I chose to brine my turkey in buttermilk instead of a salt solution this Thanksgiving
I had to pick between a traditional wet brine and a buttermilk soak for the holiday service. I went with the buttermilk for 48 hours, which was a new method for our kitchen in Seattle. The result was incredibly tender meat with a subtle tang, and the skin crisped up perfectly. Has anyone else tried a buttermilk brine on a large bird, and did you adjust your roasting time?
Tried it once on a 20 pounder and it was a total game changer. The tang cuts through the richness in a way salt brine just doesn't. I found the roasting time was pretty much the same, maybe a few minutes less because the bird seemed to cook a bit faster. The real win is how it keeps the breast meat from drying out. Never going back to plain salt water after that.
My cousin swears by pickle juice for brining chicken, but I tried it once and everything just tasted like a sad deli sandwich. Still can't get the smell out of my fridge.
I read somewhere that if you cut the pickle juice with water or apple cider vinegar it tones down the overpowering dill taste. Might be worth a shot next time if your cousin keeps pushing it on you.