Container To Brine Turkey In--Help Needed

Tanya · January 2004

Thanksgiving I brined a Turkey Breast overnight following instruction from all of ya'll and it was absolutely the juiciest turkey we've ever had and had wonderful flavor. I have a 13lb turkey already thawed that I need to cook tomorrow and would like to brine it overnight and put on around 2:00 tomorrow afternoon. My question is, I don't have a bowl or pot big enough to keep it submerged in. Instructions on the forum say to use a non-reactive container. I have a big 2 gallon plastic bucket that detergent comes in that will work and it fits in my fridge in the garage. Will this be ok? What does that mean, non-reactive? Any advice appreciated!

Drivr · January 2004

Tanya,[p]I use a plastic cooler to brine my turkeys. During the warm months I submerge the turkey in the brine in the cooler and then cover it with ice. If you are worried about the ice melting and diluting the brine then wash out some 1 liter soda bottles and 3/4 fill them with water and freeze them ahead of time then use these to keep the bird below the danger mark.

Tanya · January 2004

Drivr, Thanks for the reply. Do you think my plastic container will be ok? I't the perfect size for this turkey.

BobinFla · January 2004

Tanya,
Get one of those "Bake-in-the-Bag things and put the turkey and the brine in it inside your 2 gallon bucket. I'd be worried that the plastic in the soap bucket might not be food grade.[p]I've used this method the last 2 times that I brined a turkey. It works great.[p]BOB

Tanya · January 2004

BobinFla, I don't have the food bags but I do have a small cooler that will work and fits in the fridge. That would probably work ok, you think?? And I like the idea of filling up soda or water bottles and freezing to keep the temp down. 2nd question, what brine recipe do you use for your turkeys?

The Naked Whiz · January 2004

Tanya,
Non-reactive, when used in the cooking utensil context, means glass, stainless steel and anodized aluminum (like Calphalon). Cast iron and regular aluminum will react with foods, especially acid foods.[p]I bought a brand new 5 gallon bucket from Ace hardware and washed it out with soap and water when I brined a large turkey. For breasts, I did them in 2 gallon zip loc bags sitting in pots (in case the bags burst open).[p]Whatever you do, make sure that the brine is as cold as you can get it before putting the turkey in. You don't want the turkey meat sitting in warm liquid. You don't want the bird to be above 40 degrees for any significant amount of time, so you need to keep the brine temperature below 40 degrees during the course of the brine. One way is to use the frozen soda bottle trick, but you can also make your brine a little stronger than normal to allow for the melting ice to dilute the brine as time goes by. [p]Good luck!
TNW

RRP · January 2004

Tanya, over the last three years I have brined many turkeys and turkey breasts using a new garbage bag each time inserted inside an ice chest and kept cold with ice. I've never experienced a taste and am still alive to tell about the method so it works!

Tanya · January 2004

The Naked Whiz, This is probably a stupid question, but how cold does the average refrigerator stay?

The Naked Whiz · January 2004

Tanya,
It should be around 35-37 degrees, but you need to use a thermometer to make sure. [p]TNW

BlueSmoke · January 2004

RRP,[p]Great minds really DO think alike! ('Course my mom would add "so do lesser ones"...) You can suck the air out of the bag so the bird is totally submerged, and I usually add water to the ice to bring the level up to the top of the ice chest. Plus the lid keep curious 4-legged helpers at bay.[p]Ken

BobinFla · January 2004

Tanya,
The cooler in the refrigerator will work just fine.[p]Here's a favorite brine of mine. It's for chickens, but is equally great for turkeys.
If you can't find fresh citrus this time of year, you can use concentrate, juice, or Mojo Crillo from the ethnic section of the grocery store.[p]"Hound's Citrus Brined Chicken"[p]Prepare the brine:
1 gallon water
1 cup Kosher salt or 1/2 cup table salt
juice of 3 oranges
juice of three limes
juice of three lemons
rinds from same
1 sliced white onion
1 head of garlic, crushed
stems from a bunch of cilantro, chopped
serranos to taste, minimum of 4
rough ground cumin and coriander 2 Tbsp each
1/4 cup chili powder or any ground chile you prefer
(1/4 cup onion powder is optional)
(1/4cup garlic powder is optional)[p]Place the bird(s) and plenty of brine solution in a ziploc bag(s) and
leave refrigerated overnight prior to cooking. A cooler works fine also.
I use a 5 gal beverage cooler for all but the biggest turkeys. Frozen
soda bottles, or ice can be used to keep the cold. {8 lbs of ice= 1
gallon of water} An hour before cooking take the bird out and
thoroughly wash it down with cold water for at least 30 seconds. You
can place aromatics like garlic heads, apples, citrus in the cavity of
the bird for the cooking. I like also to place orange slices between
skin and meat. Smoke rear end of chicken toward the fire for 45
minutes/lb @ 225°F until the thigh is about 170°F. You can rotate as
necessary to avoid charring. Cooking this way will result in inedible
skin, but juicy chicken. If you like the crispy skin then place the
chicken near the firebox. This works for either chickens or turkeys.
If you eliminate the brine (salt and water) the rest of the recipe makes
an excellent marinade for grilled chicken.[p]

[ul][li]"Hound's Citrus Brine"[/ul]

Basselope · January 2004

BobinFla,
I tried the cooking bag thing for Thanksgiving when I had to brine 2 20# birds. The damn things leaked. In a panic I went out and bought two plastic food prep containers from a kitchen supply store. One is 18 quarts, the other is 12 quarts. They were cheap, under $10 each.
While a 20# will go in either, it fits nice and easy into the 18. A large bird and the 12 I have to turn the bird. If I am doing a small bird the 12 is perfect.
They also fit in my fridge better than a bucket.

Tanya · January 2004

BobinFla, This sounds like a great brine recipe and I am just getting the water to heating. Also, I happen to have all the citrus on hand as my sister in Georgia sent some to me with my daughter when she came to Texas for Christmas. I'll let you know the results. I am going with the garbage bag in the cooler (with air squeezed out & bag tied) and will leave in fridge overnight on coldest setting... and frozen bottles of water on top! How's that sound? :--) Gosh I love my Egg & this forum. Ya'll are a great bunch!!

fiver29 · January 2004

RRP,[p]This is what I do, too, with big birds. I put the bird in a lawn size garbage bag (like Hefty of some other good brand that won't bust). Then I pour in the brine. I tie it up real good. Then I place that bag in a second garbage bag just to be sure I don't get any leakage. TIe that up real good. Finally, that goes into a cooler with ice on the bottom. I finish it off with ice all over the top. I put a polder into the cooler around the bird the temp stays for the entire brining period below 35*.

Container To Brine Turkey In--Help Needed

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