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    I need label feedback.

    With Thanksgiving approaching I would like some label feedback with respect to sodium content of whatever you purchase and whether or not you added salt. And the outcome. I realize saltiness varies with everyone. But I would like to get a general consensus.

    I would also like the designation on the label. Such as "may contain up to 10% of a brine solution."

    I've never found the salt content to be adequate enough on turkeys, on deboned pork picnics, etc.

    I've discovered that even though the label may say up to 10%, in reality the actual content of the brine solution may only equal 2 - 5%. This is all calculated by weight. And that low percentage is low for the industry. The only thing as a consumer is you might not be getting all the salt you think you're getting. Which is fine with some folks, but not me.


    #2
    jeeze, so how do I know whether to add salt to some frozen bird that has "may contain x% brine"?

    Comment


      #3
      Jerod Broussard, I also find salt-injected stuff to be, well, uh, lacking salt.
      Others mileage will vary, as you said above.
      It's all good.

      Comment


        #4
        The pork picnic I mentioned above had plenty salt documented on the label and it pretty much had zero salt taste in the final product, meaning that dude was as bland as it gets.

        Comment


          #5
          I look at the sodium content on the nutrition label. Unsalted turkey has around 60 mg of salt per serving. Oven roasted and carved deli sliced turkey you buy in the deli section of the grocery store can have as much as 500 mg. Those two numbers give you a sense of the extremes. My rule of thumb is any turkey under 300 mg gets salted. As the sodium content goes up above 300 mg I'll reduce the salt more and more.

          Comment


            #6
            Great idea. I totally agree with Pit Boss. But the multiple feedback idea will arm us with some tried & true general standards to share.

            Comment


              #7
              Some info from my recent notes. None have been overly salty after dry brine.

              Pork Butts: Swift Premium, doesn't say anything about injection but label says 60mg sodium per 4oz serving. Dry brined as normal (1/2 teaspoon Morton's Kosher per pound).
              Boneless/skinless chicken breasts from Sam's Club (Members Mark): 10% seasoned broth injected, no label captured for sodium. Dry brined as normal (1/2 teaspoon per pound).
              Baby Back Ribs from Kroger: 8% injection, no label captured for sodium. Dry brined as normal for ribs (1/4 teaspoon per pound).
              Baby Back Ribs: Smithfield, nothing about injection seen. Dry brined as normal for ribs (1/4 teaspoon per pound).
              Whole chicken: Sanderson Farms, says "no salt added". Dry brined using 1/2 teaspoon per pound.

              Comment


              • Jerod Broussard
                Jerod Broussard commented
                Editing a comment
                Thanks. I inject with a salty injection and put a salty seasoning on turkeys that should have plenty Na with no problems for anyone I cook for.

              #8
              I have a 31lb bird with an 8% injection and 250mg of sodium per serving.

              Comment


              • edible hen
                edible hen commented
                Editing a comment
                And the sad part is there won't be any leftovers. I have a 14lb bird for proper leftovers that I'll cook on black Friday.

              • EdF
                EdF commented
                Editing a comment
                Wow! 31 lbs! I found the 23 lb-er I did one year a bit challenging.

              • edible hen
                edible hen commented
                Editing a comment
                It gets easier with reps. Last year I did 25lb birds for Thanksgiving and Christmas. And those were my 1st birds on my smoker, and before I found AR.

              #9
              Update on Boneless/skinless chicken breasts from Sam's Club (Members Mark) from a purchase this week.
              10% seasoned broth injected.
              Sodium per 4 oz serving is 210mg. I dry brined as normal using ~1/2 teaspoon per pound.

              Comment


                #10
                I had 200mg/serving. Injected with plenty salt and salted the skin. Not even close to being too salty.

                Comment


                  #11
                  Originally posted by Pit Boss View Post
                  I look at the sodium content on the nutrition label. Unsalted turkey has around 60 mg of salt per serving. Oven roasted and carved deli sliced turkey you buy in the deli section of the grocery store can have as much as 500 mg. Those two numbers give you a sense of the extremes. My rule of thumb is any turkey under 300 mg gets salted. As the sodium content goes up above 300 mg I'll reduce the salt more and more.
                  So, perhaps a solid approach might be to look at the label for the sodium content (is salt listed? I thought it's all sodium... any rate, table salt is about 40% sodium, by weight) and figure brine/rub to work up to about 500 mg sodium per 1 oz (assumed serve size of deli turkey), which feels like a metric ton of salt, given that it would translate to 1.2g of salt per ounce, which is about 4% by weight.

                  Hrm... I dunno. I try to avoid presalted meats. I spent a bit extra for a fresh, non-injected turkey, and then did the brine while sous viding with a 5-2 salt-sugar rub at 1.5% turkey weight. I would probably go to 2 or 2.5% weight next time.

                  Comment


                    #12
                    Originally posted by Potkettleblack View Post

                    So, perhaps a solid approach might be to look at the label for the sodium content (is salt listed? I thought it's all sodium... any rate, table salt is about 40% sodium, by weight) and figure brine/rub to work up to about 500 mg sodium per 1 oz (assumed serve size of deli turkey), which feels like a metric ton of salt, given that it would translate to 1.2g of salt per ounce, which is about 4% by weight.

                    Hrm... I dunno. I try to avoid presalted meats. I spent a bit extra for a fresh, non-injected turkey, and then did the brine while sous viding with a 5-2 salt-sugar rub at 1.5% turkey weight. I would probably go to 2 or 2.5% weight next time.
                    One thing you have to remember is we've been recommending brining turkey for YEARS. 99% of those turkeys are in solution. Folks never complain the turkeys ended up too salty. Experience tells us the recommendation works.

                    Comment


                      #13
                      Given salt level is a preference not a scientific absolute, I don't disagree with the recommendation. As I said, 1.5% 5xsalt-2xsugar did not make it appreciably salty, but that raises the question of whether I want it to taste salty, or just turkey plus. I will have to taste again with this in mind.

                      There's also the difference between wet brine, dry brine, salting during cooking and salting post cooking. From other things, salt on the front end does not produce as much saltiness at the table, but reduces the need for salt at the table. I'm not sure I'm explaining well, but pre-salt seems to produce an enhanced flavor, while post-salting produces some of that but more saltiness.

                      On the other hand, I made a chicken with blonder brine that was too salty. So, you can over salt with brine. And this chicken was not enhanced at all.

                      Comment


                        #14
                        Potkettleblack I while back I contacted you about SV'ing a boneless pork picnic. The label showed to have plenty salt. That dude was as bland as bland gets. No trace of salt.

                        I've been watching injectors. It seems the needle merely creates a pocket for raining solution to fill up. That is maybe why something with up to 10% solution only contains 2-5% when you conduct a %Solution Test. They don't appear to have solution running through the needles themselves. I'll check more into that.

                        I need to ask today what the Sodium level on the label is based on. A full 10% or whatever the "Contains up to" is with respect to the solution, or just some average.

                        Comment


                          #15
                          I did not look at the salt level on the full turkey but the breasts said "preserved in a solution that may contain up to 15% salt". I used my regular rub and injection and it was not too salty, at all. This is a good question, Jerod. I bought a corned beef once, because I couldn't find a brisket. Despite rinsing it, I made the mistake of putting my regular rub on it before BBQing. It was literally a salt lick in the end.

                          Comment


                          • Jerod Broussard
                            Jerod Broussard commented
                            Editing a comment
                            I would say corn beef is actually soaked. I don't see any poultry being literally soaked in these solutions, but merely injected and claimed to be "Preserved in a solution that may contain up to....."

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