Brine temperature for turkey
I made a brine for a turkey this morning and was planning on cooling it for a few hours before putting the turkey in it (the recipe I'm using says it should be cold). But it's still really warm now, even though it's been in the fridge for a while. Does it have to be cold, or can I submerge the turkey in the brine while its warm and then refrigerate it?
Recommended by Food52
3 Comments
Voted the Best Reply!
Two safety issues: If the brine > 40F it could promote bacterial growth within the bird. Warm brine can also raise the temperature inside your refrigerator > 40F endangering other foods stored there. Best practice is to cool the brine either in an ice bath as Monita suggests or by placing a bag of ice into the brine until < 40F.