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Ron3rd's avatar
Ron3rd
Explorer III
Nov 17, 2013

Brine for Butterball Turkey

I'd like some ideas on brining a Butterball turkey. I've used the standard ratio of salt for other turkeys in the past but some have said that you need to cut back the salt with a Butterball. Any comments would be appreciated.

24 Replies

  • I saw this clip recently and though I have not tried it,it sounds good. I plan to use it this TG when I do my first "trash can turkey". I also plan to use some apple wood for smoke.
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KJfYyw8Cbm8
  • It's generally a waste of time for any packaged turkey. The reason is they are already brined. That is what the "solution" is. Once the bird has absorbed the brine it won't take on any new brine.
    The best solution is to find a market that will get in fresh turkeys and get on the list. You can then do your own brine with spices and flavors you like. In my experience these markets will get the birds in 3 or 4 days prior to Thanksgiving.
  • Ron3rd's avatar
    Ron3rd
    Explorer III
    Thanks for the link, some good ideas there. I'm gonna smoke the Butterball in my Weber Smokey Mountain. Works great. I mainly want to know how much to cut back on the salt in the brine.