Here's Proof That Brining Your Turkey Is Stupid And Wrong (2024)

FAQs

Here's Proof That Brining Your Turkey Is Stupid And Wrong? ›

It came down to flavor and crisp skin: Tasters thought the wet-brined turkey was totally bland and flavorless. The unbrined turkey had a just-ok flavor, but several people commented that they liked how crispy and nicely salted the skin was, which makes sense because it was heavily seasoned just before roasting.

I see it more as a safeguard against overcooking. It provides a little buffer in case you accidentally let that bird sit in the oven an extra 15 minutes. As long as you are very careful about monitoring your bird, there's no reason to brine or salt it in advance. That said, it doesn't hurt to take precautions.

While it unquestionably injects a lot of flavor in the turkey and helps it to retain a lot of juiciness and moisture, it also can result in saltier drippings, which can cause problems with both the stuffing (if you stuff your bird, which I don't generally do) and the gravy, since the gravy is made from turkey drippings ...

Q: Can I stuff a brined turkey? A: We do not recommend stuffing a brined bird because the drippings from the turkey can add too much salt to the stuffing. We prefer to cook our stuffing separately.

The main part of the turkey that we eat is its muscle, which naturally contains a large amount of water—some of which is lost as the meat cooks. Soaking meat in a solution of water and salt, known as a brine, allows both water and salt to enter the meat, adding moisture and flavor.

Butterball turkeys are of the highest quality product and will be sure to impress your guests. Here's why Butterball is the right choice, especially for the holiday season: Butterball turkeys are always tender and juicy because we take the extra step of individually pre-brining them based on size.

But a brined turkey that is not rinsed would be too salty to eat. Brining slows down the growth of bacteria but does not kill it, said Linda Harris, a microbiologist at the University of California, Davis. She and other food scientists have been trying to get Americans to stop rinsing poultry since the late 1990's.

Most grocery store turkeys are "self-basting". They say on the label something to the tune of "Contains up to 8% of a solution of Water, Salt, Spices to Enhance Tenderness and Juiciness." Water+salt=brine. Those are the least expensive turkeys, and it's what a lot of people eat.

This dilutes the salt solution to the best ratio for brining and also helps further cool the solution. Make sure the turkey is completely submerged. If needed, prepare more brine solution at a ratio of 1/4 cup salt per quart of water to completely submerge the turkey. Cover and refrigerate.

Does brined turkey taste different? ›

It came down to flavor and crisp skin: Tasters thought the wet-brined turkey was totally bland and flavorless. The unbrined turkey had a just-ok flavor, but several people commented that they liked how crispy and nicely salted the skin was, which makes sense because it was heavily seasoned just before roasting.

A higher temperature will lead to harmful bacteria growing in your turkey and contaminating your fridge. After brining, take the turkey out of the water, throw away the brine, and pat the turkey dry with a paper towel. Rub your preferred seasoning on the turkey's body and cavity before cooking.

Then place the turkey in the brine and place in the refrigerator. Don't leave the turkey sitting out at room temperature while brining. Place the bird breast down in a large container made of food-grade plastic, stainless steel or glass, or a brining bag. Be sure the container will fit in your fridge.

Turkeys labeled as “basted”, “self-basted”, “kosher”, or “enhanced” are typically brined before you buy them and should not be brined at home. Brining a turkey again will run the risk of causing the turkey to be too salty. Organic turkeys are usually a good bet if you want a turkey that hasn't been pre-brined.

Brine is very salt-rich, so there's no reason to add salt to a brined turkey. You can add your favorite dry rub, herbs or spices to the turkey after it brines, or you can add flavor to the turkey later by serving it with a compound butter.

And should I brine the bird? If so, wet brine or dry brine? Our opinion: You should always dry brine your roast turkey. Learning how to brine a turkey is the key to making sure your bird is super flavorful and moist.

Youngman says that if you're pressed for time day-of and don't have time to brine in advance, mayonnaise is a good option, since it will "add salt and flavor, add fat, and insulate the bird, making it super moist and juicy." It's a tip Justin Chapple uses in his recipe and accompanying how-to video for slathering ...

Injecting works faster than brining. You can inject the bird immediately before cooking. Fats like melted butter, duck fat, or olive oil can be delivered deep into the breast meat, increasing its succulence.

It adds flavor, seasoning from the inside out, but it also changes the meat's physical nature. The salt in brine denatures the meat's proteins to allow the cells to retain more moisture. Meanwhile, the brine also tenderizes meat by causing its muscle fibers to unravel and swell.