Brine Turkey At Room Temperature

A couple of hours brining on the counter should not hurt fresh whole muscle meats as the surface will hit kill temperatures when it is cooked but if the meat has been tenderized with needles or the meat is enhanced with a brine at the manufacturer handle it as you would ground meats cook to a minimum of 156 degrees as anything that was on the outside is now on the inside.

Brine turkey at room temperature.

Refrigerate the turkey in the brine for about 24 hours. Never leave it out at room temperature to soak. Remove the turkey from the brine. Brine the turkey in the refrigerator or an ice filled cooler for 12 to 24 hours.

We do this to avoid keeping the turkey in the range of temperature between 40 140 f. Cover the bucket and refrigerate the turkey while it brines. Keep your turkey in the fridge while it brines. As for the temperature keep it below 40.

If you re brining outside the refrigerator use a probe thermometer to ensure the brine s temperature doesn t exceed 40 f. Because room temperature turkey falls into this danger zone it is not safe to leave a turkey at room temperature before cooking. If you re using a cooler with a lid screw the lid on and leave it in a cool place while the turkey brines. If your brine did not cool to room temperature it would be a food safety risk to consume.

The temperature danger zone which is defined as the temperature range between which most bacteria grow and reproduce is 40 to 140 degrees fahrenheit. Once this liquid cools to room temperature add the remainder of the water for the brine. Poultry and meat must stay below 40 degrees fahrenheit and should never remain out at room temperature for more than two hours or for more than one hour if the temperature exceeds 90 f. Always allow brine to cool before placing the turkey in.

Keep it in the brine for at least 8 hours. When you re ready to cook remove the turkey from the brine brush off any briny bits and let stand at room temperature for a half hour. The cooler with the turkey and brine should keep the turkey at 38 f 3 c or below. Chill the turkey in the brine for 8 to 16 hours.

If you brined for 12 hours or fewer you shouldn t need to rinse the turkey. Let the brine return to room temperature before pouring it over the turkey.