Turkeys For 2013

[TexasLisa]

Hi!

I am finally getting around to cooking one of our turkeys we processed in January. We have been having stove issues, so I waited....waited.....waited.....
Anyway, I have the turkey in the fridge thawing. I am hoping it will be thawed out by Saturday. I want to brine the turkey. When should I put the turkey in the brine--while it is partially frozen or thawed out?

Oh, any tips on brining and how you got this big monster in the fridge would be great! My husband says (he held it in his hand--he is an engineer) it weights 22 lbs.

Here is the recipe I want to try:

12 c water, divided
1 c kosher salt
2 c sugar
1 c acv
2 T sage
2 T thyme
2 T rosemary
1 T pepper
4 c ice

Bring 4 cups of water to a simmering boil. Add salt and sugar. Stir until the sugar has completely dissolved. Turn off heat and stir in 8 cups cold water, acv, sage, thyme, rosemary, pepper, and ice.

Thanks!!

Lisa

 

[chickadoodles]

I had a nice group of SG and BR girls that were hatched late Aug/early sept 2012. THese young girls started laying in April, never soon enough, lol, but I don't push them with lights. THe whole first year the eggs are smaller but I find just as fertile ( if there is a male the same age around) -- I separated my stock before the first eggs appeared but the girls had already been covered by the males in the group becuase I have a lot of mixed poults from them.



( My older BR hens do lay a slilghtly larger egg and started laying at the same time; I have purchased Narri eggs which are HUGE compared to my BR eggs-- almost twice the size.)

Thanks Arielle! I was confused as to why this guy was saying his turkey eggs were not any good because they were so small! I was also wondering if I do have a Narri hen and she mates with a tom if her eggs would be any good this year.

 

[Arielle]

Quote: Egg are good IF she gets visiting rights.

 

[Arielle]

Hi!

I am finally getting around to cooking one of our turkeys we processed in January. We have been having stove issues, so I waited....waited.....waited.....
Anyway, I have the turkey in the fridge thawing. I am hoping it will be thawed out by Saturday. I want to brine the turkey. When should I put the turkey in the brine--while it is partially frozen or thawed out?

Oh, any tips on brining and how you got this big monster in the fridge would be great! My husband says (he held it in his hand--he is an engineer) it weights 22 lbs.

Here is the recipe I want to try:

12 c water, divided
1 c kosher salt
2 c sugar
1 c acv
2 T sage
2 T thyme
2 T rosemary
1 T pepper
4 c ice

Bring 4 cups of water to a simmering boil. Add salt and sugar. Stir until the sugar has completely dissolved. Turn off heat and stir in 8 cups cold water, acv, sage, thyme, rosemary, pepper, and ice.

Thanks!!

Lisa

THis sounds delicious!! I would have the bird be completely thawed before going into the brine so that the brine has even opportunity to get into the meat in all areas of the bird. ( I don't brine, have never brined and might brind someday-- otherwise, I cook a lot. )

You can speed up thawing by using the cold water method: fill sink with cold water, put bird in; wait 30 minutes-1 hour, drain; repeat until thawed. Keeps the bird cold and slowly defrosts it. Personally I put birds in the oven frozen, heehee, another reason I don't brine. But I bet your bird will taste great!! ( Note-- so far my best birds have been slow roasted like 250-300 until done, wigggly leg done, then up the temp 350-375 to brown it. The meat was very tender this way. )

 

[chickadoodles]

Egg are good IF she gets visiting rights.

Thanks so much for your help Arielle!

 

[TexasLisa]

THis sounds delicious!! I would have the bird be completely thawed before going into the brine so that the brine has even opportunity to get into the meat in all areas of the bird. ( I don't brine, have never brined and might brind someday-- otherwise, I cook a lot. )

You can speed up thawing by using the cold water method: fill sink with cold water, put bird in; wait 30 minutes-1 hour, drain; repeat until thawed. Keeps the bird cold and slowly defrosts it. Personally I put birds in the oven frozen, heehee, another reason I don't brine. But I bet your bird will taste great!! ( Note-- so far my best birds have been slow roasted like 250-300 until done, wigggly leg done, then up the temp 350-375 to brown it. The meat was very tender this way. )

Hi Arielle!

Thanks for the tip! I will let you know how everything goes when I finally cook it. My husband thinks I am nuts for brining, but I want to try it at least once.

Chickadoodles I am telling you again: Your avatar makes me laugh every time I see it!

Lisa

 

[Arielle]

Lisa, once you have a steady supply of turkeys for the oven, you will want to try so many different recipes!! I love turkey and we ate it yearround, usually stocking up when the prices were good during THanksgiving time. I have TWO chest freezers, and they are usually full, the contents rotates. Nothing like turkey left overs for a week!

 

[chickadoodles]

Hi Arielle!

Thanks for the tip! I will let you know how everything goes when I finally cook it. My husband thinks I am nuts for brining, but I want to try it at least once.

Chickadoodles I am telling you again: Your avatar makes me laugh every time I see it!

Lisa

 

[Agrotera]

Arielle and JCHNY2000 - thanks a lot for your advice. I wish I had been able to act more quickly - I'm a live-in farmhand and sadly my own babes come last.

The rest are looking well, there seems to be a sort of cough in some of the bigger ones that are 4 weeks (not like the one that died had) but even so, those birds are still milling about and chirruping. Should I be concerned? I also noticed one with foamy looking poop but looked at the chart and it looked cecal to me.

I'm thinking of more aggressively amending their water and food with acv, an essential-oil mix and some cayenne as preventative measures against cocci, blackhead etc. can't hurt, right? Has anyone tried this?

Thanks all.

 

[Arielle]

Arielle and JCHNY2000 - thanks a lot for your advice. I wish I had been able to act more quickly - I'm a live-in farmhand and sadly my own babes come last.

The rest are looking well, there seems to be a sort of cough in some of the bigger ones that are 4 weeks (not like the one that died had) but even so, those birds are still milling about and chirruping. Should I be concerned? I also noticed one with foamy looking poop but looked at the chart and it looked cecal to me.

I'm thinking of more aggressively amending their water and food with acv, an essential-oil mix and some cayenne as preventative measures against cocci, blackhead etc. can't hurt, right? Has anyone tried this?

Thanks all.

My understanding is that these methods are definitely good at prevention but once you have an issue , the big guns might be better. I'm still a neophyte, so do your research. I feed medicated to the poults regularly now that they have hit the ground and have run of the farm along with the other birds.

My birds eat their FF like it is candy and only takes 12 hours to be ready.

THe chirping concerns me. That is a distress call. THey need something. Mine do it if their lightbulb goes out. lol