Brine Turkey At Room Temperature
Once this liquid cools to room temperature add the remainder of the water for the brine.
Brine turkey at room temperature. It s the best way to be certain the raw turkey temperature stays within a safe range 4 degrees and below. Never leave it out at room temperature to soak. Always allow brine to cool before placing the turkey in. Chill the turkey in the brine for 8 to 16 hours.
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. Keep your turkey in the fridge while it brines. 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. 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. If your brine did not cool to room temperature it would be a food safety risk to consume. Because room temperature turkey falls into this danger zone it is not safe to leave a turkey at room temperature before cooking. Let the brine return to room temperature before pouring it over the turkey.
Refrigerate the turkey in the brine for about 24 hours. If you brined for 12 hours or fewer you shouldn t need to rinse the turkey. If you re in a hurry add the. Keep it in the brine for at least 8 hours.
The temperature danger zone which is defined as the temperature range between which most bacteria grow and reproduce is 40 to 140 degrees fahrenheit. If you re using a cooler with a lid screw the lid on and leave it in a cool place while the turkey brines. Cover the bucket and refrigerate the turkey while it brines. The cooler with the turkey and brine should keep the turkey at 38 f 3 c or below.
If you re brining outside the refrigerator use a probe thermometer to ensure the brine s temperature doesn t exceed 40 f. Remove the turkey from the brine.