Brining Question? Butterball Turkey


 
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PaulG

TVWBB Fan
I have a 13.85 LB Butterball Premium all natural turkey. It states no artificial ingredients. Its in the refrigerator thawing for a Christmas day smoke on my bullet smoker. I was thinking of using the apple brine recipe and method from this site. After reading the apple brine information, it states do not use a self basting turkey. Now I have second thoughts about brining this turkey. I am posting this asking what other viewers reading this think? Should I brine or not brine this turkey.
 
I just did one for T-day and I didn't brine it and it came out great. Mine said it contained a solution of what-ever so I skipped the brine.
You could still do a flavor brine, just cut down on the amount of salt.
HTH

Tim
 
Paul,

I did a 13.5lb Turkey at TG. I was unable to find an all natural one in the small town where we were staying so I bought a regular self-basting bird (I think it said it had been injected with a solution). I brined it with apple maple brine anyway and it came out great. I have always had great result when brining so I would say go for it!

Regards,

John
 
I would go ahead and brine it, if that's what you want to do. "No artificial ingredients" can still contain salt, broth, veg oil, etc. which means it's self-basting. But people get good results using the apple brine on self-basted turkeys, so you'll be fine.

Good luck!
 
Paul, I had two Butterball Turkey's for Thanksgiving, both stated, "minimally processed, contains 8% solution..." I brined both of them for nearly 16 hours using Oakridge Game changer Brine and they turned out excellent. In fact, I think two of the best birds I've ever cooked.
 
Chris Allingham said:
I would go ahead and brine it, if that's what you want to do. "No artificial ingredients" can still contain salt, broth, veg oil, etc. which means it's self-basting. But people get good results using the apple brine on self-basted turkeys, so you'll be fine.

Good luck!
Click to expand...

Respectfully Chris, I disagree,



Osmosis is a cruel mistress.


The point of brining is that by soaking an unsalted bird in a flavored salt water solution, osmosis will cause the meat in the bird to absorb the salted water and any flavoring in the solution along for the ride.

By soaking a pre-brined Butterball turkey in a less salted (or unsalted) solution, osmotic forces will cause the salt solution to flow OUT of the bird. You don't want that.


By soaking a pre-brined Butterball turkey in a correctly salted solution, osmotic forces will not be forcing salt water transmission either way. The turkey prolly will come out just fine, but will be exactly the same as if no brining had taken place.




Just my $.02
 
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