Basters have come a long way

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KatyCooks

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So, I was in Sainsbury's today and while I have no plans to do turkey for Christmas, I was mooching about in the kitchen area and spotted a baster. Only this was not the basic bulb with a tube that I am used to.

This one has a screw-on connector with a sharp hollow point, AND its very own cleaning brush! (I always fretted about how to get the inside of the tube properly clean - but no more.) :)

Has anyone tried this type of baster - particularly interested in the screw-on tip - which I assume is for inserting the basting liquid into the flesh of whatever you are basting? I have a feeling it won't work and I will never use it but happy to hear if it does have some merit.
 
I never baste and come out with very juicy, and tender turkey. A turkey's skin saves the same purpose as does ours, to keep outside things outside, and inside things inside. Basting only serves to cool the oven, and make the bird take longer to cook.

For perfect turkey, either brine the bird for a few days, or, as i do, boil up the giblets, gizzards, liver, heart, and neck for 30 minutes to create a flavorful broth. Season with S & P, sage, garlic, and onion. Let cool. Inject the cooled broth all over inside the breast, thighs, drumsticks, everywhere. Let sit for 30 minutes to let the broth distribute itself inside the bird, Any leftover broth, and the giblets can be used in the dressing.

Make a compound butter of butter, rosemary, sage, salt, and pepper. Gently separate the skin away from the body by inserting your fingers between them. Rub the compound butter all over in there. Combine 1/4 tsp. baking soda, 1 stick of melted, salted butter, and pepper. Rub all over the bird, top[, bottom, sides. Stuff a head of garlic, half an onion, and 2 cut up stalks of celery into the cavity. Truss the legs together. Tick wing tips behind the bird, and tie them so they stay put. Place bird on wire roasting rack, and over a roasting pan with carrots, and other veggies.

Here's where an electric thermometer, with a stat in probe, and temp. alarm comes in. In, over insert the tip of the probe through the thickest part of the breast, pressing toward the thigh/body joint. You want the tip to rest about an inch from that joint. Place bird into a 375' F oven, with an aluminum tent, shiny side up. Close the oven door and set the alarm to sound at 150' F When the alarm sounds, boost oven temp to 475' F. Set alarm to sound at 157' F. Walk away. When alarm sounds, remove the bird from the oven, and let rest for 30 minutes before carving. Use broth to deglaze the pan for turkey gravy.

My turkeys were so popular, especially when cooked on the Webber Kettle with apple, and maple wood, that I was asked to make them for wedding receptions. Try my method. You won't be disappointed.

Seeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North
 
This past Thanksgiving (October in Canada), I asked my M-I-L why she was basting the turkey. She said that it was to help make the skin crisp. She only did it once or twice during the entire roasting time. I don't know if it helped, but the skin was very nice and crispy.
 
Well I feel like I shouldn't have wasted my money buying a fancy new baster!

Mine was never intended for turkey in any case. I rarely roast anything large, but occasionally a whole chicken or a lamb leg. (I am only ever cooking for 2.)

Chief, I totally get what you say about piercing the skin. This was my reservation too. (And why I said I didn't think I would use the screw-on tip.) Glad to have a knowledgeable confirmation. ;)
 
It works great for watering seedlings. Early in spring a special recipe of half dose of miracle grow to the water. They grew up very healthy.
 
That's so funny, blissful - I have 5 or 6 basters (off the top of my head) that I use just for gardening purposes! One that I use in my kitchen, but rarely for basting. And I got it back in the 70s - one of those SS ones with that screw tip, as you described, but I never used it for injecting flavors into meats; in fact, I can't think of something I've used that needle for! I only got it because it was the only SS baster, back then. And remember the melted tips on the basters, back then?

 
Pepper, it was a struggle to figure out a recipe so it fit into the conversation. :)
 
LOL - I used a baster to add water to my incubator trays! Very handy as humidity was/is important for eggs to hatch.
 
I use a baster to skim grease off of things like pot roasts - very useful item, imo.
 
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