Who here cooks???

Okay, I am the big cook come Thanksgiving, and I am considering doing something new this year: I want to brine my turkey. I have read all over the internet the joys of brining your turkey, however, I have one question that I cannot seem to find the answer to anywhere on the internet.

Basically, almost all the turkey brines I have read about contain sugar. Now I do not make a "sweet" turkey. In fact, the thought sounds gross. I hate sweet meats. Like orange chicken. Ew. So I am curious... if I have sugar in my brine, will my turkey taste sweet?? Or does the sugar get canceled out by the salt? Or hell, does the sugar just act as an agent for enhancing the turkey flavor, and the sugar doesn't add any additional flavor at all to my turkey?

I just wanna know if anyone here has brined a turkey in a salt/sugar solution and eaten it and did the damn thing taste sweet.

How much suger, and how much salt goes into the brine?

Most recipes I've found list a basic 1/2 cup of salt, 1/2 cup of sugar per 1 gallon of water.

Honestly I've never had a brine turkery, but it shouldn't sweeten the turkey enough to taste

I weuld check out Alton Brown Brine turkey
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/emeril-lagasse/brined-and-roasted-turkey-recipe/index.html

I have seen that, and it says how to brine, and I already know how to brine and many many recipes for a turket brine, that's not really what I'm looking for, I wanna know how it tastes, which for some reason no one knows how to say "salty" or "sweet" just "IT TASTES GOOD". So, I refuse to brine unless I have advice from someone who has brined and TASTED the turkey LOL My Thanksgiving turkey is already freaking delicious, if I'm gonna try something new, it has to also be for sure delicious before it becomes part of my turkey making process.

I have had brined turkey a couple times and it didnt taste sweet. I have never made it though. One of my specialties is beer can chicken and I often use root beer instead of beer, which gives the meat just a hint of sweetness. It's actually way better than it sounds . I would say that if your brine is no sweeter than root beer you should be ok.

that much sugar should not sweeten the turkey. found out that the salt does not over take sugar unless you have lots of salt vs sugar. Salt is what ennhances the taste of the meat. Besides, most of the salt is going to be taken by the meat anyways. If you think the sugar will sweeten the turkey, then cut the sugar down to 1/4.

It is like me making my special chicken, I use seasoned flour and Italian dressing. The Seasoned Flour the recipie my dad uses is, 1/2 tsp. of the following:
Chilie Powder
Onion Powder
Garlic Powder
Oregano
Salt
Pepper
mixed with 1/2 cups of flour. I found that it does not add enough spice for me, so I mix it up a little, I just sprinkle in as much as I think would work. If I taste one of the seasonings more than the other, I cut back on that seasoning and maybe try adding in a little more of another. I have found that I like more Chilie Powder, than the other seasonings.

Same should apply here, use the original recipe. If the turkey is too sweet for you, then cut back on the sugar until it works. If you have turkey more than once a year, than try again then, other than that, you will have to keep trying once a year. Keep a record of what did not work for you while you cut back on the sugar

I think I will undercut the sugar just in case. Now to sift through the mass of recipes I have accumulated for a brine and figure out what exactly I plan on putting into my brine (I never follow recipes exactly, I always fine tune them to what I want) Anyone in the Louisiana area Thursday should totally stop by... my turkey is awesome Hopefully it still will be...

BTW Miaka, I think you're horrible for wanting to change the Thanksgiving meal . . I'm not a fan of food changes in my holidays, since I rarely eat them otherwise. I like to have them as they are especially if they're delicious ^_^

Well, I've only ever made the turkey, I haven't been cooking the Thanksgiving meal long enough to have the mealplan set yet, so it'll take some years of trial an error before it becomes a tradition. And since the baby is still a baby, I'll be able to work out the kinks by the time he's old enough to care

DHARMA-Miaka wrote:Well, I've only ever made the turkey, I haven't been cooking the Thanksgiving meal long enough to have the mealplan set yet, so it'll take some years of trial an error before it becomes a tradition. And since the baby is still a baby, I'll be able to work out the kinks by the time he's old enough to care

Well, I suppose thats fine . .I just know I'm always going to cook my Thanksgiving dinner the way I've always had it, I've been helping do it since I was 12 and I'll do it my way until I die, and if whatever woman I end up with doesn't like it . .well she can stfu . . .I'm a nice guy aren't I? *totally single ladies, limited time offer!*

DHARMA-Miaka wrote:Okay, I am the big cook come Thanksgiving, and I am considering doing something new this year: I want to brine my turkey. I have read all over the internet the joys of brining your turkey, however, I have one question that I cannot seem to find the answer to anywhere on the internet.

Basically, almost all the turkey brines I have read about contain sugar. Now I do not make a "sweet" turkey. In fact, the thought sounds gross. I hate sweet meats. Like orange chicken. Ew. So I am curious... if I have sugar in my brine, will my turkey taste sweet?? Or does the sugar get canceled out by the salt? Or hell, does the sugar just act as an agent for enhancing the turkey flavor, and the sugar doesn't add any additional flavor at all to my turkey?

I just wanna know if anyone here has brined a turkey in a salt/sugar solution and eaten it and did the damn thing taste sweet.

follow a one to one sugar salt ratio.
bay leaves, tyme, coriander,fresh cracked black pepper.

when we brine we are attempting to add succulence and flavor to an otherwise mediocre product.
Now brines are being used almost everyday in top restaurants.
Cheaper cuts and better recipes are being used and created all around the states.

You will have a moist juicy turkey bursting with flavor!
not sweet*

I LOVE YOU!!! YAY!!! I am brining my turkey!!!

Three cheers for walrus!!!

oh good.
my brother (erebu) cooks the turkey while my mom does all the other stuff (i only cook 2 dishes.. thats all they let me do.. cause i screw up everything else)

i was gonna go ask him wth he does to the turkey to make it taste good. but you found your answer!!! yay!

You wont taste it at all. It works as a sealent.

TabMaster-Pika wrote:You wont taste it at all. It works as a sealent.

Never knew that
___________________________
I feel special for helping.

http://www.bonappetit.com/tipstools/slideshows/2008/11/thanksgiving_turkeys_slideshow?mbid=yshine_bon

go there.. they have a few things for the turkeys

18 different ones.. a few brined ones in there..

i wanted to try a orange promegranate one.. but my cousin wouldnt let me find a recipe for my brother... i heard about it on the radio

~~~~~~~~~~~
for the brine thingy... there are total of 3 on that list.. cider brined.. herb grined.. and grilled tea brined

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/CIDER-BRINED-AND-GLAZED-TURKEY-233148?sisterSite=bonappetit.com&src=1

Cider-Brined-and-Glazed Turkey
Brine

• 4 quarts apple cider, divided
  
• 1 1/2 cups kosher salt
  
• 1/4 cup whole allspice
  
• 8 bay leaves
  
• 4 quarts cold water
  
• 1 20-pound turkey (neck and gizzard reserved)
  

Sage Broth

• 2 cups low-salt chicken broth
  
• 1/2 onion, quartered
  
• 1 celery stalk, cut into 4 pieces
  
• 8 fresh sage leaves
  

Glaze

• 2 cups apple cider
  
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
  

• 8 cups Apple, Sausage, and Parsnip Stuffing with Fresh Sage
  

Gravy

• 3 tablespoons all purpose flour
  
• 2 tablespoons fresh sage leaves
  
• 1/4 cup applejack brandy or Calvados
  
• 1/4 cup whipping cream
  

I always smoke my turkeys. It takes longer than baking but worth it imo.

i want to do this one..

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/ROAST-TURKEY-WITH-POMEGRANATE-GLAZE-108821?sisterSite=bonappetit.com&src=1

Roast Turkey with Pomegranate Glaze

we have a ton of people come over for turkey day... and we have a "picking turkey" that my brohter cooks and is ready at like 9am..

cause dinner is at 2pm.. but always ends up like 4-5pm.. cause.. um we are always late! so.. for the first turkey i want to experiment.. trying to get my family to go with it..

not working though, lol.

I saw about the smoked turkeys. I am an indoors gal though, so it's all about the oven for me. However, Insolent's uncle fries turkeys, and we had that one year for Easter, and mmmm was that good...

And I am very much against sweet/sugary/fruity things on my meats. So any type of fruity turkey would be an instant no for me. Meat should be meat flavored, or salty if anything, not fruity. Otherwise might as well serve yourself up some tofurkey

i... just... LOVE pomegrantes though...

they are so yummy to eat... or drinks...

The reason for the sugar is not to sweeten the meat, but to make it not taste like salt. Most of the recipes you find for any kind of brine, whether for meat or vegetables, call for some kind of "cutting" ingredient.

All this talk about food is making me hungry. Any one else?

ME WANT TURKEY!!!!

Konpaku wrote:All this talk about food is making me hungry. Any one else?

ME WANT TURKEY!!!!

Im with you on this.