How to Brine Your Turkey in a Cambro (2024)

FAQs

How to Brine Your Turkey in a Cambro? ›

Pour the brine into a 22 qt. Camsquare FreshPro container. Add the rest of the gallon of water and more if needed to fully cover your bird. Keep container in the refrigerator or on ice, maintaining a temperature of no more than 40°

Make sure to keep your bird fully submerged in the brine solution. Most bacteria don't survive in brine. Smaller turkeys are perfect in Cambro's 22 Qt. Rounds which have a top diameter of 14 7/8”.

While some people use coolers, plastic bags or pots, we suggest only using a Cambro container. A Cambro container is the best vessel for brining because it is food safe, protects your turkey and you can see through it to watch what's happening.

You should always rinse the turkey after wet or dry brining. Once rinsed, you can let the turkey air dry, uncovered, in the refrigerator for several hours, or pat it dry with a paper towel.

Be sure that the brine is cold before adding the thawed turkey. Place the turkey and brine in a brining bag or non-corrosive food-safe container, making sure the turkey is fully submerged in the liquid. Cover and keep in the refrigerator for the recommended amount of time.

Basic Brine

Place that volume of water in a container large enough to hold the brine and the meat. Add 1 tablespoon of salt for every cup of water you used and mix until the salt is completely dissolved. For example, if you are using 1 gallon (16 cups) of water, add 16 tablespoons (1 cup) of salt.

One key reason is the taste—whether you wet-brine or dry-brine, using all! that! salt! infuses the bird with flavor, giving it an extra boost before you add any spices or aromatics. It also helps the meat retain its moisture and can help you avoid over-cooking, our associate food editor Kelsey Youngman explains.

Then place the turkey in the brine and place in the refrigerator. Don't leave the turkey sitting out at room temperature while brining. Place the bird breast down in a large container made of food-grade plastic, stainless steel or glass, or a brining bag. Be sure the container will fit in your fridge.

Ice. The easiest way to chill a brine is by using ice. Replacing some of the water weight of your brine with ice will lower the temperature of your brine quickly and get it to that 32º F and under range. This can be accomplished by adding ice to your brine mixer or brine holding tank.

Does brining turkey make it salty? ›

With a dry brine, the salt will initially draw the moisture out of the turkey, then the salty liquid formed will be reabsorbed, taking some salty flavour with it.

A wet brine, in which the bird is submerged, also delivers moist, succulent meat, but the skin tends to be less crisp. It does its magic more quickly than a dry brine - in just 12-24 hours - but requires a lot of dedicated refrigerator space.

Ziploc Big Bags XL

These bags are foodsafe and, at 2 feet by 1.7 feet, they're the perfect size for turkey brining. These bags are foodsafe and, at 2 feet by 1.7 feet, they're the perfect size for turkey brining.

You need about 1 gallon for every 10 pounds of turkey. This turkey brine is for a 12 pound bird, but then you also need to take into account the size of the vessel you'll be using to let it sit- a large cooler needs a lot more space than a stock pot.

When brining turkey or any other meat, you'll want to use a pan made from non-reactive material, such as ceramic, enamel, glass, plastic or stainless steel. Avoid aluminum and copper, as they react with salt and can ruin both your pan and the turkey.