Brining turkey before roasting is a popular technique to help ensure a flavorful and moist bird. The salt solution seasons the meat and helps it retain moisture as it cooks. But it is possible to overdo it. Brining for too long can make the turkey unpleasantly salty and negatively impact the texture.
How Brining Works
When meat is soaked in a saltwater brine the salt causes the muscle proteins to partially unwind and the fibers to absorb some of the surrounding liquid. Over time equilibrium is reached between the moisture in the turkey and the moisture in the brine.
Brining accomplishes two things
- Seasons the meat, allowing the salt to fully penetrate instead of just coating the exterior
- Helps the turkey retain more moisture during roasting for superior juiciness
An appropriate brining time allows these effects to occur without making the meat overly salty or spongy.
Signs of Over-Brining
Here are some indications that a turkey has been soaked too long:
- Very pronounced salty flavor, even after rinsing
- Soft, spongy, almost rubbery texture
- Dry, stringy white breast meat
- Diluted flavor as natural turkey essence is diminished
Excessively long brining can make the dark leg and thigh meat spongy while drying out the breast meat – the worst of both worlds.
Recommended Brining Times
To avoid issues, brining times for whole turkeys should be:
- 6-12 hours for a small turkey (8-12 lbs)
- 12-18 hours for a medium turkey (12-16 lbs)
- 18-24 hours for a large turkey (16-20+ lbs)
The exact time depends on the bird’s size, brine concentration, and personal taste. But much over 24 hours is risky territory.
Ideally, start brining the night before roasting. This gives sufficient time for salt to fully penetrate the thick breast and thigh meat without deteriorating texture.
What To Do If You’ve Brined Too Long
If the brining time has unintentionally gone over 24 hours, here are some corrective steps:
- Thoroughly rinse the turkey under cold water
- Soak in plain water for 1-2 hours to draw out excess salt
- Pat very dry inside and out with paper towels
- Go easy on extra salt when making gravy
- Serve with sweet/tart sides to balance saltiness
While over-brining is not ideal, proper rinsing and resting can still result in a great holiday turkey.
Tips for Ideal Brining
To get the best results, keep these brining tips in mind:
- Use a moderate salt concentration – 1/2 to 1 cup kosher salt per gallon of water is a good starting point
- Add flavorings like herbs, citrus, spices, and sweeteners
- Completely cool brine before submerging turkey
- Use ice to maintain a temperature of 40°F or below
- Always rinse thoroughly after brining
- Limit brining time to under 24 hours
It is possible to soak a turkey in brine for too long. Signs include overly salty flavor, spongy texture, and diminished natural turkey essence. For best results, brine for 12-18 hours and don’t exceed 24 hours. If over-brined, rinsing and soaking in plain water can help mitigate issues. While not ideal, moderate over-brining doesn’t have to ruin the holiday bird.
Essential tools for the best bird ever!
Q: Can I brine a chicken or turkey breast? A: Yes, follow the instructions on the back of the package and allow the turkey (or breast) to brine for 30 minutes per pound.
Q: What size turkey should I buy? A: Rule of thumb is 1.5 pounds of turkey per person. If your family really loves turkey sandwiches or you want to try some of Urban Accents turkey leftover recipes, then buy 2 lbs. per person.
Q: Can I brine a self-basted or injected turkey (such as Butterball)? A: It is best to start with an all-natural turkey for maximum flavor. Self-basted or injected turkeys are injected with a flavorless brine solution.
Prepping the bird and the brine
Q: Can I cook the turkey in the brine bag? A: NO! The brining bag is not oven safe and is recommended for brining only.
Q: Can I brine my turkey for longer than the instructions recommend? A: Do not brine your turkey for longer than the instructions recommended. It will not make it more flavorful just too salty. There is no rescue for over brined meat.
Q: How much can our Gourmet Gobbler brine bag hold? A: Up to a 25-pound turkey plus 2 gallons of brine.
Q: Do I have to rinse my turkey after brining? A: We do recommend rinsing the bird and patting dry after turkey brining.
Q: Do I have to add sugar to my Gourmet Gobbler Brine? A: No – Our brining blend is complete. You just need to add water.
Q: May I brine in other liquid besides water? A: Fruit juice (apple, orange, and cranberry), beer & wine can be used, but do not substitute more than 1/3 of the total water content. General rule of thumb: use 1 part substitution liquid to 2 parts water.
Q: Will turkey brining make my turkey taste salty? A: If you have followed the Gourmet Gobbler brining instructions, then the salt content of the turkey will increase less than 1% after brining. Unless you over brine, the turkey should not taste salty at all. The Gourmet Gobbler Peppercorn Turkey Rub has some salt in it for a perfect, crispy skin.
Q: Can I brine a frozen turkey? A: You must start with a fully thawed turkey.
Q: Is there a best way to position my turkey in the brine bag? A: Yes. Place the turkey breast-side down in the brine bag for best results. This ensures that the largest concentration of meat is submerged as much as possible.
Q: Where should I store my turkey while it is brining? A: Your turkey can be placed inside a roasting pan in your refrigerator or stored directly on ice in a cooler. Make sure the cooler/refrigerator is 35-38F.
Q: I forgot to brine my turkey until today! What happens if I dont brine for the required time? A: As long as you are able to brine for at least 15 minutes per pound of turkey, the turkey will be juicier than if you don’t brine at all. Brining for shorter than the recommended time period might not give the brine time to get to the center of the turkey, but youll still notice a difference in flavor!
Q: Can I brine two small turkeys at the same time in the same bag? What if the turkeys are different sizes? A: Yes. Use the whole box of brine mix but only leave each turkey in the brine for 30 mins/ pound. So if you had a 6 pound turkey and an 8 pound turkey, take the 6 pound turkey out after 3 hours and leave the 8 pound turkey in for 4 hours.
Q: Can I brine my turkey for longer than 24 hours? A: No. Brining works much faster than a marinade so brining a turkey for longer than recommended will oversaturate the bird. An over-brined turkey will taste salty.
Q: How far in advance can I brine my turkey? Can I do it 2 days ahead of time and let it sit in the fridge? A: Yes, you can brine your turkey ahead of time. Remove turkey from brine, rinse and pat dry, and place on rimmed baking sheet or inside roasting pan. Store turkey in refrigerator, uncovered, for up to 24 hours before cooking.
Q: Can I stuff a brined turkey? A: We do not recommend stuffing a brined bird because the drippings from the turkey can add too much salt to the stuffing. We prefer to cook our stuffing separately. If you insist on stuffing your bird, do not add any additional salt to the stuffing. Also, make sure to check the temperature of the stuffing when you finish cooking the turkey. The stuffing temperature also needs to reach 165F before its safe to eat.
Can you brine a turkey too long?
FAQ
What is the maximum time to brine a turkey?
The amount of time will depend on the type of brine you use; however, do not brine any longer than two days and always keep the turkey and brine refrigerated (at 40°F or less).
What happens if you brine a turkey for too long?
If you brine the turkey for too long then it can start to have a negative effect and the proteins in the meat will start to break down, causing the meat to fall apart. So always keep to the guideline times and if your cooking time changes, remove the turkey from the brine, pat it dry and refrigerate it until needed.
Is 36 hours too long to brine?
36 hour brine will have lower salt content and take more time to absorb in to the fish. Longer brine times will give you more of a margin of error–if your brine time is 36 hours and you leave it in for 37 it will be fine, where as if your brine time is 15minutes and you leave it in for 20minutes you might be too long.
Can bacteria grow in turkey brine?
Bacteria can absolutely thrive in turkey brine, so maintaining a safe temperature is important.”
Can You brine a Turkey for too long?
It is relatively hard to hurt the turkey, but yes, you can brine for too long. The result will be a tougher and salty bird. I recommend only 24 hours for a large turkey. For a super large bird you can push it a little longer. Brining a turkey for too long will make it too salty and the texture tough and spongy. You have to find the sweet spot.
Can You overdo Turkey brining?
However, it is possible to overdo it. Brining for too long can result in turkey that is overly salty and mushy. If you find yourself in a situation where the brining time has gone on longer than intended, don’t panic. With a few tweaks to your technique, you can still end up with a delicious holiday centerpiece.
Should you brine a Turkey before roasting?
Brining a turkey before roasting it is a great way to help ensure a juicy and flavorful bird. The salt solution penetrates the meat, making it seasoned throughout and helping it retain moisture as it cooks. However, it is possible to overdo it. Brining for too long can result in turkey that is overly salty and mushy.
What happens if you brine a Turkey for 48 hours?
Make sure you brine your turkey for a minimum of 24 hours, with a maximum of 48 hours. Basically, brining makes the turkey more tender, hydrates the meat (to prevent from drying out if you happen to overcook it this is a small insurance policy), and gives it flavor.
How long should you soak a Turkey before brining?
Pat it very dry. While it’s ideal to limit the brining time to less than 24 hours, all is not lost if you accidentally soak your turkey longer. With a good rinse, a soak in plain water, and some adjustments when making gravy, you can still end up with a tasty holiday bird.
Does brining a turkey make it taste salty?
Yes. In addition to making the meat taste too salty, over-brining may also give the turkey an unpleasant sponge-like texture. The key is to use the correct ratio of salt to liquid and take the turkey out of the brine within 18 hours. Brining helps the meat’s natural fibers retain moisture, which should make the finished product nice and juicy.