[mmichaels1970]

BRINE YOUR TURKEY!

Question....Do you need to brine your basic store-bought turkey's? I've read that they are pretty much pre-brined and that brining them again won't do much of anything. I sat mine out overnight in a cooler one year, but we didn't really notice a difference.

[dp0622]

What the #### does brine mean? :)

[Talisker]

Unless it says it’s brined, it’s not brined. I try to get a turkey without anything in it because it messes with the flavor. Brining is a moisture thing, the salt moves water into the tissues. It doesn’t necessarily make the bird salty. But with the deep moisturizing, the flavor of the meat is very enhanced, and you don’t get any dry breast meat anymore. I usually put rosemary and chiles in the brine for a little flavor, but remember you’re doing it under ice packs so there’s not a lot of flavor transfer going on. After it’s brined, just cool it the way you want and flavor it as normal.