# what the heck is a brine-soaked turkey? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 22, 2006, 12:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-is-a-brine-soaked-turkey/381407 "2006-11-22T12:10:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![China\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/779978/32.png) [@China\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/China_Guy)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2006, 12:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-is-a-brine-soaked-turkey/381407/1 "2006-11-22T12:10:40Z")
Can anyone fill me in on what this is all about? Why, how do you cook it, is it really the bees knees? ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Some\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ad7895/32.png) [@Just\_Some\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Some_Guy)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2006, 12:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-is-a-brine-soaked-turkey/381407/2 "2006-11-22T12:22:36Z")
It is the most delicious, juicy bird you’ve ever tasted. Roasting dries the meat out so if you brine it first you add a lot of liquid to the turkey first. And since you’re using a brine to add liquid you can add flavor at the same time. Alton Brown of Good Eats is a large proponent of brining turkeys. His recipe can be found at [http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,1977,FOOD\_9936\_8389,00.html](http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,1977,FOOD_9936_8389,00.html) , but if you want to try it you better get started now. He recommends brining a minimum of six hours. ---
**Author:** ![Rick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9f8e36/32.png) [@Rick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2006, 12:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-is-a-brine-soaked-turkey/381407/3 "2006-11-22T12:51:02Z")
**Just Some guy** pretty much nailed it. By soaking meat in a salt / sugar solution liquid is absorbed into the meat. Bottom line is no more dry turkey. Brining turns turkey into the meat of the gods. We have discussed brining over [here](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=396475&page=1&pp=50) (make sure you read the clarification in post #26) ---
**Author:** ![Indygrrl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/58f4c7/32.png) [@Indygrrl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Indygrrl)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2006, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-is-a-brine-soaked-turkey/381407/4 "2006-11-22T13:20:33Z")
[QUOTE=Just Some Guy] It is the most delicious, juicy bird you’ve ever tasted. Roasting dries the meat out so if you brine it first you add a lot of liquid to the turkey first. And since you’re using a brine to add liquid you can add flavor at the same time. Alton Brown of Good Eats is a large proponent of brining turkeys. His recipe can be found at [http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,1977,FOOD\_9936\_8389,00.html](http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,1977,FOOD_9936_8389,00.html) , but if you want to try it you better get started now. He recommends brining a minimum of six hours. [/QUOTE] I have made this turkey the last two Thanksgivings and it is amazing. Everyone in my family loves it. ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2006, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-is-a-brine-soaked-turkey/381407/5 "2006-11-22T14:51:53Z")
[QUOTE=Indygrrl] I have made this turkey the last two Thanksgivings and it is amazing. Everyone in my family loves it. [/QUOTE] I did too and I completely dazzled everyone. My MIL was very skeptical (soaking it in salt water? Roasting for 30 minutes at 500 degrees before covering the breast and finishing the cooking??? :eek: ) Let’s just say dinner was very quiet as everyone scarfed down the meal, and I had hardly any leftovers. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![fisha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/da6949/32.png) [@fisha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fisha)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2006, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-is-a-brine-soaked-turkey/381407/6 "2006-11-22T14:54:10Z")
Worked for me in years previous. ---
**Author:** ![fluiddruid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c2a13f/32.png) [@fluiddruid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fluiddruid)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2006, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-is-a-brine-soaked-turkey/381407/7 "2006-11-22T14:59:02Z")
My family did Alton’s turkey last year. I’m a veg, but they said it was spectacular and they plan to brine again this year. It turned my mom onto Food Network and Good Eats in a big way, and she is planning several other of their online recipes this year. ---
**Author:** ![corkboard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e9bcb4/32.png) [@corkboard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/corkboard)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2006, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-is-a-brine-soaked-turkey/381407/8 "2006-11-22T15:18:01Z")
We’re following Alton’s brining recipie for the first time this year, and I’m a little nervous about it. The anticipation of 22 non-briners’ satisfaction hangs in the balance. ---
**Author:** ![D\_Odds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/d_odds/32/2882_2.png) [@D\_Odds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Odds)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2006, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-is-a-brine-soaked-turkey/381407/9 "2006-11-22T15:27:49Z")
I’ll say nothing bad about Alton Brown’s brine, but I like to use a combination [Emeril Lagasse](http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,,FOOD_9936_17081,00.html?rsrc=search)’s and Alton Brown’s brines: > [@](#): > > Brine: > 1 cup salt > 1 cup brown sugar > 2 oranges, quartered > 2 lemons, quartered > 6 sprigs thyme > 4 sprigs rosemary > > To make the brining solution, dissolve the salt and sugar in 2 gallons of cold water in a non-reactive container (such as a clean bucket or large stockpot, or a clean, heavy-duty, plastic garbage bag.) Add the oranges, lemons, thyme, and rosemary. > Note: if you have a big turkey and need more brine than this, use 1/2 cup salt and 1/2 cup brown sugar for every gallon of water I triple the lemons and peppercorns from Alton’s recipe, to give the turkey a nice lemon pepper flavoring. I’ll also stuff the cavity per Emeril’s recipe, but cook it per Alton’s recipe. ---
**Author:** ![Nothing\_Special](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/9f8e36/32.png) [@Nothing\_Special](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nothing_Special)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2006, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-is-a-brine-soaked-turkey/381407/10 "2006-11-22T15:29:02Z")
Without a doubt, brining is the best way to prepare any bird, including chicken, duck, goose, and even Cornish game hens. The entire bird comes out succulent and moist. This can make it a little more difficult to carve neatly, but the taste and texture are far superior to any other method. A liability of brining is that the juices produced in the bottom of the pan, that are often used to make the gravy, are too salty. This can be avoided by one simple maneuver. Use only ? to ½ cup salt (kosher dissolves most easily) and brine for a few hours longer than with more salt. Man, oh, man have I ever cooked some delectable birds this way, and gotten perfectly seasoned gravy makings, too. ---
**Author:** ![Lemur866](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lemur866/32/434_2.png) [@Lemur866](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lemur866)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2006, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-is-a-brine-soaked-turkey/381407/11 "2006-11-22T15:29:32Z")
You know how sliced deli turkey breast has a different texture and is much more moist than your standard roast turkey breast? That’s because it was brined before cooking. A brined turkey will have some of that deli turkey quality. ---
**Author:** ![D\_Odds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/d_odds/32/2882_2.png) [@D\_Odds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Odds)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2006, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-is-a-brine-soaked-turkey/381407/12 "2006-11-22T15:29:53Z")
[QUOTE=D\_Odds] I triple the lemons and peppercorns from Alton’s recipe, to give the turkey a nice lemon pepper flavoring. I’ll also stuff the cavity per Emeril’s recipe, but cook it per Alton’s recipe. [/QUOTE] I triple the lemons _from Emeril’s recipe_ and peppercorns from Alton’s recipe, to give the turkey a nice lemon pepper flavoring. I’ll also stuff the cavity per Emeril’s recipe _with some added lemon wedges_, but cook it per Alton’s recipe. Next time I’ll proofread before I post, not after. ---
**Author:** ![Labtrash](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/labtrash/32/528_2.png) [@Labtrash](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labtrash)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2006, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-is-a-brine-soaked-turkey/381407/13 "2006-11-22T17:06:28Z")
Can you brine a turkey for deep frying? Would the added moisture be too much and react badly with the hot oil? ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2006, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-is-a-brine-soaked-turkey/381407/14 "2006-11-22T17:10:17Z")
[QUOTE=labtrash] Can you brine a turkey for deep frying? Would the added moisture be too much and react badly with the hot oil? [/QUOTE] As far as I understand it, there’s no need to brine a turkey for deep-frying, as not a lot of moisture is lost by deep-frying. Also, it is generally recommended _not_ to brine heritage turkeys. ---
**Author:** ![D\_Odds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/d_odds/32/2882_2.png) [@D\_Odds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Odds)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2006, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-is-a-brine-soaked-turkey/381407/15 "2006-11-22T17:39:00Z")
[QUOTE=labtrash] Can you brine a turkey for deep frying? Would the added moisture be too much and react badly with the hot oil? [/QUOTE] Once again consulting with the master, Alton Brown does indeed brine his [Deep Fried Turkey](http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,,FOOD_9936_35148,00.html?rsrc=search) ---
**Author:** ![amarinth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3be4f8/32.png) [@amarinth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarinth)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2006, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-is-a-brine-soaked-turkey/381407/16 "2006-11-22T17:55:35Z")
Cook’s Illustrated (who mentioned brining 13 years ago, according to themselves) this year put out an article on “dry brining” - salting the whole thing down 1-2 days before roasting, and then icing the breast meat for an hour prior to roasting it. They claim it works very nearly as well as brining does. Trying that this year, as there isn’t enough room to leave the turkey in water anywhere. ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2006, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-is-a-brine-soaked-turkey/381407/17 "2006-11-22T18:04:19Z")
A good substitute for a brined bird is a kosher one. Kosher meet involves the ritual slaughter of healthy, cleaned animals- as well as including a soaking in salt water step. Cook’s Illustrated compared brined vs unbrined birds and found unbrined kosher birds to be juicy and rival the brined type. Saves a lot of effort! Happy T-day everyone! ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2006, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-is-a-brine-soaked-turkey/381407/18 "2006-11-22T18:05:27Z")
[QUOTE=IvoryTowerDenizen] A good substitute for a brined bird is a kosher one. \*\*Kosher meet \*\* involves the ritual slaughter of healthy, cleaned animals- as well as including a soaking in salt water step. Cook’s Illustrated compared brined vs unbrined birds and found unbrined kosher birds to be juicy and rival the brined type. Saves a lot of effort! Happy T-day everyone! [/QUOTE] Kosher **meat** , of course! :smack: ---
**Author:** ![DoctorJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctorj/32/2904_2.png) [@DoctorJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DoctorJ)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2006, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-is-a-brine-soaked-turkey/381407/19 "2006-11-22T18:06:00Z")
I saw Alton do a turkey-frying demo, and he used a brine of just water, salt, and brown sugar. Someone asked him what happened to the rest of the flavorings from his original recipe, and he said that over the years he realized that they didn’t add much. He said that it was part of an overall shift in his cooking philosophy, from “What can I do to this?” to “How can I not screw this up?” I’ve used Alton’s recipe for three years now, with perfect turkey every time. I’ll be doing it again this year, with the simpler brine. ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2006, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-is-a-brine-soaked-turkey/381407/20 "2006-11-22T18:14:17Z")
[QUOTE=McNew] We’re following Alton’s brining recipie for the first time this year, and I’m a little nervous about it. The anticipation of 22 non-briners’ satisfaction hangs in the balance. [/QUOTE] Don’t be. It’s not that hard, and you will sit back and enjoy the compliments. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-is-a-brine-soaked-turkey/381407.md?page=2)