Turkey Brine

JMCXL

I know I am a little early with this but doing a test run. Doing the brine tonight. Smells so good

brown sugar 
salt
orange rind
rosemary
lemons
onions
garlic
jusy need to add the turkey and find a cool place to store overnight 

GregW

I did a test run brined Turkey a few weeks ago. The brine was one that Costco sells. The results after a 24 hr brine were less than spectacular. The Turkey certainly was moist, moist to a fault. The meat had a watery consistency and taste.

I think I'm going to give the dry brine method a try. It supposedly helps the Turkey retain it's moisture while also keeping it texture and flavor.

Good luck with yours and let us know how it turns out.  

JMCXL

GregW said:

I did a test run brined Turkey a few weeks ago. The brine was one that Costco sells. The results after a 24 hr brine were less than spectacular. The Turkey certainly was moist, moist to a fault. The meat had a watery consistency and taste.

I think I'm going to give the dry brine method a try. It supposedly helps the Turkey retain it's moisture while also keeping it texture and flavor.

Good luck with yours and let us know how it turns out.  

Mine was only a 12 hr brine. Did this last yr with success, hoping for a repeat 

GregW

JMCXL said:

GregW said:

I did a test run brined Turkey a few weeks ago. The brine was one that Costco sells. The results after a 24 hr brine were less than spectacular. The Turkey certainly was moist, moist to a fault. The meat had a watery consistency and taste.

I think I'm going to give the dry brine method a try. It supposedly helps the Turkey retain it's moisture while also keeping it texture and flavor.

Good luck with yours and let us know how it turns out.  

Mine was only a 12 hr brine. Did this last yr with success, hoping for a repeat 

I can see where a shorter brine time would help prevent the excess moisture.

JMCXL

Happy with the cook

Grillinois

My brother wants to fry our bird this year. Would you brine if you plan to fry it?

JMCXL

Grillinois said:

My brother wants to fry our bird this year. Would you brine if you plan to fry it?

I believe the answer is NO WAY, oil and water don’t mix. 

Grillinois

@JMCXL  thanks for the input. That makes sense. I know I’m steering this thread the wrong way but maybe injected vs brined?

RRP

Grillinois said:

@JMCXL  thanks for the input. That makes sense. I know I’m steering this thread the wrong way but maybe injected vs brined?

I have a different approach for you to ask your brother. That is - has he ever fried a full turkey? To me Thanksgiving Day is not the first time to try it.

And another bullet if you need one is: will he be doing that cook at his home and not yours? (I had a friend transport her fryer and 5 gallons of peanut oil only to have a wreck whereby her open fryer tilted over and ruined their back seat and carpet. Talk about an EXPENISE Thanksgiving trip! )

And lastly from my own experience...I once egged the most beautiful turkey with a honest magazine perfect golden brown color. We transported it to my wife's sister's home. I was SO proud of it! Then right before we were going to eat I walked out to their kitchen and saw my BIL stripping off the last of that beautiful golden skin! I asked WTH you doing??? His reply...nobody eats that brown skin sh*t! 

And that was the last time I egged a turkey for them!

dmourati

RRP said:
]Then right before we were going to eat I walked out to their kitchen and saw my BIL stripping off the last of that beautiful golden skin! I asked WTH you doing??? His reply...nobody eats that brown skin sh*t! 

HEATHEN!

Grillinois

Again I apologize for the hijack, @RRP we have many successful years using the oven and properly resting the bird. I’ve never egged a turkey and this will be his first fry. I have fried several in the past but it’s been 10 years or so. Yes at his house and his mess. I told him just the peanut oil will cost close to 40 or 50. I think I will spatch a backup bird...and maybe a SRF ham to ensure no one goes hungry. 

SGH

Grillinois said:

My brother wants to fry our bird this year. Would you brine if you plan to fry it?

@JMCXL
I would like to apologize up front for the semi hijack. But I would like to offer my thoughts on frying brined birds or brined “anything” for that matter. 
 
@Grillinois
It’s not necessary to brine them. But if you are asking if it’s ok or safe to fry birds that have been brined, then here you go.
Everyone of these fried birds you see here was brined. I have been frying brined birds for over 3 decades with no issues at all. But as with all things, let your conscious be your guide my friend. 
In the first pic I’m cold frying in 50/50 lard and butter. 

Heck I even brine soft shell crabs from time to time. 

Grillinois

@SGH thanks for your comment. Some of your birds look a lot like crabs but they all look delicious!

SGH

Grillinois said:

@SGH thanks for your comment. Some of your birds look a lot like crabs but they all look delicious!

Thanks for the compliments my friend. You must of missed my comment about frying brined crabs. See the below quote from above. 

SGH said:

Heck I even brine soft shell crabs from time to time. 

Grillinois

@SGH you had me at lard and butter

GoooDawgs

RRP 

Talk about an EXPENISE Thanksgiving trip! 

C'mon... where are our grammar police with Ron's typo here?!?!

"Expenise" is hilarious -  how do you pronounce that?  

tjv

GregW said:

I did a test run brined Turkey a few weeks ago. The brine was one that Costco sells. The results after a 24 hr brine were less than spectacular. The Turkey certainly was moist, moist to a fault. The meat had a watery consistency and taste.

I think I'm going to give the dry brine method a try. It supposedly helps the Turkey retain it's moisture while also keeping it texture and flavor.

Good luck with yours and let us know how it turns out.  

you need to check the packaging label and see if the bird has been injected, usually 3-15 percent of a salt based solution.  If the bird had been injected, I would not brine. If you brine, you are in some respect brining an already brined bird. Bird could become very salty tasting and like your results, mushy- like meat....

forgot to mention,  our CGS tuesday facebook talk is turkey.....

t