# Turkey brining help, please



## callie (Nov 24, 2009)

My mom and I are sharing responsibilities for Thanksgiving this year.  I am brining the turkey then passing it off to her to roast in her electric roaster.

Here's my question:

After I brine the turkey, rinse it off and pat it dry, can it go back into the fridge for a few hours until roasting begins?  

I'm trying to save my mom the trouble of lifting, rinsing and drying a 16 pound turkey.

TIA - and Happy Thanksgiving!


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## Alix (Nov 24, 2009)

I don't see why not callie, but it will start to drain a bit in the fridge so you will lose some of the moisture. I have in the past brined my bird, stuffed it and put it in the oven on time bake and gone out to church so that it would start roasting while I was away. Can you do that? How much time are we talking here? If the bird is well chilled then setting a delay timer for an hour or so will likely not be an issue. If not well chilled then there might be less time.


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## GB (Nov 24, 2009)

Yes you can do that. I have done it many times with chicken. I will brine in the morning for 2 hours and then drain and leave in the fridge all day to cook at night. Like Alix said, there will be a little liquid that does come out during the resting period, but it will not be enough to make a real difference.

I would not bother rinsing and patting dry first though. Do that just before you are ready to cook it. Just drain the bird and put it back in the fridge then rinse and dry before cooking and you will be good to go.


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## callie (Nov 24, 2009)

Thanks - I think she will probably start the roaster early in the morning.  I was hoping I could take the turkey to her Wednesday evening (around 5 o'clock), rinsed, dried, and in a bag.  That way, when she gets up Thursday morning early, all she has to do is get the turkey from the fridge into the roaster.  (We live in the same town several blocks apart from one another.)  

Do you think that will work?  Of course, it would be much easier for me to brine the turkey and roast it, too...but Mom is 81 and believes roasting the turkey in HER electric roaster is HER job


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## GB (Nov 24, 2009)

Yes that should work fine, although she may have to pat it dry again before she does the roasting. Not a big deal though.


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## callie (Nov 24, 2009)

thank you, thank you both!


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## jennyema (Nov 24, 2009)

You actually *should* do that.

It's important to air dry the bird if you want crispy skin.


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## Alix (Nov 24, 2009)

mmmmm...crispy skin


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## callie (Nov 24, 2009)

jennyema said:


> You actually *should* do that.
> 
> It's important to air dry the bird if you want crispy skin.


 
ohhhhh....  wonderful!  thank you.


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## Elf (Nov 25, 2009)

GB Thanks for answering my question before I could ask it, and thanks to callie for asking it.


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## callie (Nov 25, 2009)

Elf said:


> GB Thanks for answering my question before I could ask it, and thanks to callie for asking it.


 
I'm glad my question helped you out, too, Elf!  These people are amazing, aren't they? 

Happy Thanksgiving!


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