Brining Turkey

[Funflower]

Has anyone ever brined a turkey? I'm gonna try it, just need your feedback

[shermt1]

Nope, never heard of it! We, I mean my dh is going to try and deep fry one! It is supposed to rain here so I have no idea where he is planning on deep frying this bird lol. If anyone has any suggestions let me know~ :)

[sweeps aku]

Be VERY carefull deep frying one. A lady I work withs husband had caught fire from one having too much oil & not enough room for the bird.

But brining? I keep seeing mentions but don't know either.

OOPS...worded kind of funny. the fryer caught fire not him. No one hurt, the fryer was outside in driveway.

[MOW3048]

I was curious too, so I looked it up on the food network and here's Emeril's Brine recipe, if you want the complete recipe go to the site and do a search for brined turkey:


Brine:
1 cup salt
1 cup brown sugar
2 oranges, quartered
2 lemons, quartered
6 sprigs thyme
4 sprigs rosemary

To make the brining solution, dissolve the salt and sugar in 2 gallons of cold water in a non-reactive container (such as a clean bucket or large stockpot, or a clean, heavy-duty, plastic garbage bag.) Add the oranges, lemons, thyme, and rosemary.
Note: if you have a big turkey and need more brine than this, use 1/2 cup salt and 1/2 cup brown sugar for every gallon of water.

[noelleray]

i have 2 friends who swear by a brined turkey,they say its super moist. good luck whichever way yo pick! i never had a deep fried turkey.

[skpaw]

The Today Show had a recipe for this:

SALT TURKEY
INGREDIENTS
1 fresh turkey, 15 to 20 pounds
1 to 2 (3-pound boxes of kosher salt
1 cup olive oil
1 cup chopped herb leaves, such as tarragon, thyme, and sage
16 tablespoons (2 sticks) butter, at room temperature
Freshly ground black pepper
3 cups chicken stock
DIRECTIONS
Two days before serving, remove the giblets and neck from the cavities of the turkey and cut off the wing tips; reserve for stock or gravy. Put the turkey into a 5-gallon or larger bucket and add enough cold water (about 3 gallons) to cover the bird. Remove the turkey and set it aside. (This tells you how much water you need to cover the bird). To the bucket add 1 pound salt (roughly 2 cups) for every gallon or so of water and stir to dissolve it well. Return the turkey to the bucket, put it in a cool place, and let sit for at least 8 hours. An unheated garage or porch overnight works fine in cool climates; otherwise remove a shelf from the refrigerator to clear enough space.

I could never give up my refrigerator for 2 days before cooking a turkey!

[ignoramoose]

We did a brined turkey last Thanksgiving and really liked it. But, we had gone through numerous bottles of wine so maybe anything would have tasted good ;).

[snookers]

I've never brined a turkey, but have used that method plenty of times with chicken...just using salt and water. It does make a difference in the taste and texture of the meat...especially the breast meat.

Here's my simplified interpretation of the scientific benefits of brining. As the salt is absorbed, juices are drawn outward from the bone and into the flesh creating moister and more flavorful meat.

I'm not so sure about the purpose of adding fruit, sugar and herbs to the brine, but I guess I'll find out 'cause our turkey is currently sitting in the fridge (taking up a whole lot of space) brining away in Emeril's recipe of water, salt, sugar, lemons, oranges, thyme and rosemary.

One little warning about brining. The turkey/or chicken will be already quite salty, so you might want to NOT apply any more salt to the surface or cavity areas before roasting.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone.

[udalum]

I always use the recipe from the Food Network. I think it is by Alton something or other-- you don't have to even baste, you just stick it in the oven with a meat thermometer. It is, by far, the best turkey I have ever tasted. Good luck!

[Balayeur]

DH is ' our chef ' & he brines the turkey & it wonderful ! HAPPY THANKSGIVING everyone !

[skpaw]

How did the turkey come out? Which recipe did you choose? I went to sister's house so I did not have to cook--only a few side dishes!