To brine or not to brine? That is the question…..one of ‘em.)

[Boomer]

Here I am at almost 2:00 AM, reading articles on the internet about cooking the perfect turkey……..

T’Day is exactly one week away, and it’s at our house. I am fine with having it at our house, but I must admit to being completely intimidated by THE TURKEY.

I have ordered a fresh one, so that’s a start.

People are bringing all kinds of good things, and the Army taught Mr. Boomer to peel potatoes really fast. (I guess he did that when he was not busy jumping out of perfectly good airplanes.)

BUT my turkey angst is getting the best of me tonight.

To brine or not to brine? Actually, any turkey roasting secrets or suggestions from TOTVland will be very appreciated. (Yeah, I know. We shoulda left town.)

Boomer

[ThirdOfFive]

Here I am at almost 2:00 AM, reading articles on the internet about cooking the perfect turkey……..

T’Day is exactly one week away, and it’s at our house. I am fine with having it at our house, but I must admit to being completely intimidated by THE TURKEY.

I have ordered a fresh one, so that’s a start.

People are bringing all kinds of good things, and the Army taught Mr. Boomer to peel potatoes really fast. (I guess he did that when he was not busy jumping out of perfectly good airplanes.)

BUT my turkey angst is getting the best of me tonight.

To brine or not to brine? Actually, any turkey roasting secrets or suggestions from TOTVland will be very appreciated. (Yeah, I know. We shoulda left town.)

Boomer
Absolutely! Brine for 24 hours before cooking. Then roast immediately.

Couple of other hints…

Season by rubbing your choice of seasoning mixed with soft butter under the skin of the breast. It is loose enough to get your hand between the skin and the breast meat. We use salt, pepper, and sage. Poultry seasoning works too. Rub liberally onto the breast meat just before roasting.

Do NOT stuff the bird with stuffing. Cook the stuffing separately instead. My wife puts a small onion (quartered) onto the cavity alone with a couple of crushed garlic cloves and a sprig of fresh sage (1 stem, leaves stay whole). The cavity stuffing if for aromatic purposes only. Toss out when done.

Roast to a temp. Of 165 degrees f. Take the temp. By inserting you thermometer into the thickest part of the thigh meat, NOT the breast. Parts of a whole turkey cook to different temps, and cooking to that thigh temp. Insures doneness.

Let the turkey rest (out of the oven) for 15 minutes before carving.

[Pondboy]

Definitely brine…..use a meat thermometer to cook properly.

Where did you get a fresh turkey? Please share.

[Two Bills]

Gave up on turkey when roasting tray had water and not dripping as the leftover.

[Carla B]

Definitely brine…..use a meat thermometer to cook properly.

Where did you get a fresh turkey? Please share.

They had them Tuesday at the neighborhood Walmart on Heald Way, across from the milk case. Of course, they may not still be there, given the hordes that shop that store.

[Boomer]

Definitely brine…..use a meat thermometer to cook properly.

Where did you get a fresh turkey? Please share.

I am not in TV right now. I am back in Ohio where I ordered it at a meat market/butcher shop. I am picking it up on Tuesday afternoon because Wednesday will be even more of a zoo of a line.

I think there is a meat market in Wildwood and there might be one in Belleview, but I have never been to either of them. You might want to give them a call or maybe someone here on TOTV will know where to get a fresh turkey and help with more information than I can give you.

Good luck. :)

Boomer

[Cupcake57]

Here I am at almost 2:00 AM, reading articles on the internet about cooking the perfect turkey……..

T’Day is exactly one week away, and it’s at our house. I am fine with having it at our house, but I must admit to being completely intimidated by THE TURKEY.

I have ordered a fresh one, so that’s a start.

People are bringing all kinds of good things, and the Army taught Mr. Boomer to peel potatoes really fast. (I guess he did that when he was not busy jumping out of perfectly good airplanes.)



BUT my turkey angst is getting the best of me tonight.

To brine or not to brine? Actually, any turkey roasting secrets or suggestions from TOTVland will be very appreciated. (Yeah, I know. We shoulda left town.)

Boomer

BEST turkey I ever made was a fresh turkey (Amish) and brined with Martha Stewart's brine recipe-was hard to fine juniper berries but I did.

WORST turkey I ever made was also a Martha recipe of basting with wine and butter. My oven door was loose and both my sisters were in the kitchen basting, tasting the wine, basting, opening the oven door to check, tasting the wine....as you can guess after several trips to the gas station for more white wine and butter, the turkey was still undercooked when everything else was long past ready. And my guests were too tipsy to give a fig.

So my advice-brine that turkey and keep your sisters out of the kitchen. And give thanks. And buy your wine by the case.

[asianthree]

Have always had a brine Turkey since my childhood. Maybe because early years they were wild, then raised on the farm. Never name your poultry on a farm, eventually it’s Sunday supper.

In the 50’s brine was simple brine of sugar or honey and salt. Now it’s fresh juices, herbs, and always sugar and salt. It’s moist, and very flavorful. Since we are in 4 different states, one picks the brine, and everyone uses that brine. Picture’s abound.

Trader Joe’s for years had fresh brine Turkey, usually organic. Stopping Sunday to see what is available.

[Carla B]

Jenn Segal is one of my favorite on-line recipe sources. Some good advice for all us angst-sufferers: My Best Turkey Advice (https://www.onceuponachef.com/recipes/best-turkey-advice.html)

[Velvet]

I slow roast my fresh turkey, unbrined, but stuffed (I like the turkey juices that flavor the stuffing when it is inside the turkey) overnight.

To slow roast a turkey, you'll bake it in a very slow oven over a period of several hours - typically 8 to 12, depending on the size of the bird. And this long, slow process results in impossibly tender meat that literally falls off the bone, a golden, deep flavor, and crisp brown skin.

A turkey needs to cook about 30 minutes per pound at 250 F, and should reach a safe internal temperature of 165 F before serving.

I also make gravy from the turkey drippings in the pan - which is salted - to pour on roasted garlic, buttermilk mash potatoes as well as the turkey on the plate so each person can season according to their taste.

[Byte1]

Most turkeys that you purchase today are already brined in the package. If you read the label, you will see a percentage of water, broth, etc. Butterball turkeys are definitely full of water/butter (and you pay for it in weight).
If you want a tasty Turkey, I usually inject a cajon mixture and mix spices with butter and put plenty UNDER the skin. You can make room under the skin by using a large spoon and sliding it up under the skin under the breast, and even work it under the legs if you wish. But, like I said before, most turkeys are already bined if you find them packaged in sealed plastic.

[Gpsma]

Swanson Turkey Dinner...was good back then, even better today.

[OpusX1]

I like to brine the turkey in salt water and apple juice over night, also like to inject the white meat with apple juice and honey.

[gbs317]

I go with a low and slow method of cooking the turkey. I add a butter cinnamon mixture and rub that all over the bird inside and out, stuff the turkey with your favorite stuffing, mine is a cornbread mixture with added onions, garlic and some ground pork (brown it first). It comes out moist with a nice crisp skin.

[SeaCros]

Yes brine as it makes for the most juicy bird and it works for however you plan to cook (roast, bake, grill or smoke). A 24 hour brine is the best but if you can’t do the 24 you could always inject. I know it’s late in the game but I usually practice with a whole chicken to master the technique and then go for the gold with a nice butterball turkey.
Brine = salt, pepper corns, sugar, bay leaves, rosemary, thyme, lemon, and of course water.

Good luck

[mazbarth]

I love the brining taste BUT two things against it I've found....
It's higher in sodium (because of the salt water) &
You can't cook carcass down for soup afterwards because of the saltiness has infused everything. That was a disappointment.
Have fun!

[midiwiz]

Here I am at almost 2:00 AM, reading articles on the internet about cooking the perfect turkey……..

T’Day is exactly one week away, and it’s at our house. I am fine with having it at our house, but I must admit to being completely intimidated by THE TURKEY.

I have ordered a fresh one, so that’s a start.

People are bringing all kinds of good things, and the Army taught Mr. Boomer to peel potatoes really fast. (I guess he did that when he was not busy jumping out of perfectly good airplanes.)

BUT my turkey angst is getting the best of me tonight.

To brine or not to brine? Actually, any turkey roasting secrets or suggestions from TOTVland will be very appreciated. (Yeah, I know. We shoulda left town.)

Boomer

Brine is for the over done crowd. I have never brined any turkey and I have tons of moist meat. The secret is to NOT over cook it. This actually depends on how you like your stuffing. When I do mine in the bird, then my cooking method changes as to if I do it outside the bird.

Stuffing outside means I'm going to spatchcock the turkey. of which I will typically lay that turkey on top of the stuffing. However I have to then keep a hot pot of butter and turkey stock on the stove to baste the turkey (key word in both techniques is BASTE)

Stuff inside means the turkey will get stuffed with stuffing that I pre make the day before and let the flavors combine. it is loaded with broth so it's very wet. This helps keep the moisture inside the bird. once stuffed I tied the bird and then up end it and resoak the stuffing untill it comes out the neck. with the legs tied up and wings tucked back the bird get a massage of butter (good butter) and salt and pepper. This will create my bast for basting. It gets 30 minutes at 450, then the remaining time at 350 baste every 30 minutes and turn the bird meaning flip around the pan so the other side faces the back of the oven. and you not only baste the bird but the stuffing showing between the legs.

I supposed the next question is when does it come out.... well the key is knowing how to rest a bird. I pull mine out when the breast meat (temp in up and down at thickest part without being near a bone) is 172-175 degrees and the thigh is 157-160. The bird comes out and sits on a cutting board for at least 30 minutes preferrably 45 minutes with an aluminum foil tent on it .

in order to plan on when to check that temp calculate 16 minutes per pound in a convection oven and 20 non convect. You begin checking temp on the last baste in the time frame. Example: you calculate 4 hours to cook the bird, at every 30 minutes Baste at the 3 1/2 hour point you check the temp breast and thigh. if one side is lower face that side to the FRONT of the oven. depending on your temperature at first temp check you'll have to judge how much longer, a good key is 10 minutes 5 degrees. so check again in 10 and you will know exactly how your oven works. if the temp came up only 3 degrees then adjust the remaing time based on that but do NOT go over. It's extremely easy to dry up a turkey.

By the way a side note - all that 'crud' in the bottom of the roasting pan is the secret to wildly awesome turkey gravy.


Hope that helped!

[Lisanp@aol.com]

Agree with no need to brine. The compound butter under the skin is necessary, I use chopped fresh sage with butter S&P. At the first baste, use a can of chicken broth poured over bird and then baste every 30 minutes or so. Take it out when thickest part of thigh is 160, not 165, and tent loosely with foil - it will get to 165 from carry over cooking and not overcook the breast meat that way. Also, start with the bird not straight out of the fridge. A cold bird in a hot oven equals tight protein. I prep the bird on Wednesday (wash; truss; stuff cavity with fresh thyme & sage, a peeled onion and an apple; put compound butter under the skin; S&P over the whole bird) and then put it back in the fridge in the roasting pan uncovered overnight. Thursday morning I take it out and it sits on the counter for about 30 minutes. Then it goes into the cold oven and the bird and the oven preheat together to 325. Let the turkey rest at least 30 minutes before carving, I usually wait about an hour to carve it while all of the sides cook once the turkey comes out of the oven because oven real estate is the Thanksgiving challenge - not the bird. Don't let the bird intimidate you!

[pjwenz]

I have always brined my turkeys with a combination of herbs and spices. Over the last couple of years I have started to cook my turkeys on my gas grill on the rotisserie. Freed up the space in the oven for other stuff and two smaller birds only took 2 hours to cook. Only down side is that you cant get a bird much larger that 10 to 15 lbs. Happy Thanksgiving.

[missibu@gmail.com]

Absolutely! Brine for 24 hours before cooking. Then roast immediately.

Couple of other hints…

Season by rubbing your choice of seasoning mixed with soft butter under the skin of the breast. It is loose enough to get your hand between the skin and the breast meat. We use salt, pepper, and sage. Poultry seasoning works too. Rub liberally onto the breast meat just before roasting.

Do NOT stuff the bird with stuffing. Cook the stuffing separately instead. My wife puts a small onion (quartered) onto the cavity alone with a couple of crushed garlic cloves and a sprig of fresh sage (1 stem, leaves stay whole). The cavity stuffing if for aromatic purposes only. Toss out when done.

Roast to a temp. Of 165 degrees f. Take the temp. By inserting you thermometer into the thickest part of the thigh meat, NOT the breast. Parts of a whole turkey cook to different temps, and cooking to that thigh temp. Insures doneness.

Let the turkey rest (out of the oven) for 15 minutes before carving.

This is EXACTLY how I cook my Turkey with the exception of the herbs inside the cavity I use fresh poultry blend (sage, rosemary, thyme) and I let it rest about 30 minutes, absolutely DELICIOUS 😋

[BobnBev]

Turkey breast done in a slow cooker, about 8 hours. What could be easier than that. Even a cave man could do it.

[Boomer]

Thank you everyone for helping me with my turkey angst.

My only experience with brining has been limited to chicken breasts. I do those fairly often with a skinnytaste.com recipe (or was it my SkinnyTaste Air Fryer cookbook?).

Anyway, that recipe says to use Kosher salt and also includes an easy rub — and then the air fryer. The first time I tried this, I was surprised at how beautifully those chicken breasts turned out, so now we have them fairly often.

Before that, brining always sounded counterintuitive to me. But it definitely worked — and I even used a little less salt than the recipe said.

But now, I am facing a big turkey and expecting 16 people — and only 1 is a vegetarian, so here I go….

So far, I think I am inclined to brine because of my chicken breast/air fryer experience……..BUT, am I comparing apples to oranges. Ohhhhh, the angst, the angst.

To add to my over-thinking this thing — I watch sodium, so this morning I started a search on just how much sodium is added with brining. America’s Test Kitchen tested it with chicken and it did not seem terrible. It is not that I think extra sodium is going to hurt anybody on just Thanksgiving Day — I just don’t want the turkey to taste salty. As we all know, salt can be added at the table to taste, but we can’t get too much salt taste out once it’s in there. I will probably use a little less salt like I do with the chicken breast brining……..but is that OK to do with this huge hunka poultry I am picking up on Tuesday afternoon?

Some of you mentioned adding sugar. That is interesting. I would like to know more about that.

Thank you.

Boomer

[Carlsondm]

Here I am at almost 2:00 AM, reading articles on the internet about cooking the perfect turkey……..

T’Day is exactly one week away, and it’s at our house. I am fine with having it at our house, but I must admit to being completely intimidated by THE TURKEY.

I have ordered a fresh one, so that’s a start.

People are bringing all kinds of good things, and the Army taught Mr. Boomer to peel potatoes really fast. (I guess he did that when he was not busy jumping out of perfectly good airplanes.)

BUT my turkey angst is getting the best of me tonight.

To brine or not to brine? Actually, any turkey roasting secrets or suggestions from TOTVland will be very appreciated. (Yeah, I know. We shoulda left town.)

Boomer
We are eating our 15# turkey now. Couldn't wait.

We brined the turkey for 1.5 hours while we prepared stuffing and other goodies. Brine was 3/4 c Koser salt, pepper, and herbs dissolved in 5 c of warm water. Then chill or ice the brine and let the turkey soak in it, cold. I have brined for 8 hours in a bag in an iced cooler for 8-12 hours before, but shorter times improve the flavor just enough for our fresh turkey. We don't need the extra sodium.

I do lightly stuff the bird and use a cooking bag. Check the meat temperature (165). Let the cooked turkey rest 30 minutes at the end before carving. We mix the bird stuffing with other crisp cooked (sausage) stuffing.

There are brine injectors out there, but we just soak in a brining bag. I think the effect is more subtle.