Just read the latest issue of Cook's Illustrated. Turkey day is coming,
and we'll have the usual brining in garbage bag thing coming up.
I'm in the 'garbage bags are not food grade ... or manufactured in a
food sterile environment' camp.

This was an interesting recommendation I could get behind. I've
seen the ads ... those Zip Lock bags for storing large items ... like
pillows and stuff. The magazine says they are food grade ... and
I believe it, I doubt they built a new factory to make the larger bags
separately from the food ones.

Ziplock XL bags, around $6 for 4 of them.

nancy

One time on Usenet, Steve Wertz > said:
> On Mon, 2 Oct 2006 12:27:16 -0400, Nancy Young wrote:
>
> > Just read the latest issue of Cook's Illustrated. Turkey day is coming,
> > and we'll have the usual brining in garbage bag thing coming up.
> > I'm in the 'garbage bags are not food grade ... or manufactured in a
> > food sterile environment' camp.
> >
> > This was an interesting recommendation I could get behind. I've
> > seen the ads ... those Zip Lock bags for storing large items ... like
> > pillows and stuff. The magazine says they are food grade ... and
> > I believe it, I doubt they built a new factory to make the larger bags
> > separately from the food ones.
>
> The problem with plastic bags is that it's nearly impossible to
> get the bird evenly covered with brine. Sure you can flip the
> around every few hours, but the two times I've tried that I still
> ended up with a very unevenly brined bird.

I was envisioning lining a big cooler with the bag...


--
"Little Malice" is Jani in WA
~ mom, Trollop, novice cook ~

In article >,
unge (Little Malice) wrote:

> One time on Usenet, Steve Wertz > said:
> > On Mon, 2 Oct 2006 12:27:16 -0400, Nancy Young wrote:
> >
> > > Just read the latest issue of Cook's Illustrated. Turkey day is coming,
> > > and we'll have the usual brining in garbage bag thing coming up.
> > > I'm in the 'garbage bags are not food grade ... or manufactured in a
> > > food sterile environment' camp.
> > >
> > > This was an interesting recommendation I could get behind. I've
> > > seen the ads ... those Zip Lock bags for storing large items ... like
> > > pillows and stuff. The magazine says they are food grade ... and
> > > I believe it, I doubt they built a new factory to make the larger bags
> > > separately from the food ones.
> >
> > The problem with plastic bags is that it's nearly impossible to
> > get the bird evenly covered with brine. Sure you can flip the
> > around every few hours, but the two times I've tried that I still
> > ended up with a very unevenly brined bird.
>
> I was envisioning lining a big cooler with the bag...

I know that some people come down on trash bags, but I've talked to
people that say they work. Granted, I've never tried one, but
still.......
--
Peace, Om

Remove extra . to validate e-mails.

"My mother never saw the irony in calling me a Son of a bitch" -- Jack Nicholson

Nancy Young wrote:
> Just read the latest issue of Cook's Illustrated. Turkey day is coming,
> and we'll have the usual brining in garbage bag thing coming up.
> I'm in the 'garbage bags are not food grade ... or manufactured in a
> food sterile environment' camp.
>
> This was an interesting recommendation I could get behind. I've
> seen the ads ... those Zip Lock bags for storing large items ... like
> pillows and stuff. The magazine says they are food grade ... and
> I believe it, I doubt they built a new factory to make the larger bags
> separately from the food ones.
>
> Ziplock XL bags, around $6 for 4 of them.
>
> nancy


All the turkeys that I buy are already kind of salty. I assume they are
tumbled in a sodium phosphate and MSG solution, or something like that.
("Deep basted", perhaps) I can't imagine brining one. The meat is
really good, but all that salt ruins the gravy if I'm not careful.

I buy really cheap frozen turkeys year round, usually about 69¢ per
pound. None of the stores here use them as loss-leaders for the
holidays. :-( I remember buying Butterball turkeys for 19¢ per pound
at Kroger or HEB for THanksgiving in Houston...

Bob

"Little Malice" > wrote

> One time on Usenet, Steve Wertz > said:
>> On Mon, 2 Oct 2006 12:27:16 -0400, Nancy Young wrote:
>>
>> > Just read the latest issue of Cook's Illustrated. Turkey day is
>> > coming,
>> > and we'll have the usual brining in garbage bag thing coming up.
>> > I'm in the 'garbage bags are not food grade ... or manufactured in a
>> > food sterile environment' camp.
>> >
>> > This was an interesting recommendation I could get behind. I've
>> > seen the ads ... those Zip Lock bags for storing large items ... like
>> > pillows and stuff. The magazine says they are food grade ... and
>> > I believe it, I doubt they built a new factory to make the larger bags
>> > separately from the food ones.
>>
>> The problem with plastic bags is that it's nearly impossible to
>> get the bird evenly covered with brine. Sure you can flip the
>> around every few hours, but the two times I've tried that I still
>> ended up with a very unevenly brined bird.
>
> I was envisioning lining a big cooler with the bag...

That was my thought, along with squeezing out most of the air
you could keep the turkey submerged without the turning.

nancy

"OmManiPadmeOmelet" > wrote

>> > On Mon, 2 Oct 2006 12:27:16 -0400, Nancy Young wrote:
>> >
>> > > Just read the latest issue of Cook's Illustrated. Turkey day is
>> > > coming,
>> > > and we'll have the usual brining in garbage bag thing coming up.
>> > > I'm in the 'garbage bags are not food grade ... or manufactured in a
>> > > food sterile environment' camp.

> I know that some people come down on trash bags, but I've talked to
> people that say they work. Granted, I've never tried one, but
> still.......

Of course they work, no one said they didn't. It's just that
they are not manufactured in a sterile environment, and the plastic
is not rated food grade. That was the point.

nancy

"Steve Wertz" > wrote in message
...
> On Mon, 2 Oct 2006 12:27:16 -0400, Nancy Young wrote:
>
>> Just read the latest issue of Cook's Illustrated. Turkey day is coming,
>> and we'll have the usual brining in garbage bag thing coming up.
>> I'm in the 'garbage bags are not food grade ... or manufactured in a
>> food sterile environment' camp.
>>
>> This was an interesting recommendation I could get behind. I've
>> seen the ads ... those Zip Lock bags for storing large items ... like
>> pillows and stuff. The magazine says they are food grade ... and
>> I believe it, I doubt they built a new factory to make the larger bags
>> separately from the food ones.
>
> The problem with plastic bags is that it's nearly impossible to
> get the bird evenly covered with brine. Sure you can flip the
> around every few hours, but the two times I've tried that I still
> ended up with a very unevenly brined bird.
>
> -sw

Easy,

Take a large cooler and fill several 1/2 gallon jugs (apple juice etc) with
water. Then line the cooler with the bag and the bird. Add cooled brining
solution and burp out as much air as possible. Secure with 1 or more twist
tie's. Fill the cooler to the top with ice. (note if you have freezer room
fill the jugs 90% and freeze uncapped).

Dimitri

One time on Usenet, "Dimitri" > said:
> "Steve Wertz" > wrote in message
> ...

<snip>

> > The problem with plastic bags is that it's nearly impossible to
> > get the bird evenly covered with brine. Sure you can flip the
> > around every few hours, but the two times I've tried that I still
> > ended up with a very unevenly brined bird.

> Easy,
>
> Take a large cooler and fill several 1/2 gallon jugs (apple juice etc) with
> water. Then line the cooler with the bag and the bird. Add cooled brining
> solution and burp out as much air as possible. Secure with 1 or more twist
> tie's. Fill the cooler to the top with ice. (note if you have freezer room
> fill the jugs 90% and freeze uncapped).

Why uncapped? I ask because I keep a bunch of those in the top of my
freezer -- we use them to help it stay cold in there, plus they make
good ice blocks for the cooler. BTW, it's nice to see you posting
again, Dimitri... :-)


--
"Little Malice" is Jani in WA
~ mom, Trollop, novice cook ~

"Little Malice" > wrote in message
...
> One time on Usenet, "Dimitri" > said:
>> "Steve Wertz" > wrote in message
>> ...
>
>>> Easy,
>>
>> Take a large cooler and fill several 1/2 gallon jugs (apple juice etc) with
>> water. Then line the cooler with the bag and the bird. Add cooled brining
>> solution and burp out as much air as possible. Secure with 1 or more twist
>> tie's. Fill the cooler to the top with ice. (note if you have freezer room
>> fill the jugs 90% and freeze uncapped).
>
> Why uncapped? I ask because I keep a bunch of those in the top of my
> freezer -- we use them to help it stay cold in there, plus they make
> good ice blocks for the cooler. BTW, it's nice to see you posting
> again, Dimitri... :-)
>
>
> --
> "Little Malice" is Jani in WA
> ~ mom, Trollop, novice cook ~

Thanks, ;-)

The uncapped takes care of the expansion of the water when freezing else the
bottle can crack and break. The purpose of the bottle is to take up volume in
the cooler that would have to be filled by the brine. It makes the whole
process much easier to handle. Normally I use an apple juice for the base of
the brine ergo I have the bottles handy.

Dimitri

One time on Usenet, "Dimitri" > said:
>
> "Little Malice" > wrote in message
> ...
> > One time on Usenet, "Dimitri" > said:

> >> Take a large cooler and fill several 1/2 gallon jugs (apple juice etc) with
> >> water. Then line the cooler with the bag and the bird. Add cooled brining
> >> solution and burp out as much air as possible. Secure with 1 or more twist
> >> tie's. Fill the cooler to the top with ice. (note if you have freezer
> >> room fill the jugs 90% and freeze uncapped).

> > Why uncapped? I ask because I keep a bunch of those in the top of my
> > freezer -- we use them to help it stay cold in there, plus they make
> > good ice blocks for the cooler. BTW, it's nice to see you posting
> > again, Dimitri... :-)

> Thanks, ;-)
>
> The uncapped takes care of the expansion of the water when freezing else the
> bottle can crack and break. The purpose of the bottle is to take up volume in
> the cooler that would have to be filled by the brine. It makes the whole
> process much easier to handle. Normally I use an apple juice for the base of
> the brine ergo I have the bottles handy.

Ahhh, I see now. Yeah, I'm willing to bet that some of the ones
we have in our freezer are cracked, but for what we normally use
them for (keeping the freezer cold) it's not a big deal. Obviously
it would be in this case. Thanks for the explaination... :-)


--
"Little Malice" is Jani in WA
~ mom, Trollop, novice cook ~

Nancy Young typed:
> "OmManiPadmeOmelet" > wrote
>
>>>> On Mon, 2 Oct 2006 12:27:16 -0400, Nancy Young wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> Just read the latest issue of Cook's Illustrated. Turkey day is
>>>>> coming,
>>>>> and we'll have the usual brining in garbage bag thing coming up.
>>>>> I'm in the 'garbage bags are not food grade ... or manufactured
>>>>> in a
>>>>> food sterile environment' camp.
>
>> I know that some people come down on trash bags, but I've talked to
>> people that say they work. Granted, I've never tried one, but
>> still.......
>
> Of course they work, no one said they didn't. It's just that
> they are not manufactured in a sterile environment, and the plastic
> is not rated food grade. That was the point.
>
> nancy

Some garbage bags have deodorizers and/or air fresheners added. I
don't think *I* want to eat that.

BOB

Little Malice wrote on 02 Oct 2006 in rec.food.cooking

> Ahhh, I see now. Yeah, I'm willing to bet that some of the ones
> we have in our freezer are cracked, but for what we normally use
> them for (keeping the freezer cold) it's not a big deal. Obviously
> it would be in this case. Thanks for the explaination... :-)
>
>

Like the brick in the toilet tank craze.

" BOB" > wrote

> Nancy Young typed:

>> Of course they work, no one said they didn't. It's just that
>> they are not manufactured in a sterile environment, and the plastic
>> is not rated food grade. That was the point.

> Some garbage bags have deodorizers and/or air fresheners added. I don't
> think *I* want to eat that.

Yum! Add talcom powder to that and I'm set.

nancy

In article >,
jay > wrote:


> I bought a white Carlisle food grade container at the local restaurant
> supply for about 8$ to brine in. It is sturdy and could last forever.
> It's perfect if you have the refrigeration space. I have learned that if
> you want folks to brag about the turkey.. brine it.

Fridge space is a problem for most people. Per a newspaper recipe, we
used a cooler and a bag of ice from the store to brine our turkey.

--
Dan Abel

Petaluma, California, USA

In ,
Steve Wertz > typed:
> On Mon, 2 Oct 2006 16:51:11 -0400, BOB wrote:
>
>> Some garbage bags have deodorizers and/or air fresheners added. I
>> don't think *I* want to eat that.
>
> Think of it as breath freshener. For your whole body.
>
> -sw

'-)

BOB

Nancy Young typed:
> " BOB" > wrote
>
>> Nancy Young typed:
>
>>> Of course they work, no one said they didn't. It's just that
>>> they are not manufactured in a sterile environment, and the
>>> plastic
>>> is not rated food grade. That was the point.
>
>> Some garbage bags have deodorizers and/or air fresheners added. I
>> don't
>> think *I* want to eat that.
>
> Yum! Add talcom powder to that and I'm set.
>
> nancy

MMmmmmmm! Might just help the brine...

BOB