Turkey Brining

lizzard333

1st Thanksgiving with an egg. Why is brining important? We will be doing a breast only. We have had great luck with pork and beef - this will be the first bird. Words of wisdom?

BlueSmoke

lizzard333,
Depending on who you talk to, brining is or is not important. Thousands of birds get done, to the diners' satisfaction, with absolutely no pretreatment.
I brine: here's why. I think I get a more consistent, succulent (even in the breast), turkey every time. The skin is a beautiful mahogany, and there is just a hint of sweetness to the meat itself. (My basic brine is a quart of beer, a quart of water, a cup of molasses and a half-pound of salt. Rinse well, inside and out, before cooking.)
The key to the equation is what satisfies you and your family.
Ken

lizzard333

BlueSmoke,
Your mix sounds easy enough and right up my husbands ally. Do you give it a rubdown with oil? The bird that is...ha ha. <sorry - short week at work, ya hoo>

BlueSmoke

lizzard333,
No, I don't oil, but I have been known to foil (drum and wing tips, and the breast) if it's browning too quickly. Another couple tips:
Heat the brine to dissolve the salt and disperse the molasses. Cool to room temp before using.
Don't use iodized salt. (Use "plain" or Kosher, whichever is less expensive.)
Discard brine after use, or put it in a water pan under the bird (I don't - it keeps the bird from browning all over).
If you double any of the ingredients, double them all.
You can cut down space and brine by putting the bird in a food-grade bag (Reynolds turkey-size oven bags work great), adding the brine and sucking out as much air as possible before you seal it.
Good luck, and good eating,
Ken

Vegas Slim

BlueSmoke, how big of a turkey will the reynolds bag hold? i have a 18 pounder

BlueSmoke

Vegas Slim,
The box says "up to 24 pounds". They come two to the box, which costs around a dollar. Look for them in the foil/saran wrap aisle.
If you wanted to reuse them, I don't see why you couldn't. The accompanying tie is a "one-use cable tie" thing, so you'd have to devise something sophisticated (like a rubber band).
Ken

lizzard333

BlueSmoke,
You are a HUGE help. Thanks

BlueSmoke

lizzard333,
This ain't free, you know... I charge "2 H's":
Hug somebody, and
Help somebody.[p]Hope you and yours have a dandy day.
Ken