What's the best brining vessel for a turkey?


 
E

E Sassak

TVWBB Member
So I have seen buckets, coolers and bags. I like the bag idea because it will not take up space in my house or garage. I already have a cooler for the bag to go into. What type of bag do you use? Where do you find it? Is the bucket or cooler superior to the bag? I have a turkey in the freezer ready to go and I don't want to mess it up from the get go.
 
As I was saying before my computer decided to post mid message... I really like the idea of not having to make a vat of brine to get the job done. Thanks again!
 
You can also use a turkey roasting bag. If you can, test it for leaks, or use a doubled bag. Put it in a bucket or cooler just a bit larger than your turkey. Put the turkey in the bag and surround the bag with ice and some water. Then add the brine and cinch the bag. As others have mentioned, that will use the least amount of brine, but you still need enough brine to do the job, so give the brine a little extra space in the bag (not too tight against the turkey, that is). Then fill the cooler with more ice and water to keep the brine level with the top of the turkey.

Be sure to give yourself an extra day to air-dry the turkey uncovered in the refrigerator.

Rita
 
I went to a restaurant supply store and bought food safe containers of various sizes. They are not that expensive, are dishwasher safe, and I don't have to worry about a bag leaking. When I do smaller things like chicken I do use the ziploc bags and then place this in a big bowl.
 
I had been tempted to go the Alton Brown route and grab one of those round yellow and red Igloo coolers, but I am serious about not having extra space around the house. Those XL Ziplocks really spoke to me with an ice bath in my cooler. Great tip about the air drying in the fridge! Thanks.
 
If you have a spare fridge then I lean towards buckets. I have a "Homer's" bucket and a clear bucket I bought from Smart and Final. I think I paid $5 for the Homer's and $10 for the clear one.


 
I've also found the XXL and XL Ziplocs at the home depot when the local supermarkets didn't have them.

I pretty much use the Gallon, L, XL, and XXL depending on what I'm brining or marinating.

The XXL inside the bucket first, in goes the turkey, then the brine. Work the air out as you pinch to close, twist then I tie/loop - you can use a cable tie as well. Then seal. You can then leave in the bucket in a separate fridge, iced cooler or pull and place into another container, tray, roasting pan, etc.

Makes moving it about from one area, pot, etc much easier.

Nice clean set up. Allows you to use a smaller pot, different container depending that might fit into the main fridge better if you don't have a separate one.

Work great. I like using the XL and XXL even when I'm using a bucket or large pot.

The turkey bags work fine though if you can't get the Ziplocs.
 
Williams Sonoma sells turkey brining bags that are heavy duty, very large zip lock bags. I have a set and I just clean the inside with hot soapy water, dry them out and reuse them. They have two small and two large bags in a set. I think they'll last forever if I take care of them.
 
I forgot.
But you have to go back to the source on this site, for a quick and easy answer.
icon_smile.gif

http://www.virtualweberbullet.com/brining.html

Tim
 
I use the vegetable crisper in our spare fridge. It works really well if I can fit the meat in it and I don't have to worry about removing beer from the fridge to keep the brine cold. Make sure your crisper bin is leak proof before trying this. I have another refrigerator where the bins will leak.
 
Tim,

Wow, that is a lot of information! At the same time your first answer was very important too. It is great to read about who is using what and why. This web site is great. I have poked around over the years but I never appreciated the breadth of information that resides here.
 
Originally posted by JRPfeff:
I use the vegetable crisper in our spare fridge. It works really well if I can fit the meat in it and I don't have to worry about removing beer from the fridge to keep the brine cold. Make sure your crisper bin is leak proof before trying this. I have another refrigerator where the bins will leak.
Click to expand...


thats genius!! never would have thought of that
 
We went the Alton Brown route a few years ago and haven't regretted it for a minute. For those who don't know, it's a large jobsite water-cooler (looks to be about 5 gallons). The spiggot at the bottom makes draining the brine less-messy, too!

When it's not in use it stores all sorts of cooking accessories, cups/napkins for parties, etc.
 
If you have the cash then the bags are a great idea. I use bags for marinading smaller meats but those BIG bags are 2 or 3 bucks each.. Myself I just use a 5 gallon bucket and have it labeled fer food only so no one mops w it or whatever!
 
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