"(null)" > wrote in message
...
> In article >,
> Kent > wrote:
>>"JC Dill" > wrote in message
. ..
>>> How long is too long to brine a turkey? I'm picking up my turkey
>>> today, BBQing it on Thursday. Are there any reasons to NOT brine it
>>> for more than 24 hours?
>>>
>>If you're going to brine a long time use less salt per quart of water. The
>>longer the turkey sits in the brine the more will the salt penetrate. In
>>theory I think it makes a lot more sense to brine longer with a relatively
>>low salt/H2O ratio than to brine with a higher ratio for a shorter period.
>>The brine gets through to more of the meat.
>
> You also have to consider the geometry of the meat. Unlike perhaps a
> giant
> pork roast, brine solution will also be entering the flesh from the cavity
> as well as from the outer skin layer.
>
> If the long brine is for scheduling reasons, you could brine, rinse, dry
> and then stick it in your fridge until it's time to cook. Being in the
> fridge after the brine also supposedly makes the skin crisper.
>
>
You're absolutely right. You can't vat brine a ham or even a pork loin. I
routinely brine 12-14lb turkeys with 1 oz table salt per quart of water for
at least 24 hours, and I haven't ever felt the result was too salty. If
anything, the salt doesn't totally permeate through the breast meat.

Kent