Another brine question.......

Unknown

Is brining only for fresh turkeys ? Can/should you brine a frozen turkey that already has some sodium solution in it ? I still like the idea of brown sugar and maple syrup.....should I lessen the amount of salt ? Thanks .

ChefRD

EJ,
All my turkeys were frozen when I bought them and I've brined most (if not all). So go for it and let us know how it turns out. Great, I'll bet .
later,
ChefRD

Jimbo

EJ,[p]If you are talking about a pre-brined turkey like a butterball, then I would be wary. If you look at the label, you'll see that the weight of the natural bird has been increased by 10% by a chicken stock solution. You will also note that the skin on the bast has 50 some-odd puncture holes on it from the "injection" process. I have found that a lot of juice from these birds ends up leaking out through the skin and that the solution that they use makes the turkey taste like processed chicken lunchmeat like "Land 'O Frost".[p]If I had a butterball turkey, I would put a dry rub (the no salt kind like the one from Penzeys) under the skin and put a quartered apple and onion in the cavity.[p]I plan on brining this year and I'll be using a natural bird brined overnight in a brine solution from "Good Eats" on FoodTV.[p]Good luck in whichever you try.[p]Jimbo

Pig Picker

Jimbo,[p]Hey, I use that brine too. Good stuff. Have you tried the bread pudding from that episode? I must say it is excellent too.[p]PP

Jimbo

Pig Picker,[p]I haven't used his brine before. It looked good and smells good in real life. I made a batch last night.[p]What did the bring taste like on a bird?[p]At what temperature did you cook it? How long?[p]Thanks,[p]Jimbo