So my daughter gave me a Wlm-Sonoma brining bag for Christmas, and I'm finally ready to try it out. Anyone have a brine recipe (and instructions --does it need to have sugar or just salt? Do you ash it out afterwards? Does it affect cooking time? I do put stuffing in the turkey, can I still do that?). Should I forget the whole thing?
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Brine for Thanksgiving turkey?
- Thread starter pam
- Start date
Pam, folks seem to fall into two brining camps...those who like it and
those who don't. Non-briners feel it makes the meat mushy and that can certainly happen if you brine for too long....like 48 hours.
Personally, I like to brine turkey, possibly because I grew up in a home where over-cooked turkey was the norm. Then I was introduced to my MIL's 12-hour "roasted until there was no hope of redemption" turkey which managed to make my mother's seem positively moist! And we would have to eat dinner at BOTH houses! I no longer think of cranberry sauce as a condiment, but instead, as a lubricant to slide bone-dry turkey down my throat.
The first time I brined, the turkey was so moist I was actually startled. "Aha!", my little brain said: "THIS is why people LIKE turkey. It's not supposed to taste like a library book left out in the rain and dried on the living room heat radiator."
If I understand the osmosis idea correctly, you simply need salt and water to brine. Sugar/honey is added to help brown the meat. Other liquids (wine/apple juice/broth) are variations on the water. Seasonings and spices mix up the taste.
Be careful which salt you use: if the recipe specifies kosher salt, then using the same amount of regular table salt would be too much. Also, if you plan on basting with a canned broth, use a no-salt or low-salt version.
Standard ratio for a large turkey is 1 Cup kosher salt: 1 Gallon of water.
I find that too salty. I use 3/4 C of kosher salt to 3 Quarts of water, 1 quart of apple cider, 2 TBL mild honey, a bunch of peppercorns, fresh rosemary, and fresh thyme. Sometimes I add the juice and peel of a lemon, but that's more often for brining whole chickens.
I do rinse afterward and blot, blot, blot dry because I don't want the meat steaming in the oven.
Most recipes do not recommend stuffing the turkey after brining, but I've done it with no ill-effect.
Read the reviews on the W-S bags...most people loved them but a few had problems with the zipper, size, etc.
http://www.williams-sonoma.com/products/brining-bag/#reviews
those who don't. Non-briners feel it makes the meat mushy and that can certainly happen if you brine for too long....like 48 hours.
Personally, I like to brine turkey, possibly because I grew up in a home where over-cooked turkey was the norm. Then I was introduced to my MIL's 12-hour "roasted until there was no hope of redemption" turkey which managed to make my mother's seem positively moist! And we would have to eat dinner at BOTH houses! I no longer think of cranberry sauce as a condiment, but instead, as a lubricant to slide bone-dry turkey down my throat.
The first time I brined, the turkey was so moist I was actually startled. "Aha!", my little brain said: "THIS is why people LIKE turkey. It's not supposed to taste like a library book left out in the rain and dried on the living room heat radiator."
If I understand the osmosis idea correctly, you simply need salt and water to brine. Sugar/honey is added to help brown the meat. Other liquids (wine/apple juice/broth) are variations on the water. Seasonings and spices mix up the taste.
Be careful which salt you use: if the recipe specifies kosher salt, then using the same amount of regular table salt would be too much. Also, if you plan on basting with a canned broth, use a no-salt or low-salt version.
Standard ratio for a large turkey is 1 Cup kosher salt: 1 Gallon of water.
I find that too salty. I use 3/4 C of kosher salt to 3 Quarts of water, 1 quart of apple cider, 2 TBL mild honey, a bunch of peppercorns, fresh rosemary, and fresh thyme. Sometimes I add the juice and peel of a lemon, but that's more often for brining whole chickens.
I do rinse afterward and blot, blot, blot dry because I don't want the meat steaming in the oven.
Most recipes do not recommend stuffing the turkey after brining, but I've done it with no ill-effect.
Read the reviews on the W-S bags...most people loved them but a few had problems with the zipper, size, etc.
http://www.williams-sonoma.com/products/brining-bag/#reviews
heather_in_sf
Well-known member
Here is a whole thread from Thanksgiving past about brining
I love to brine the turkey and use the WS brining bag or the giant ziplok bag. But we did keep it zipper side up and in a large tub or ice chest just in case of leakage.
I highly recommend using apple juice and wine and adding lots of extra seasonings of your choice in lieu of just using all water.
Alton Brown's brine recipe was pretty tasty.
Afterwards we did let the turkey air dry so here is the timeline:
Monday before Thanksgiving, get the fresh bird and let it rest in the fridge (to come to fridge temp as they are super cold at "butcher temp"
Tuesday, brine the bird
Wednesday, rise and let the bird air dry in the fridge
Thursday, roast! Despite what Alton says we still stuff the bird.
The drippings are a little saltier than if you don't brine so don't add extra salt before your taste when you make the gravy.
http://www.eat.at/swap/forum1/98996_Has_anyone_tried_a_Diestel_Whole_Foods_Heirloom_turkey?
I love to brine the turkey and use the WS brining bag or the giant ziplok bag. But we did keep it zipper side up and in a large tub or ice chest just in case of leakage.
I highly recommend using apple juice and wine and adding lots of extra seasonings of your choice in lieu of just using all water.
Alton Brown's brine recipe was pretty tasty.
Afterwards we did let the turkey air dry so here is the timeline:
Monday before Thanksgiving, get the fresh bird and let it rest in the fridge (to come to fridge temp as they are super cold at "butcher temp"
Tuesday, brine the bird
Wednesday, rise and let the bird air dry in the fridge
Thursday, roast! Despite what Alton says we still stuff the bird.
The drippings are a little saltier than if you don't brine so don't add extra salt before your taste when you make the gravy.
http://www.eat.at/swap/forum1/98996_Has_anyone_tried_a_Diestel_Whole_Foods_Heirloom_turkey?
Pam, I've always brined, even my little chicks. Just because that's what my mom did. I do only
about 4 hours and I use about 1/2 c. salt in a gallon of water. My mom always felt that it reduced the bloody flavour as well as being a moisturizer. I'll do this even if I can give it only an hour. And yes, as does Marilyn, I rinse it lightly and pat it dry for crispy skin.
I don't use fancy bags or anything fussy. I just put it into a big bowl or food pail to soak.
about 4 hours and I use about 1/2 c. salt in a gallon of water. My mom always felt that it reduced the bloody flavour as well as being a moisturizer. I'll do this even if I can give it only an hour. And yes, as does Marilyn, I rinse it lightly and pat it dry for crispy skin.
I don't use fancy bags or anything fussy. I just put it into a big bowl or food pail to soak.
Thanksgiving: I feel like a kitchen goddess...thanks to the Chez Panisse brine. Amazing.
http://articles.sfgate.com/1999-08-25/food/17696215_1_chez-panisse-brined-chicken-alice-waters
http://articles.sfgate.com/1999-08-25/food/17696215_1_chez-panisse-brined-chicken-alice-waters
steve2-in-la
Well-known member
I like the Trader Joe's pre-brined turkey, cooked on the BBQ with maple-sage butter.
Never had any complaints and very few leftovers.
Never had any complaints and very few leftovers.
florisandy
Well-known member
"Library book" - LOL!
True. I ran into this with a Jenny-O turkey. I "thought" it
might have been pre-brined, but nothing on the packaging said so. I called their 1-800 help line and the customer service person was absolutely USELESS. He didn't even know what brining was. It sounded like he was simply a minimum-wage paid body there to "answer" phone calls, but not necessarily "answer" questions.
might have been pre-brined, but nothing on the packaging said so. I called their 1-800 help line and the customer service person was absolutely USELESS. He didn't even know what brining was. It sounded like he was simply a minimum-wage paid body there to "answer" phone calls, but not necessarily "answer" questions.
Brining...a cook's secret weapon!
I've used Alton's recipe...I've used a W & S package...but the one from Chez Panisse that Traca posted (bless you!!) comes the closest to what I really do! I make about half of what the recipe calls for, and if I have it handy, I also add a head of garlic sliced across the equator and the juice of a whole orange, then drop the squeezed orange in as well. 2:1, salt to sugar, is just about right no matter how much brining solution you make. Just one little word of caution...
When using a "brining bag"...make sure you put the bad into a container large enough to hold the bird and brining solution. Don't try to lift the bag by itself unless you really like to marinate yourself and the kitchen floor with salt, sugar, spices...you get the picture...and it's not so purty!
I've used Alton's recipe...I've used a W & S package...but the one from Chez Panisse that Traca posted (bless you!!) comes the closest to what I really do! I make about half of what the recipe calls for, and if I have it handy, I also add a head of garlic sliced across the equator and the juice of a whole orange, then drop the squeezed orange in as well. 2:1, salt to sugar, is just about right no matter how much brining solution you make. Just one little word of caution...
When using a "brining bag"...make sure you put the bad into a container large enough to hold the bird and brining solution. Don't try to lift the bag by itself unless you really like to marinate yourself and the kitchen floor with salt, sugar, spices...you get the picture...and it's not so purty!