help! how long can I brine my turkey?
Reader Wayne wrote in with this timely question, so we thought we’d better post it, pronto!
Can I brine a turkey for a couple of days? Is there any danger in this? Just curious, thanks. — Wayne G.
Leave your tips for him on the next page, and feel free to check out this old post about brining if you’re curious, too!
November 25th, 2008 at 6:26 am
http://www.cookshack.com/brining-101#_Toc528293329
November 26th, 2008 at 4:54 am
There are a couple of things that happen when brining your turkey. The salt in your bring WILL penetrate the item and flavor your meat, along with the other aromatics or flavorings you add to the liquid. The salt also plumps up the cells in the protein and enables them to hold more water. This adds moisture to your bird. Larger turkeys should be brined longer than smaller ones.
Brining can only tenderize the bird so much. Without acid in the brining liquid like a marinade has, it really has a limited tenderizing affect. For this reason I don’t think it would harm your bird to brine it for a long time, but I also don’t think there would be much of a point. Long story short, I would stick to 24 hrs. and under.