2 brine questions: rinse? OK to brine Butterball?

Prof Dan · November 2002

I'm getting ready to cook my first turkey. Some recipes say rinse off the brine; some don't. Should I?[p]And is it okay to brine a Butterball? I think those guys have been pre-injected at the factory, haven't they? Would brining make it too salty?[p]Thanks!

Strmn2Smoke · November 2002

Prof Dan,[p] I feel with a Butterball or any that are preinjected would be reduntant to brine them, definitely wash well after the brine though...nde

WooDoggies · November 2002

Strmn2smoke,[p]I agree, been there, done that.
Last year I was given a turkey and asked to brine and cook it for a dinner party. So, I did.
Flavor was good but man, was it salty!
Later, fished around in the trashcan outside to find it's wrapper and read that it had been preinjected with a 7% solution of blah blah. Hhhhmmmmm... double brined bird.[p]Lesson learned the hard way: brine only fresh bird... or you'll wake up thirsty through the night. :~)[p]WD

Puj · November 2002

Prof Dan,[p]I'll throw in the "Taste Great, Less Filling" response. It's ok to brine a Butterball. The PDK Bird recipe calls for a basic brine, and I've never heard a "too salty" comment after the meal.[p]Puj

BlueSmoke · November 2002

Puj,
If you let the bird brine a couple of weeks and then analyzed a single cell, you'd find that the fluid inside the cell was the same as the fluid outside the cell - equilibrium had been reached. Cell walls are porous in both directions to saline (salt) solutions.[p]If your bird was pumped with a 10% saline solution, and you brined it in a 5% saline solution, eventually you'd arrive at a 7.5% saline solution, both inside the cells and out. (You average, don't add, the 5% to the 10%.)[p]Alternatively, in response to the brined ribs post below, if you soak a bird (or rack of ribs) pumped with a 10% solution in plain water (0% saline) eventually you arrive at a 5% solution. Remove and change the water, eventually you arrive at a 2.5% solution. This is why cookbooks say to change the water periodically.[p]One final note: "eventually" can be a very long time. :-)
Ken

Puj · November 2002

BlueSmoke,[p]Your concise explanation works for me.[p]Puj

Bordello · November 2002

Prof Dan,
Last year I called Butterball and asked if their birds were injected, they said the fresh bird were not, the frozen ones are. I don't know if that holds true for breast only birds.[p]When I brine, I rinse well inside and out, pat dry. I have also read that it's an on going question, (to rinse or not to rinse) so either do what the recipe calls for or what you are most comfortable with.
New Bob

sdbelt · November 2002

Prof Dan,[p]I lightly rinse my brined turkey afterward. My brine has a lot of other spices in it, that honestly are not that tastey alone, but really help the brine. I wouldn't want any of those spices left on the outside of the bird, as they'd be too intense.[p]As to the Butterball question, I've brined several Butterballs. They do come out a tad bit more salty, but it's not anything that my guests have ever even commented on. The comments I recall are, "Best turkey I've ever had."[p]This year I'm trying a free range bird.[p]--sdb

Prof Dan · November 2002

Prof Dan,[p]I just heard back from the Butterball people. They say don't brine it, especially not a frozen one.[p]Oh, well. Maybe next year I'll get a fresh bird and do it right.

2 brine questions: rinse? OK to brine Butterball?

Comments

Categories