Plastic for Dry-Brined Turkey

Ooops I started dry-brining the turkey in a new plastic trash bag (unable to find a 2 1/2 gallon ziplock bag) and just now read the concerns about using non- food grade plastic for such an endeavor. Since we are having Thanksgiving on Friday should I go out in search of a better bag and repackage it or will that ruin the whole thing?

Posted by: wssmom
November 22, 2011

10384 views
21 Comments

21 Comments

amysarah November 23, 2011

I mentioned this in another thread, but I've marinated (overnight) large pieces of meat in white kitchen bags several times before - e.g., butterflied leg of lamb. No problem. I'm not worried either.

More concerned about the usual: timing turkey right for guests arriving; being a lousy carver; gravy getting too hot and thinning down; rolls drying out when being rewarmed; fitting everyone around the table...

Wait, this is fun, right? (I kid. After a certain point - or maybe it's that pre-game Manhattan - I get very Doris Day about it all. Que sera, sera....)

artsf November 23, 2011

is there something wrong with plastic wrap?

drbabs November 23, 2011

Probably not, except for now that my turkey has been dry brining in a plastic bag for 2 days, I really didn't want to take on the challenge of removing a wet slippery 18 pound turkey from a plastic bag and trying to wrap it in layers of plastic wrap. So I decided to take my chances.

artsf November 23, 2011

is there something wrong with plastic wrap?

mrslarkin November 23, 2011

I think a clean unscented kitchen trash bag is fine. Just my two cents.

drbabs November 23, 2011

I did, too, until boulangere wrote about chemicals to help plastic bags degrade.

melissav November 22, 2011

Oh no, I wrapped mine in a kitchen trash bag as well. Keeping my fingers crossed as it is too late now.

drbabs November 23, 2011

See you in prison.

wssmom November 22, 2011

Lol drbabs I doubt anyone will perish ....

Kristen M. November 22, 2011

You could also try the plastic wrap idea that someone else suggested -- it'll be awkward to wrap (and you'll need to wrap it a lot), but what about maneuvering a turkey isn't awkward?

drbabs November 22, 2011

I'm living dangerously. The turkey has already been in the bag since Sunday night. Note to self: next year buy a smaller turkey. (I don't like turkey anyway. Unlikely that I'll even eat much of it. I hope not to kill any of my guests.......)

AntoniaJames November 22, 2011

Did you see that Kristen answered a question on the Genius recipes page, saying that you can wrap it in layers of saran wrap and put it on a baking sheet? Not sure if that works (I'm thinking fridge space might be an issue here), but it may be more convenient than having to go shopping -- today -- for a huge plastic bag. ;o)

drbabs November 22, 2011

Thanks--I already braved blinding rain at dusk and bought the bag but the turkey didn't fit! On another topic--it was so much fun hearing your interview on Leonard Lopate today!

amysarah November 22, 2011

Just remembered something. I have used a 'Kitchen' (not 'Trash') bag before to marinate a whole butterflied leg of lamb to put on the grill - in oo, lemon, garlic, rosemary, etc. Everyone lived to tell the tale. (Proviso: that was just an overnight marinating, not a 3 day poultry spa treatment.)

drbabs November 22, 2011

Ugh, I guess I have to do that, too. wssmom, let me know where you found the bags.

drbabs November 22, 2011

found them at Waldbaum's

drbabs November 22, 2011

And the bad news. My 18 pound turkey is way too big for a 2.5 gallon ziploc bag. So I'm going to have to take my chances on the plastic kitchen bag!

wssmom November 22, 2011

Thanks so much, boulangere and Merrill!! I am off (again) to the market ....

boulangere November 22, 2011

I'm doing a lot of againing these days, too.

Merrill S. November 22, 2011

I agree with boulangere!

boulangere November 22, 2011

I'd go in search, repackage, and not worry any further.

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