3D Posted April 7, 2011 Report Share Posted April 7, 2011 What is the concensus? I have researched on the internet and I see that opinions greatly differ...I was wondering what the everyone does here? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve in Mass Posted April 7, 2011 Report Share Posted April 7, 2011 While I almost always brine whole chickens for roasting, I never really bother with thighs.......... But it certainly can't hurt............your brining time for parts is gonna be much shorter than for a whole bird.........a few (2-3 hours) will do as opposed to the 15-20 hours I usually do with a whole chicken. "You know the Bill of Rights is serving its purpose when it protects things you wish it didn't." "You can no longer be oppressed if you are not afraid anymore - Unknown" SOL Member #174 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reed422 Posted April 7, 2011 Report Share Posted April 7, 2011 Brining is awesome. I've done it with turkey legs and it was great. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimW Posted April 7, 2011 Report Share Posted April 7, 2011 My wife would throw me out of the house if I brined another chicken for roasting. Gravy gets too salty and if I let it become a choice between me or decent gravy... I have brined chicken for frying before marinading it in buttermilk but that was too much trouble for not much difference, just the buttermilk is fine. I brine turkey if it's going on the smoker. "I have ... put a lump of ice into an equal quantity of water ... if a little sea salt be added to the water we shall produce a fluid sensibly colder than the ice was in the beginning, which has appeared a curious and puzzling thing to those unacquainted with the general fact."- Joseph Black Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fish4ever Posted April 7, 2011 Report Share Posted April 7, 2011 I brine all of my poultry and pork that is going on the grill. Never done it for frying! Good stuff! HOME OF THE FREE, BECAUSE OF THE BRAVE....THANK A VET Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve in Mass Posted April 7, 2011 Report Share Posted April 7, 2011 My wife would throw me out of the house if I brined another chicken for roasting. Gravy gets too salty and if I let it become a choice between me or decent gravy... Can't see how it is getting too salty unless you are using too much salt in the brine....1/2 cup of KOSHER salt per gallon of brining liquid.......if using other salt such as table or sea salt, you have to cut it back, as table and sea salt are much more dense than kosher salt. "You know the Bill of Rights is serving its purpose when it protects things you wish it didn't." "You can no longer be oppressed if you are not afraid anymore - Unknown" SOL Member #174 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimW Posted April 7, 2011 Report Share Posted April 7, 2011 Can't see how it is getting too salty unless you are using too much salt in the brine....1/2 cup of KOSHER salt per gallon of brining liquid.......if using other salt such as table or sea salt, you have to cut it back, as table and sea salt are much more dense than kosher salt. You might be right about that but I'm not going to get another do-over. The meat itself has been fine, just the gravy. Thought it was probably because the juice get reduced somewhat and concentrate whatever salt is in it. "I have ... put a lump of ice into an equal quantity of water ... if a little sea salt be added to the water we shall produce a fluid sensibly colder than the ice was in the beginning, which has appeared a curious and puzzling thing to those unacquainted with the general fact."- Joseph Black Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimW Posted April 7, 2011 Report Share Posted April 7, 2011 When I think about it Steve, I use twice as much salt. Pretty sure was using 1/4 cup (kosher) per quart which I thought was pretty standard ratio. "I have ... put a lump of ice into an equal quantity of water ... if a little sea salt be added to the water we shall produce a fluid sensibly colder than the ice was in the beginning, which has appeared a curious and puzzling thing to those unacquainted with the general fact."- Joseph Black Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve in Mass Posted April 7, 2011 Report Share Posted April 7, 2011 When I think about it Steve, I use twice as much salt. Pretty sure was using 1/4 cup (kosher) per quart which I thought was pretty standard ratio. That may be the issue......for a "quick brine" (like less than 2 hours or so), that is pretty much a standard (although I think it is overkill). But for a whole chicken, turkey, or large piece of pork that goes overnight or longer, that is way too much. "You know the Bill of Rights is serving its purpose when it protects things you wish it didn't." "You can no longer be oppressed if you are not afraid anymore - Unknown" SOL Member #174 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reed422 Posted April 7, 2011 Report Share Posted April 7, 2011 My gravy has never been salty from a brined bird. It will be less salty if you use a salt free home made stock as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NJTramcar Posted April 8, 2011 Report Share Posted April 8, 2011 Regarding a salty bird, I have read where people add a cup of sugar to the brine to counteract the salt. Is this necessary? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris N Posted April 8, 2011 Report Share Posted April 8, 2011 I always brine a whole bird or chicken breasts... I never really feel the need to brine strictly dark meat like leg quarters or individuals legs & thighs. My brine is usually water, salt, brown sugar, garlic, peppercorns and a bay leaf. fearisyouronlygod. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HJS Posted April 9, 2011 Report Share Posted April 9, 2011 OK, I'm clueless here. What's the benefits of brining chicken before cooking??? The first casualty of War, Politics, and now Covid is the truth. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve in Mass Posted April 9, 2011 Report Share Posted April 9, 2011 OK, I'm clueless here. What's the benefits of brining chicken before cooking??? First, it helps to keep the chicken moist and juicy. Thru osmosis, the cells in the meat get filled with moisture. The salt also partially denatures the protiens of the meat, making it more tender. Second, depending on what you use for a brining solution, it can impart various flavors and seasonings into the cells of the meat, making it more flavorful. "You know the Bill of Rights is serving its purpose when it protects things you wish it didn't." "You can no longer be oppressed if you are not afraid anymore - Unknown" SOL Member #174 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrianBM Posted April 9, 2011 Report Share Posted April 9, 2011 Chris, do you crush those peppercorns or do they go in the brine whole? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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