Brine Recipes Needed...

[darita]

Guess I'm too new to access the recipes. I'd like to try and brine a whole chicken and was hoping someone could give me a good basic brine recipe. As a matter of fact, I'm looking for a turkey brine as well as anything else that should be in a brine. Thanks for the help.

[Smiter Q]

Brines are great.
The salt really really helps that skin glisten and shine.
The meat is moist, and if done right should be some of the
best chicken you ever ate.

I used this one last night....
An Apple Brine
http://www.virtualweberbullet.com/turkey6.html

Here is the result.

For chicken I divide it to 1/3
Used it for turkey... and it rocked as well.

[BlueHowler]

Brines are awesome when done right. The basic rule of thumb is 1 cup salt and 1/2 cup sweetener per gallon of water then add whatever you want to flavor the meat.

I did a turkey last T-day where I used 2 gallons distilled water and 2 cups Kosher salt, 1 cup sugar, 1 cup Jack Daniels Whiskey, 1/4 cup molasses, and a couple of oranges, apples, carrots, fennel bulb, bay leaves, sage, garlic, and thyme.

Marinated for around 36 hours and cooked in the oven. It was fantastic!

[darita]

Thanks so far. I'm also a little confused on some of the process. What kind of container do I put the chicken/turkey in and if my fridge isn't big enough, where else can I put this container to keep it cold enough? Sorry to ask such lame questions, but it's my first time.

[jazzybadger]

A lot of people use food grade plastic containers for it.
I just line my turkey fryer pot with a trash bag and use that in my garage refrigerator.
Been thinking about getting one of those plastic tubs that carry cat litter and using that, but not sure if the plastic is actually food grade plastic.

[mmmmeat]

a little trick i learned from America's Test Kitchen, with poultry, instead of water, use milk, as milk is a natural tenderizer, so ya git that, and the salt/sugar mix super enhances the moisture content, i have been using milk for 2 years now, with no fail wether frying, grilling, and smoking works all avenues

[blackdog043]

Some good info here.
http://www.cookshack.com/brining-101

[leanza]

I've always preferred pre-salting as compared to a liquid brine. All the benefits with no mess. The texture of my poultry is not spongy like a liquid brine. Pre salting can be used on pork and beef as well.

Just saying.

[daedalus]

Originally Posted by BlueHowler

Brines are awesome when done right. The basic rule of thumb is 1 cup salt and 1/2 cup sweetener per gallon of water then add whatever you want to flavor the meat.

I agree, but I find that the 1 cup salt to 1/2 cup sweetener tend to make things a bit too salty. I like a "light" brine, which is to say 1/2 cup Salt(Kosher works best) to 1/2 cup Sweetener(I prefer Brown Sugar) per gallon of water(purified only). For flavoring, I usually add garlic and cloves, but really you could do just about anything you prefer.

As to your containage delima, I Like to use large square or rectangular plastic cambro-type containers with snap on lids. I found ones that will fit in a standard fridge. For turkeys, I have also been known to use one of those big orange igloo upright coolers. I replace some of the water with ice, and it has worked pretty well.

[daedalus]

Originally Posted by jazzybadger

Been thinking about getting one of those plastic tubs that carry cat litter and using that, but not sure if the plastic is actually food grade plastic.

I would be a bit concerned about that type of container. It would probably be fine for some stuff, but I would be afraid that the plastics might be too porous considering that you are talking about putting raw poultry in it. I am not sure it would be possible to get it really clean afterwords. Just a thought.

[mmmmeat]

Originally Posted by daedalus

I would be a bit concerned about that type of container. It would probably be fine for some stuff, but I would be afraid that the plastics might be too porous considering that you are talking about putting raw poultry in it. I am not sure it would be possible to get it really clean afterwords. Just a thought.

ever heard of bleach??? what do you think your igloo water cooler is made of???

[daedalus]

Originally Posted by mmmmeat

ever heard of bleach??? what do you think your igloo water cooler is made of???

Um, I think that my cooler is made of Food Grade Plastic, which is specifically formulated for that type of usage. And yes, I have heard of bleach, but using it in a container like that could easily result in the leeching of unappetizing, or possibly dangerous chemicals that might be sucked into the bird by the osmotic action of the brine. Not all plastics are the same.

[mmmmeat]

funny.... cuz everything that's in a restaurant needs to be sanatized, and a solution of bleach is generally used ... most code's maintain that you must have 3 part dish station one of soap water a sanatizing station and a rinse...bleach if rinsed properly wont leave behind anything...now if you use too much... that's another story.....

[SmokinAussie]

I've got 6 chickens in brine nearly ready to come out. They've been brining in a 25litre food grade plastic bucket. Brine recipe was pretty much the same salt / sugar ratio as noted above. The added incredients were:

2 Heads Garlic
Celery Seed
Bayleaves
Black Peppercorns
Allspice Berries
Oregano
Thyme
Parsley
Malt Vinegar

I made 3 gallons of brine. Had to discard some putting in the chicken... Might take a pick and post when I get it out. I'm just making the stuffing for the chickens now.

Cheers!

Bill

[SmokinAussie]

Here you go... this is 20 minutes ago. Going to stuff them now, and then on to the COS...


Mmmmmmmm

Cheers!

Bill