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Turkey Brining

lizzard333
lizzard333 Posts: 19
edited November -1 in EggHead Forum
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?
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Comments

  • BlueSmoke
    BlueSmoke Posts: 1,678
    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
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  • lizzard333
    lizzard333 Posts: 19
    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>
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  • BlueSmoke
    BlueSmoke Posts: 1,678
    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
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  • Vegas Slim
    Vegas Slim Posts: 166
    BlueSmoke, how big of a turkey will the reynolds bag hold? i have a 18 pounder

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  • BlueSmoke
    BlueSmoke Posts: 1,678
    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
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  • lizzard333
    lizzard333 Posts: 19
    BlueSmoke,
    You are a HUGE help. Thanks
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  • BlueSmoke
    BlueSmoke Posts: 1,678
    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
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