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Wife bought me a Butterball turkey to brine, but after reading some posts on this forum it is questionable whether this can be done successfully. Would appreciate some advise.
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Jim Minion
TVWBB Emerald Member
Rather than brine an injection maybe a better way to go.
Jim
Jim
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David
Butterball makes both brined and natural (unbrined) turkeys. Usually, but not always, the brined turkeys are frozen and the natural are fresh.
As already mentioned, if it is brined, there will be language on the label that clearly states so.
Similarly, if it is natural, the label will say something like 100% natural, no additives.
Read your label closely and post again. From there, someone on this forum can help you further.
Butterball makes both brined and natural (unbrined) turkeys. Usually, but not always, the brined turkeys are frozen and the natural are fresh.
As already mentioned, if it is brined, there will be language on the label that clearly states so.
Similarly, if it is natural, the label will say something like 100% natural, no additives.
Read your label closely and post again. From there, someone on this forum can help you further.
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Guest
Checked the label - it is definitely injected with a 7% water and salt solution. Has anyone on the forum brined a enhanced Butterball and if so what were your results? Have my brine prepared and ready to go - should I just go buy another turkey (unbrined). Was considering just cutting my brining time in half with the butterball - any thoughts?
David,
I have brined the injected Butterball turkeys in the past, before I knew any better. It will be just fine. It's not like the turkey will explode in the cooker or taste funny. It's just that it's hard to know how much of what you're tasting is the result of what Butterball did vs. what you did through brining.
I would, however, brine for a shorter period of time. You say you're thinking of cutting your brine time in half...how many hours are you thinking?
Regards,
Chris
I have brined the injected Butterball turkeys in the past, before I knew any better. It will be just fine. It's not like the turkey will explode in the cooker or taste funny. It's just that it's hard to know how much of what you're tasting is the result of what Butterball did vs. what you did through brining.
I would, however, brine for a shorter period of time. You say you're thinking of cutting your brine time in half...how many hours are you thinking?
Regards,
Chris
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Thanks Chris - was thinking about an 8 hour brine time instead of the 24 hour as I usually do.
8 hours should be fine.
Don't sweat it too much, just have fun!
Regards,
Chris
Don't sweat it too much, just have fun!
Regards,
Chris
Bruce Bissonnette
TVWBB Guru
Paul,
I'm using the same brine and I put mine in at around 11:30 this morning, going to take it out around 7am on Thursday. You'll be fine.
I'm using the same brine and I put mine in at around 11:30 this morning, going to take it out around 7am on Thursday. You'll be fine.
Howard Lee
New member
I brined a self basting butterball last may. It wasn't salty nor the skin mushy. I reduced the amount of salt & I pat dryed the bird before cooking. I'm doing 2 turkeys, a test one today in the wsm with apple & cherry chunks and 1 tomorrow, by the way i also heavily injected both turkeys with butter, apple juice,sage,garlic oil,fresh lemon&calvados (apple cognac from the Normandy region in France) /infopop/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif .
I have had some good results brining with beer, sugar/honey and herbs, depending on the meat.
I let it stay for at least 6 hours in the refrigidrator. After the brining in beer, the meat keeps its red colour even when it is cooked, and is so tender that you can eat it with a straw.
I have used beers for brining in my last 6 WSM exercises.
All the best, regards form Denmark
Bo
I let it stay for at least 6 hours in the refrigidrator. After the brining in beer, the meat keeps its red colour even when it is cooked, and is so tender that you can eat it with a straw.
I have used beers for brining in my last 6 WSM exercises.
All the best, regards form Denmark
Bo
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I did my first smoked turkey this year. After reading this place I learned alot. It was frozen in a solution already but I really wanted to do the honey brine. What I did was the same "recipe" for the brine except I only used 1/4 of the salt.
I really wasn't sure which one to try - the apple or the honey brine. So I did both! With the additon of some orange juice as well thinking the acid in the citrus would help. What a great tasting bird!
I was tempted to heat up the brine for a nice warm drink it smelled so good. Apple, orange and clove. Nice combo.
Rob
I really wasn't sure which one to try - the apple or the honey brine. So I did both! With the additon of some orange juice as well thinking the acid in the citrus would help. What a great tasting bird!
I was tempted to heat up the brine for a nice warm drink it smelled so good. Apple, orange and clove. Nice combo.
Rob
Just a note - when you reduce the salt that low in your liquid, you are just soaking the bird in salty water. You won't get the desired chemical reaction of the saline equalization in the protein molecules that brining at the regular strength gives you.
I use a full-blown brine on pumped birds on a regular basis, and (heathenistic cook that I am) it works just fine. True, it doesn't pull as much flavor into the meat as it does on a natural bird, but it still works. Yes, I do prefer a natural bird like most members of this list. However, a number of the turkeys and breasts that we did over Thanksgiving for various people were pumped Honeysuckle Whites. I brined all my birds this year for between 12 and 24 hours in a basic formula of 1 gallon apple juice, 3/4 cup Morton Kosher salt (or 1 cup Diamond Kosher salt or 1/2 cup non-iodized table salt), 1 cup sugar (or blended white and brown), and about 1/4 cup honey. They were all well-rinsed and air-dried in the refrigerators for at least 8 hours before smoking.
Many compliments, good skin texture on all, succulent juicy meat with a tantalizing hint of a taste of apple and honey, and none were reported to be salty-tasting at all. I fixed that problem when I discovered that the Morton K salt I was using was "saltier" than Diamond K salt due to the shape of the crystals.
Therefore, my OWN conclusion based on preparing about 85 turkeys for roasting, frying, or smoking over the last three years is that, given the opportunity, I will brine and air-dry every bird I prepare, pumped or unpumped. True, you see more beneficial effect on the birds that started out unpumped, but JUST IN MY OWN EXPERIENCE , they have all benefited and gained flavor from the brine. I've never had a "mushy" bird.
Remember, this is just my own opinion based on my own cooking experiences. Your mileage may vary, of course... Robert and I are not professional chefs, caterers, restauranteurs, BBQ comp cooks, or anything else like that, so keep cooking and build your own experience base.
Keri C
Smokin on Tulsa Time (and drinking too much coffee... can you tell? /infopop/emoticons/icon_wink.gif )
I use a full-blown brine on pumped birds on a regular basis, and (heathenistic cook that I am) it works just fine. True, it doesn't pull as much flavor into the meat as it does on a natural bird, but it still works. Yes, I do prefer a natural bird like most members of this list. However, a number of the turkeys and breasts that we did over Thanksgiving for various people were pumped Honeysuckle Whites. I brined all my birds this year for between 12 and 24 hours in a basic formula of 1 gallon apple juice, 3/4 cup Morton Kosher salt (or 1 cup Diamond Kosher salt or 1/2 cup non-iodized table salt), 1 cup sugar (or blended white and brown), and about 1/4 cup honey. They were all well-rinsed and air-dried in the refrigerators for at least 8 hours before smoking.
Many compliments, good skin texture on all, succulent juicy meat with a tantalizing hint of a taste of apple and honey, and none were reported to be salty-tasting at all. I fixed that problem when I discovered that the Morton K salt I was using was "saltier" than Diamond K salt due to the shape of the crystals.
Therefore, my OWN conclusion based on preparing about 85 turkeys for roasting, frying, or smoking over the last three years is that, given the opportunity, I will brine and air-dry every bird I prepare, pumped or unpumped. True, you see more beneficial effect on the birds that started out unpumped, but JUST IN MY OWN EXPERIENCE , they have all benefited and gained flavor from the brine. I've never had a "mushy" bird.
Remember, this is just my own opinion based on my own cooking experiences. Your mileage may vary, of course... Robert and I are not professional chefs, caterers, restauranteurs, BBQ comp cooks, or anything else like that, so keep cooking and build your own experience base.
Keri C
Smokin on Tulsa Time (and drinking too much coffee... can you tell? /infopop/emoticons/icon_wink.gif )
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Nice info Keri. Is there any way (in your experience) to air dry quicker. Where do you stand on injecting?
Well, I HAVE been known to set a line of birds in front of an electric fan in a cold garage or on a table in the enclosed back porch in cold weather. That speeds the drying time up rather nicely. Wouldn't want to leave the bird out at normal room temperature in front of the fan for too long, though. That fan method works great while the tacky pellicle is forming prior to smoking salmon, too - I think I picked that up from His Most Royal Smokiness, Jim Minion
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I've injected some, and will inject someone's turkey that I'm cooking if specifically requested to do so with some particular seasoning blend. That being said, if I have my druthers, I'll just brine 'em with whatever combination of seasonings trips my trigger at the moment. In any case, I see no sense whatsoever in both brining AND injecting, personally.
HOWEVER, I've never injected melted butter or some of the butter combinations that I've read about on here. If I tried that, I might sing a different tune about injecting.
Keri C
I've injected some, and will inject someone's turkey that I'm cooking if specifically requested to do so with some particular seasoning blend. That being said, if I have my druthers, I'll just brine 'em with whatever combination of seasonings trips my trigger at the moment. In any case, I see no sense whatsoever in both brining AND injecting, personally.
HOWEVER, I've never injected melted butter or some of the butter combinations that I've read about on here. If I tried that, I might sing a different tune about injecting.
Keri C
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Keri Cathey:
[qb]Therefore, my OWN conclusion based on preparing about 85 turkeys for roasting, frying, or smoking over the last three years is that...[/qb] <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>Are you sure that doesn't qualify you to be considered a caterer? That's a bunch of birds!
Good info in your post about brining enhanced turkey.
Regards,
Chris
[qb]Therefore, my OWN conclusion based on preparing about 85 turkeys for roasting, frying, or smoking over the last three years is that...[/qb] <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>Are you sure that doesn't qualify you to be considered a caterer? That's a bunch of birds!
Good info in your post about brining enhanced turkey.
Regards,
Chris
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