Cook until meat is falling off the bones, and take all the meat off the bones, strain the broth and use in casserole or soup.

I have never "stuffed" a turkey as that is not my taste.

For dressing baked separately, use combination of seasoned and unseasoned cubed bread, white, wheat, or some cornbread mixed in if you like, pre cook chopped celery and onion, mix into bread cubes, add sage, (or flavor choices) salt, pepper to taste, add one or two cans of chopped oysters including broth. Use combination of broth from which the giblets were cooked and some of the rich turkey broth. GENTLY MIX so it doesn't become mushy. IF you like firmer texture or dryer type dressing, use a bit less broth, but I like mine really moist, then bake about 30 minutes at 350 degrees.

I did this exact recipe two years ago and it was a hit. Something different.

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/orange-turkey-brine/

I've seen a few cooking shows/chefs who swear by it. Most recently, Rachael Ray and (I think) Emeril Legasse said it's THE way to get a moist turkey. I'd go to their sites and get the instructions. But you have to start way ahead of time and have a thoroughly defrosted turkey and something like 24 hours or more of brining.

Brining is WAY too much work in my opinion. The Turkey can come out just as yummy by cooking it an easy way

Some years I brine and some years I don't.
I don't notice any big difference - my turkey turns out good either way.
I use a Spanek vertical roaster and the turkey turns out tender juicy (with crispy skin) and perfect every time.

This describes how it works:

http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_###-###-####

I don't care for turkey for the most part. Salt keeps the meat from tasting right in my opinion. If you want it to taste less like turkey then I suggest you just rub it with some interesting spices.

I've never brined a turkey, but I second the Reynolds Cooking Bag. Once the turkey is in the oven, there is nothing to do but wait on it. No basting. It cooks a little faster than without a bag and it is golden brown and so tender and juicy!

I've been cooking turkeys for almost 30 years. I've tried all different ways, including brining. It wasn't worth the extra work in my opinion.

i dunno. i know some great chefs swear by it, but i'd just as soon add salt to my food after cooking if it needs it. and i've also heard that you're not supposed to stuff a brined turkey and i wait all YEAR for that in-the-bird stuffing.
mine will go in the oven, stuffed and basted. nothing fancy.
khairete
S.