Whole Chicken Brining question

[legend_018]

I saw a recipe for brining a whole chicken. The recipe called for a 6lb roaster, but our whole chickens are usually about 4lbs. Is this still ok to do with a 4 pounder?

8 cups of water
1/2 cup kosher salt
1/4 cup brown sugar

Disolve salt and sugar in 4 cups of water. Add the other 4 cups.
Add some whole corriander seeds, whole black peppercorns, dried bay leaves, 4 good shakes of Worchestershire, a few dashes of hot sauce, and a drop of liquid smoke. Stir it up again and put your chicken in!

[Andy M.]

Yes. A 4-ponder will be fine. You'll just have more brine than you'd need to cover the chicken.

[legend_018]

Great thanks. Wasn't sure if your suppose to change the recipe around depending on how small or big your chicken is.

I don't really have any containors to brine a chicken though. I'll have to think about that one. I can't think of anything around the house that would be big enough even for a small 4 pounder.

[Andy M.]

A 6-quart sauce pan would do the trick. Maybe even a 4-quart.

Or you could use a plastic bag in a bucket or a small cooler. Whatever you uise, it has to be refrigerated or kept cold in a cooler.

[YT2095]

you`de only have to change the length of time, as a smaller bird will take less time for the marinade to penetrate than a larger Thicker one.

4:6 = 2:3 so 2 thirds of everything would be the way, but it`s such small and inexpensive amounts anyway you may as well make the excess :)

[jennyema]

Zip Lock makes larger sized bags that are perfect for brining chickens and turleys.

[Andy M.]

WOW! You can brine turleys! I did not know that!

[jennyema]

Originally Posted by Andy M.

WOW! You can brine turleys! I did not know that!

Turleys have been tormented all their short lives due to their poor typing skills so they have become very, very tough. Brining is the only way to tenderize them.

[Uncle Bob]

Originally Posted by jennyema

Turleys have been tormented all their short lives due to their poor typing skills so they have become very, very tough. Brining is the only way to tenderize them.

Now I know what I have been doing wrong. I don't like tough Turleys!!

[GB]

Originally Posted by jennyema

Turleys have been tormented all their short lives due to their poor typing skills so they have become very, very tough. Brining is the only way to tenderize them.

You need to slice your turley across the grain.