I've only ever made one turkey in my life and it was probly 10 years ago.

Jer's mom usually made the turkey and I made everything else.

Do I have to 'brine' it? I just read that you keep it in a pot, I guess? for like 24-36 hrs with deiiolved Koser salt.

Why, what does this do? Does it really make a difference?

Brined turkey is my least fave was to prepare/eat one ... best wishes on it though and enjoy your holiday

TotalANXiousNESS said:

I've only ever made one turkey in my life and it was probly 10 years ago.

Jer's mom usually made the turkey and I made everything else.

Do I have to 'brine' it? I just read that you keep it in a pot, I guess? for like 24-36 hrs with deiiolved Koser salt.

Why, what does this do? Does it really make a difference?

Brining is supposed to draw out all of the blood in the turkey and make the meat tender and moist.

You do not "have to" brine it, no.

Mach said:

Brined turkey is my least fave was to prepare/eat one ... best wishes on it though and enjoy your holiday

Okay, that solves that. A big potted water turkey in my fridge is a disaster in the making anyway, I'm sure.

Enjoy your too!

I never brine. There's enough shit goin on around the holidays for me to worry about bathing the turkey too.

[Edited 11/22/10 12:21pm]

I personally don't like "wet" turkey. I like the breast meat to be a tad dry and the darker meat to be a little moist, but not dripping with juice. Same with chicken; no wet bird, please!

Shyra said:

I personally don't like "wet" turkey. I like the breast meat to be a tad dry and the darker meat to be a little moist, but not dripping with juice. Same with chicken; no wet bird, please!

Wetting the bird is what baby jesus made gravy and cranberry sauce for.

I can't find any deiivolved kosher salt.

johnart said:

Shyra said:

I personally don't like "wet" turkey. I like the breast meat to be a tad dry and the darker meat to be a little moist, but not dripping with juice. Same with chicken; no wet bird, please!

Wetting the bird is what baby jesus made gravy and cranberry sauce for.

Oh, hell no. Make that bird moist.

I'm only talking about turkey here.

Every turkey out there tries a million ways to be "moist! succulent!" blah. The only way I've been able to get this done is by buying a NATURAL turkey (no sodium or other additives) and using the BRINE method that Alton Brown explained on his episode "Romancing the Bird."

It's actually a very simple recipe. It's meant to cause the turkey to take in water, then push water out, then take in water, over and over due to osmosis and the saline levels of the liquids surrounding and inside of the turkey. It also takes in many of the flavorings like all spice, vegetabel stock, etc.

IT'S DAMN GOOD.

Also, his roasting method reduces time in the oven to just 3 hours.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/good-eats-roast-turkey-recipe/index.html

Efan said:

johnart said:

Wetting the bird is what baby jesus made gravy and cranberry sauce for.

Oh, hell no. Make that bird moist.

I'm only talking about turkey here.

You don't have to brine to make moist turkey.
I've never served dry turkey.

Ive tried a variation of this before frying chicken but never a turkey. Should still be good though.

johnart said:

Efan said:

Oh, hell no. Make that bird moist.

I'm only talking about turkey here.

You don't have to brine to make moist turkey.
I've never served dry turkey.

Well, I never you did. I just thought that's what you were saying.

I've never brined in my life. If I was gonna make a turkey, I'd stuff it in a bag and do what I always do whenever I eat meat, poultry, or fish: Hope that my love of underdone foods never comes back to haunt me.

remove the giblets before cooking. don't forget to remove the giblets.

Efan said:

johnart said:

You don't have to brine to make moist turkey.
I've never served dry turkey.

Well, I never you did. I just thought that's what you were saying.

I've never brined in my life. If I was gonna make a turkey, I'd stuff it in a bag and do what I always do whenever I eat meat, poultry, or fish: Hope that my love of underdone foods never comes back to haunt me.

Cook your food thoroughly! :

IF you brine it, please only do so for about 20 hours max. You have to have your ratio of salt to water correct also, or it will just taste too salty. Use turkey stock or vegetable stock along with ice cold water and ice also.

and let me state for the record, I'll put my brined turkey against ANYONES turkey...fried, roasted, smoked, whatthefuckever.....

yo, my turkey is no joke.

JerseyKRS said:

IF you brine it, please only do so for about 20 hours max. You have to have your ratio of salt to water correct also, or it will just taste too salty. Use turkey stock or vegetable stock along with ice cold water and ice also.

See?? This is two much trouble.

johnart said:

JerseyKRS said:

IF you brine it, please only do so for about 20 hours max. You have to have your ratio of salt to water correct also, or it will just taste too salty. Use turkey stock or vegetable stock along with ice cold water and ice also.

See?? This is two much trouble.

drunken lazy ass.

We have brined for years... whenever we go to someone elses house for turkey the bird is DRY... I use a Martha Stewart brine from one of her cookbooks... I hate her but that bitch can cook!!

TotalANXiousNESS said:

I've only ever made one turkey in my life and it was probly 10 years ago.

Jer's mom usually made the turkey and I made everything else.

Do I have to 'brine' it? I just read that you keep it in a pot, I guess? for like 24-36 hrs with deiiolved Koser salt.

Why, what does this do? Does it really make a difference?

Putting the turkey in a salt brine causes more moisture to move into the turkey meat by osmosis. This makes the meat very juicy when cooked.

I've only roasted three turkeys in my lifetime, yet two of the times I managed to get them very moist and juicy when done. The first time I cooked it covered with a foil dome for about three hours and finished it off uncovered for the last hour to brown the skin. The last time I used an electric roaster, which helps keep the moisture in the turkey.

BTW, I am hosting my family's Thanksgiving dinner for the first time. One of my sisters is bringing a whole pan of mac 'n cheese while another one is bringing her cheesey au gratin potato casserole. But I am doing everything else. Wish me luck.

I have never had a problem with it being dry.

JerseyKRS said:

johnart said:

See?? This is two much trouble.

drunken lazy ass.

I will kick your ass in less than too weeks.

tinaz said:

We have brined for years... whenever we go to someone elses house for turkey the bird is DRY... I use a Martha Stewart brine from one of her cookbooks... I hate her but that bitch can cook!!

Amen, Sister !

"Did someone say 'brine'?"

tinaz said:

We have brined for years... whenever we go to someone elses house for turkey the bird is DRY... I use a Martha Stewart brine from one of her cookbooks... I hate her but that bitch can cook!!

I've never used any of her recipes. I remember when her Wedding book was published and she was on tour promoting it with cookiing demonstrations. She was in DC promoting and an article was in the paper about how this one woman asked Martha why some of the recipes did not come out as planned. She said she had followed the recipe to the letter, but it failed. Martha got the ass and snapped at the woman, "Well, obviously you don't know how to cook!" The poor lady was devestated. Never did like that bitch and cheered when her ass went to jail.

Oh man. All these mixed reviews. It's adding stress.