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Brining Turkey

By: Frances Crouter

Check out our quick tips on how to brine a turkey.

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Thanksgiving Advice

Brining is the secret to a juicy, flavorful holiday turkey.

Why Brine?

Salt changes the structure of the muscle tissues in the meat, allowing it to swell and absorb water and flavorings. It also breaks down the proteins, resulting in a tender-seeming turkey. This means that--despite the moisture loss during roasting and the long cooking time--the end result is a juicier bird.

How to Brine a Turkey

The main logistical problem with brining is that you need a container that's large enough to submerge your turkey in the brine, but will fit in your refrigerator. Furthermore, from a food safety standpoint, it should be stored on the lowest shelf of the refrigerator so that any spills won't contaminate food below. You may use a stock pot, a bucket, or a roasting pan; if you use a shallow roasting pan, you will need to turn the bird periodically so that each side rests in the brine.

The basic ratio for turkey brine is two cups of kosher salt to two gallons of water. Some recipes include sweeteners or acidic ingredients to balance the saltiness.

Dissolve salt (and sugar, if using) in two cups of hot water. Stir in remaining gallon plus 3 ½ quarts of cold water.
Remove giblets and neck from turkey. Immerse turkey in brine and refrigerate for at least eight hours but no longer than 24 hours.

Cooking the Turkey

When you're ready to roast, pour off the brine. Rinse the turkey well with cool tap water, and pat dry with paper towels. Tuck the wing tips behind the back and place the bird, breast-side up, on a roasting rack. Proceed with your preferred recipe, but remember that the turkey has already absorbed a significant amount of salt--any drippings that you use for gravy will already be salty, and no salt should be added to compound butters or spice rubs.

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Get answers to the most commonly asked Thanksgiving cooking questions.

Comments

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Sabrina Martin

Aug. 14, 2009 1:20 pm

I have a question. When I log into Allrecipes....my home page always opens to the same page (something from Thanksgiving). Does anyone know how to change it? I'm tired of seeing "how to brine a turkey" on my homepage!! Help!

Erika

Aug. 21, 2009 4:09 pm

Did you bookmark Allrecipes in your favorite places while on the "how to brine a turkey page? If so, this may be the reason why it opens to this page. Try deleting it and saving it again on Allrecipes homepage. If you did't bookmark the page, you may want to delete your browsing history. Let me know if this helps.

babsosborne

Oct. 2, 2009 4:52 am

I have a question about brining. I just read that most turkeys are already brined and if the label says that it contains salt, if you brine it the turkey will be too salty to eat. Is this true? Should I consider brining but with less salt or not brining at all?

Sluis

Oct. 7, 2009 9:41 am

I have never seen a turkey that has already been brined unless it is a "turkey in a bag" type that is already prepared. Any fresh or frozen turkey will need brined.

GMD

Oct. 8, 2009 7:08 pm

I'm hoping that I saw this recipe here for buttermilk brine for turkey...I do believe it was a video...if anyone has this recipe or know of it I would really appreciate it.....I used it last year and I thought I had a hard copy but...Anyway...this made the turkey so moist..and left only bones...Thanks in advance!!!

jguadagna

Oct. 21, 2009 6:58 am

Can someone give me a formula for the amount of time to roast a brined turkey? I recall that last year I brined the turkey for Thanksgiving and it turned out great, but took a lot longer than I expected and we ate hours after we expected. On the other hand, I hear others' feedback that it takes less time to roast brined turkey than non-brined. I will be roasting a 22-pound turkey. Also wondering about the temperature. All the recipes I've seen are for smaller turkeys. Please help - thanks!

Sluis

Oct. 22, 2009 8:58 am

What I have found a brined turkey cooks about 25 to 40 minutes quicker. I cover my bird with foil and once it comes up to temperature (180 degrees) I take the foil off and cook for another 30 minutes. As far as cooking temperature and time. I would suggest 350 degrees and you are right on the border for the weight of yur turkey but you should be looking at 4 hours - 4 hours and 45 minutes. Keep an eye on your temp, that is what will guide you for your bird being ready, basting during the cooking process will help even the browning of the turkey, but if you do not do it you will still have a great bird. Also keep in mind if you put stuffing in your turkey cavity it will take up to an additional hour to cook. Hope this helps!!

new mommy

Oct. 26, 2009 11:55 am

I'm making my first turkey this year and was planning on bining. The problem is that I have several family members that cannot have large amounts of salt. Should I forgo brining or just not include salt when I season the bird?

KHENLEY

Nov. 3, 2009 10:02 pm

I use a tall kitchen size heavy duty bag to put my turkey in, place it in my picnic ice chest and pour on the cooled brine. It takes two of us to steady it and tie with twist ties, making sure the turkey is immersed. Then surround with ice and you have extra refrigerator space!

Barbi

Nov. 5, 2009 5:50 am

I was wondering how to brine with no extra space available. Thank you KHENLEY for the greatest help so far.

Patti Bornes

Nov. 8, 2009 9:10 am

Alton Brown showed how to brine a turkey in one of those big orange drink coolers like football teams use on the sidelines. Probably 3-5 gallons. You can put ice in the brine and that way you don't have to take up room in the fridge. I brined last year for the first time and will never do it any other way. Juicy and delicious.

Bsan

Nov. 9, 2009 4:42 am

Does anyone know if you brine a turkey b/4 deep frying? Or do U just season it?

MrsSarkela

Nov. 9, 2009 5:59 am

I brined my turkey last year following Alton Brown's brining recipe. I used a large blue water cooler (the kind football players use, and dump on the coach!!) that I purchased from Lowe's and brined the turkey overnight with ice in the water. NO FRIDGE NEEDED! I baked it UNstuffed Breast side down (so the juices stay in the breast meat) and let it rest for 20 minutes before carving. Sure, cooking it breast side down isnt the most attractive result, but who cares, it gets carved anyhow, and I would rather have a moist yummy ugly turkey than a pretty but dry turkey! It was the best turkey I have ever made and I will use this recipe EVERY time now! I believe you can find the recipe here: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/good-eats-roast-turkey-recipe/index.html There are even two videos to watch, very helpful! GOOD LUCK and HAPPY TURKEY DAY!

Nov. 9, 2009 10:18 am

I am having a turkey breast and 6 turkey thighs for my meal. Should I brine the pieces as long as a whole bird?

nancylove

Nov. 10, 2009 3:50 pm

Very helpful im making turkey for the first time this year. Thank You

CCAMPBELL41

Nov. 10, 2009 8:58 pm

We always brine our turkeys and they are never salty. It is well worth the time and effort you will get raves about your bird. KK...we did two turkey breasts a couple of week ago and did them over night.

Jessie B

Nov. 11, 2009 7:07 pm

We brine our turkey in a cooler... the kind you take camping. Add ice daily and it stays plenty cold. We once soaked it in brine for two weeks and it was delicious!

vred

Nov. 11, 2009 9:00 pm

If I brine a turkey, can I still cook it in a oven bag?

keith202

Nov. 13, 2009 3:48 am

has anyone ever stuffed a brined turey? can it be stuffed?

keith202

Nov. 13, 2009 3:49 am

has anyone ever stuffed a brined turey? can it be stuffed?

Crumpet

Nov. 13, 2009 12:09 pm

I learned this trick will living in England from my local butcher shop one Christmas when I decided to make a Prime Rib roast instead of ham. It applies to any kind of meat you want to roast and works perfectly for brined turkey as well. Preheat oven to 450 degrees for 20-30 min prior to putting the meat in the oven. You want to make sure the oven is really hot and heat is distributed throughout. Roast for 30 -45 min depending on how big the meat is. Turn the oven down to 350 and let the meat cook. The last hour or so, turn the oven down again to 325. This method allows the skin to crisp and the meat to gradually roast. Keep in mind that a brined turkey will cook faster than a non brined turkey. An instant read thermometer is essential.

Brenda

Nov. 14, 2009 7:05 am

You must have bookmarked the Allrecipes site while on the turkey brine page. Just go back to the home page by clicking on "recipes" and re-bookmark this site. You may have to delete your other bookmark.

mrs marable

Nov. 15, 2009 11:45 am

I too cook my turkey breast side down however to avoid an ugly bird I turn it back over during the last 20-30 mins of cooking and rub it down with paprika or smoked paprika. Then i let it brown. This will give you a picture perfect bird every time.

Tool Time

Nov. 15, 2009 7:27 pm

I always brine my 12-14 lb turkey with 1 lb brown sugar and 1 lb salt for 24-48 hours and then smoke (pecan)at 225 deg for about 10 hours uncovered. The juices squirt out when it is carved and the flavor is unbeleivable. This never fails but it makes for a long night before Thanksgiving!!

Maria :P

Nov. 17, 2009 2:56 pm

I also find that my brined Turkeys cook faster. Here are 2 tips from years of brining... Tip #1 When brining, use a large TOUGH bag (like a Ziploc storage bag). After the last of the liquid is in the bag zip/tie it up, then place the bag in a large collendar. Gather the bag's sides up and -- no kidding -- duct tape the neck of the bag up so the turkey is covered in liquid. This way you won't have to rotate it or flip it. Put the collendar in the sink and bird in the fridge overnight. When removing it from the brine, place it in the collender (in the sink) and make a 1" cut in the bottom. The collendar will keep the big stuff from going into the garbage disposal; if your recipe has cloves or whole allspice like mine, add a paper towel under the bag to keep these out of the disposal as well. Just let it empty slowly by itself. Then take the turkey out of the top by removing the duct tape, or cutting the top of the bag off. Tie off the holes and dispose of the wet contents. Tip #2 If you want 24 lbs. of Turkey -- get 2 12-pound birds instead of 1 24-pound bird. It cooks SO MUCH faster (could my memory be right that it was 2.5 hours?) and there's no fighting over turkey legs. Also these little birds will each fit in a vegetable drawer, out of the way in their brining bags -- and potential leaks are contained.

Maria :P

Nov. 17, 2009 3:01 pm

Yes, you can stuff a brined turkey, as long as you rinse it out thoroughly. This might also be why some people's turkeys are too salty. "Rinse thoroughly and pat it dry with paper towels." according to my Emirl recipe. :)

waterlily

Nov. 17, 2009 8:43 pm

Over the years I have got Thanksgiving down to a fine science. My brined turkey goes in the oven first thing in the morning after rinsing and patting dry. I stuff the turkey with a rough chopped white onion and a cored organic granny smith apple or two. This makes the juices delicious and the veggies break down into mush. I bake a pie or two a few days before as well as make a spicy cranberry chutney, because I think that cranberry sauce tastes better chilled. A few potatoes are roasted in their skins, the only thing I need to cook the day of, is stuffing and gravy and turkey or a veggie roast. Simple is best.

Nov. 17, 2009 9:14 pm

RC I always brine my turkey as well as stuffing it. I then roast it in a Japanese Kamado Pot. I do cut down on the salt in the brining. I rinse the turkey well, the next day before stuffing and roasting. The Kamado Pot has thick ceramic walls and a stuffed 20 lb turkey will take about 4-5 hours.

gizmo

Nov. 18, 2009 4:25 am

Anyone ever DEEP FRY a brined Turkey??

MELANIE M.

Nov. 18, 2009 5:27 am

I have deep fried a brined turkey. I still inject marinade into the turkey before frying. The brining makes a huge difference in how moist the turkey is.

Trinka G

Nov. 18, 2009 6:59 am

For thoe of you wondering if you can stuff a brined turkey, is the salt content high enough to put off people on special diets, etc, just remember, a Butterball Turkey is essentially a brined turkey - that's why it tastes soooo good! ("injected" with salt water is what happens). So...NEVER brine a Butterball - it will be WAY too salty! You may stuff a Butterball, so you can stuff a brined turkey. If you can deep fry a Butterball, you can deep fry a brined turkey.(I have never deep fried a Butterball so don't know if they suggest you using one of their turkeys or not for this purpose.) You might want to go to Butterball's web site and check the do's and don'ts for their birds along with the cooking times and temps for ballpark estimates too. As far as what container to use...I found at Williams Sonoma special heavy duty food-safe plastic bags made just for brining!$16 for 4 bags(2 big, 2 smaller) and the large bags will hold up to 23 pound birds!After purchasing these, I found bringin bags at the local kitchen gadget store for $9!! So just look around & don't be afraid to experiment! Look at Waterlily's comment on how to cook everything and have it come out done at the same time. I have refined my cooking schedule and have even written it down so that everything comes out at the same time. Try to do this for your kitchen and recipes because, believe me, you will forget from year to year what order to cook things to make everything a successful meal! Like Waterlily, I do a lot of cooking and baking prior to Thanksgiving Day but for the cooking that needs to be done that day, be sure and prep everything a day before. A HUGE time saver tip is wash and chop the veggies you will be using then bag them in ziplocks the day before (as long as your veggies don't brown - if they do, just wash them). This cuts kitchen time down to a minimum and you can actually get out of the kitchen and enjoy the day with your family and friends. Happy Thanksgiving!

Alan

Nov. 18, 2009 9:09 am

I have deep fried Butterball turkeys before and have had no problem. I do not brine before deep frying. Hope this helps.

mamade45

Nov. 18, 2009 9:37 am

What is the sodium content of the brined bird? Does anyone have any idea? My husband has high blood pressure and we are very sodium conscious.

KLASSY7

Nov. 18, 2009 11:19 am

can a brined turkey be cooked in a turkey roaster?

cafebarista

Nov. 19, 2009 10:40 am

I am using a frozen turkey. Do I need to thaw it before brining?

shirlsaw

Nov. 19, 2009 12:15 pm

If the turkey is frozen the brine will not work into the meat - so make sure you thaw the bird first.

anita

Nov. 19, 2009 1:08 pm

its my first time this year making the turkey...which is better cooking the bird with the breast up or down...wish me luck!

saradonkey74

Nov. 19, 2009 5:49 pm

I brined a turkey last year and kept it simple with no spices.It was the best turkey I ever had!This year I try the spices.I did it with a chicken yesterday to test the spices and it turned out so darn good I cannot wait until Thanksgiving!

jfore

Nov. 19, 2009 6:37 pm

The Butterball.com website has a basic recipe that says you can brine a Butterball. It also states that rinsing the turkey after brining is not necessary. That goes against all I've read about brining. Odd.

sailshonan

Nov. 20, 2009 5:20 am

I called the Butterball hotline a few years back and they told me I could brine a FRESH Butterball but not a frozen one (unthawed, of course.)

sailshonan

Nov. 20, 2009 5:22 am

And yes-- I have brined a fresh Butterball and it turned out great. I also stuffed this Butterball and added salt to the stuffing. I have low blood pressure, so I salt my salt. So I didn't think it was too salty, but I LOVE LOVE LOVE salt...

sandy

Nov. 20, 2009 3:28 pm

Okay, just got done reading all of the brining suggestions and still have questions. I have a 26 # turkey this year and it's already close to being thawed out!!! It's only Friday!! Can I brine longer than 24 hours if the bird is this big? Should I brine it now and take out of brine in a few days cuz then it will be safer leaving thawed after soaking in salt. It's a honeysuckle white.

MARYBELLE2

Nov. 20, 2009 7:28 pm

I bought a "premium basted" turkey. Should I still brine it?

Eileen

Nov. 21, 2009 5:48 am

Responding to GMD--I just saw a recipes for brining with buttermilk on William Sonoma's website; just go to their homepage.

Kim

Nov. 22, 2009 6:24 am

KLASSY- I use a roaster oven for turkeys but this will be my first year brining and I intend to use the roaster again. I also intend to stuff it and cook it breast side down so it will be quite the experiment! If anyone has any advice please post.

Mary

Nov. 22, 2009 7:04 pm

Sabrina.....you may be opening the site by using the same link each time. I would suggest typing the url into your browser (allrecipes.com) and then pressing the enter key. That should do it!

KittyFanatic

Nov. 23, 2009 4:49 am

My hubby brines our turkeys each year. I'd never had one cooked that way until we married. My mom was a roaster (aa dry bird) cooker! I thought it was weird until I tasted it. He also injects it with flavoring. It is SO good, I haven't cooked a turkey in the 26 yrs we've been married. That is his job. We cook the bird in one of those oven turkey bags to help contain the mess. When served, it is all cut off and plated on a serving platter. We don't do the whole ceremonial carving deal. It ends up in pieces anyway! While I was at first disappointed, I learned to love it - We could pass the platter, and everyone could take as much/little of white/dark as they wanted, rather than waiting for a ceremonial slice! The place we live in now has such a tiny kitchen (I think it is Barbie's old one - she upgraded! Ha!) that we literally have no room to put a turkey in the fridge. We'll be doing the cooler this year. (I also have to hide the pies inside the china hutch because we have a cat who loves to nibble on pumpkin pie. Even when covered with saran wrap, she chews through it! We found that out the hard way last year! Happy Thanksgiving everyone.

KittyFanatic

Nov. 23, 2009 4:52 am

PS - Something else my hubby does, and I love - We NEVER stuff a turkey! It always kind of grossed me out anyway, when you think of all the blood dripping into the stuffing. I know it cooks a long time, but still, just kind of gross when you think about it. He makes stuffing totally separately from the bird. That way, we don't have problems with funky flavors or poorly cooked stuffing, digging it out of the turkey hiney. I hope folks who have always done the traditional plated bird/carving/stuffing in hiney will break loose and try something new this year. You might have a new favorite tradition!

KittyFanatic

Nov. 23, 2009 4:55 am

Sorry to post so many comments - I keep thinking of other things I should have added! LOL! Also, Hubby puts the turkey in the oven late the night before, and it cooks on a lower temp all night long. Judge the time according to the bird weight, but if you use the oven bags, you can cook them for a long time without basting or them drying out.

Janet

Nov. 23, 2009 10:44 am

Can anyone give me a rough idea how long I roast an 18lb brined, stuffed, turkey? I know they cook faster than unbrined...am thinking somewhere around 31/2-4 hours? Trying to calculate for side dishes. Thanks.

thegirrl10

Nov. 23, 2009 12:36 pm

how long do you fry a brined turkey if it cooks faster

Kiki

Nov. 23, 2009 12:54 pm

we had an early thanksgiving and brined & deep fried a 12lb turkey. Took about 45 mins.

Peg

Nov. 23, 2009 1:40 pm

Why not use a large cooler for brining your turkey, rather than trying to fit a huge container into your refrigerator?

teresa

Nov. 23, 2009 1:47 pm

what about brining a 9 lb. amish turkey breast? Any ideas? Thanks!

Kelly D

Nov. 23, 2009 4:36 pm

Do you need to immediately cook a brined turkey? Or can I brine it tomorrow then put a dry salt less rub on it Wed. then cook in Thursday? Also, does anybody know how long to cook a 22 lb. brined turkey?

GoPANCAN

Nov. 24, 2009 3:15 am

I have the same question as Kelly D (I want to brine and then apply dry rub), but I will be deep frying and am also cooking a boneless turkey breast. Can prepare the breast the same way? Thank you!

GoPANCAN

Nov. 24, 2009 3:19 am

One more question: Has anyone ever used "liquid smoke" to give the turkey a smokey flavor? Should I add it to brine or inject in turkey? Appreciate any info. Cheers!

SydneyAnne

Nov. 24, 2009 7:55 am

I am hosting Thanksgiving for the first time this year SO I'm kind of nervous about my first turkey. I have a 16 pound frozen turkey in my fridge, should I put it still frozen in Brine tonight until Thanksgiving morning or do I need to thaw it out first? I'd appreciate any advice!

SydneyAnne

Nov. 24, 2009 7:57 am

proud2beafoodie

Nov. 24, 2009 9:21 am

Does the salt have to be kosher or can I use regular table salt?

Erika

Nov. 24, 2009 10:43 am

Can anyone tell me if they have ever brine a solution injected frozen turkey? I should have done my research before purchasing my bird...

Erika

Nov. 24, 2009 10:43 am

the salt needs to be kosher...is there any other kind ;)

ROBIN1205

Nov. 24, 2009 11:14 am

How important is it to use a roasting rack? I just bought a tin foil pan and was planning on using that, but I don't want to go to all the trouble of brining and then mess it up without using the proper pan. I would appreciate any advise!

samreyes

Nov. 24, 2009 2:11 pm

Been dumping whole frozen chicken in brine bucket overnight and roasting it the next day. i use two tablespoons granulated chicken broth spiced in a can from oriental grocery store dissolve in i cup of water and i tbspoon butter to base while roasting in a convection oven works perfect everytime.

Cara S.

Nov. 24, 2009 2:16 pm

I called the Butterball hotline. They said for Butterball turkeys, if they are fresh, you can brine them. If they are frozen, it is not recommended because they are injected with a salt/water solution at their plant.

momperron

Nov. 24, 2009 3:36 pm

My fresh turkey says that it has up to 3% of a natural basting solution of turkey broth, sugar, salt and natural flavoring. Should I still brine it?

momperron

Nov. 24, 2009 3:48 pm

@PEG I did just see this on Rachael Ray the other day. Don't use a cooler to store your turkey because you can't keep a consistent 32 or below degree temp in a cooler. Put your sodas, juice, tea, ketchup, mustard, that stuff in a cooler instead.

momperron

Nov. 24, 2009 3:50 pm

@proud2beafoodie I read on this site in one of the brining recipes that you should use kosher or sea salt as table salt has more sodium and is therefore, well, saltier.

monsie_bear

Nov. 24, 2009 9:59 pm

how long can you brine a turkey? and how long after you take it out does it have to go in the oven? my brine box said 24 hours, does this seem right? i put mine in the brine tonight, plan to remove it tomorrow night (24 hours brine) and cook it thurs aft. sound ok?

teh r0y

Nov. 25, 2009 8:30 am

I am going to try brining for the first time this year (2009) and will be using the Citrus Turkey Brine (by MPrado) - I will be submerging the bird breast-side down in a camping cooler (maybe in a bag or not...) for over 24hrs. I then plan to use the advice given here and other places about super-high heat (500°F for 30-45 min. prior to placing the bird in), then stepping down the temperatures. The final 20-30 min. will be for browning the breast-side. Lots of great comments and suggestions on AR, as always! Thank you all for your contributions!

otis

Nov. 25, 2009 9:38 am

I've brined my turkey for the past ten years. My favorite brining recipes have involved the use of fruit juices and savory herbs. This year, I used apple cider and cherry juice with rosemary sprigs, peppercorns, and garlic. I prefer to grill my brined turkey. It takes less time than roasting in the oven and gives the skin a rich mahogany color. I can cook my 15 lb turkey in about 4 hours. I always get rave reviews from guests. brined turkey leaves the breast meat so juicy and flavorful.

otis

Nov. 25, 2009 9:41 am

Oh, and I use those big plastic paint buckets with a lid from the hardware store to brine a bigger turkey. They're perfect, especially if I'm cooking the turkey at someone else's house, then I can lug it with me.

Marvel51

Nov. 25, 2009 9:44 am

I too had the concern about brining a Butterball Turkey. Went to the Butterball.com and found them even suggesting brining and marinating the turkey. So after all the reviews, if Butterball encourages it, then it must be okay! Happy Thanksgiving!

mamachris

Nov. 25, 2009 11:59 am

I started brining my turkeys about 7 years ago. I use a 5 gallon bucket for the process. 2 cups of kosher salt, fresh garlic cloves peeled, and 1 cup of honey. I live in Colorado where it's pretty cold so I put the bucket with the lid on it on the patio overnight. When I'm ready to cook the turkey, I drain off the water but reserve the garlic. I then put the garlic under the skin and inside the cavity. Best turkey that we have ever had. So juicy and flavorful all the way to the bone. I also cook my turkey breast down for the first 1.5 hours and then flip it breast side up. The dark meat takes longer to cook. So goooood. Happy Thanksgiving to everyone.

colleen

Nov. 25, 2009 3:04 pm

Hi. I planned on brining my Butterball turkey,and was concerned about the turkey being too salty. So I called Butterball and they suggested using less salt and more sugar to avoid an over salty turkey. They said it was not necessary to brine a butterball,but many of thier customers do with great results. Just thought I would pass this information along. :)

AmeliaG

Nov. 26, 2009 12:09 am

It is the night before thanksgiving and I am out off Kosher salt, is there any way that sea salt will work?

iQue

Nov. 26, 2009 2:25 am

I would like to know how long after brining can I leave the turkey in the fridge? Or do I need to immediately place it in the oven? My brining time ends at 9am and my guests arrive 4p and the turkey will cook in 2.5 hours. Thanks!

margaret

Nov. 26, 2009 4:26 pm

Great! Everyone's comments were very helpful for my first brining attempt. It cut the smoking time down from a reported 10hrs to 3hrs and was the most tender, moist turkey we ever had. I used a 20 Qt. plastic tote container for my bird, brest down of course, and think that would work to completely submirge a 10-15 lb. bird, and still be able to fit it in the frige! It also fits in our camping cooler. Good to know if extra side dishes fill up the frige.

chucke

Dec. 11, 2009 12:38 am

I just discovered dry brining...ala a LAT food article that appeared just before Thanksgiving (2009). It is a superior method. It doesnt have the sponginess that a wet brine produces. You must try it...Excellent taste!!!

graver4

Dec. 23, 2009 5:46 am

Concerning the container you use for brining....if you have access to a canner. The enamel canning pot, just take the canning rack out. It works great as long as you have an extra fridge or can set it outside.

Sabrina Martin

Dec. 23, 2009 11:01 pm

Erika and Brenda.....thanks so much for the advice on changing my homepage! Sorry it took so long to respond.

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