This is a PM sent to me by one of our wonderful members, and I often get them like this (of which I certainly don't mind at all, so glad you can ask!):
Pop’s, I have been curing turkey wings and legs over the last few months using a modified version of your wet cure recipe, ½ the salt and sugar. They have been turning out Fantastic!!!! I started off with 6 legs, mixed me a batch of your wet cure, I gave each one a shot full of cure, just enough to make them plump. I let them sit in the cure for 3 days, then smoked them to 165 IT……Man they are good!!!! So good that the last batch I smoked I had to cook 20 legs just to have some to put in the freezer……My wife had to take a couple to her coworkers just so she could eat her own in peace, then the 2 kids had to have a couple to “Sample” LOL Then Me, I had to have one hot out of the smoker and one for breakfast the next day, so that doesn’t leave much to put up. So I had to double down and do a double batch ………..Now to my concerns, I have noticed that the wet cure is kind of gelatinous looking when I get ready to take them out of the bucket and the legs are kind of slimy when I take them out of the bucket, I have been just washing them off, before I smoke them. I have not made anyone sick, as of yet and they are still curing all of the way. So I have not been that concerned, but in the back of my mind I am curious if this is normally what’s to be expected?
My reply;
Just as you are imbuing curing into the legs, they are also imbuing the brine with their juices and blood. it's a swapping kinda thing, lol! So you get what you give, so to speak. All poultry has 7 times the bacteria of any other meat and it can turn the brine 'ropy'. if it were longer, like a 10-15 day cure, I'd say to change the brine every 5 days, but 3 days total shouldn't be a problem. You're fine as long as 38° temp is being maintained; double check your fridge temp just to make sure. Thanks for asking!
Just thought I'd repost this to help others gain more confidence in the wet curing method, and at any time you feel the brine is "just not right" don't hesitate to change it for fresh brine!
Pop’s, I have been curing turkey wings and legs over the last few months using a modified version of your wet cure recipe, ½ the salt and sugar. They have been turning out Fantastic!!!! I started off with 6 legs, mixed me a batch of your wet cure, I gave each one a shot full of cure, just enough to make them plump. I let them sit in the cure for 3 days, then smoked them to 165 IT……Man they are good!!!! So good that the last batch I smoked I had to cook 20 legs just to have some to put in the freezer……My wife had to take a couple to her coworkers just so she could eat her own in peace, then the 2 kids had to have a couple to “Sample” LOL Then Me, I had to have one hot out of the smoker and one for breakfast the next day, so that doesn’t leave much to put up. So I had to double down and do a double batch ………..Now to my concerns, I have noticed that the wet cure is kind of gelatinous looking when I get ready to take them out of the bucket and the legs are kind of slimy when I take them out of the bucket, I have been just washing them off, before I smoke them. I have not made anyone sick, as of yet and they are still curing all of the way. So I have not been that concerned, but in the back of my mind I am curious if this is normally what’s to be expected?
My reply;
Just as you are imbuing curing into the legs, they are also imbuing the brine with their juices and blood. it's a swapping kinda thing, lol! So you get what you give, so to speak. All poultry has 7 times the bacteria of any other meat and it can turn the brine 'ropy'. if it were longer, like a 10-15 day cure, I'd say to change the brine every 5 days, but 3 days total shouldn't be a problem. You're fine as long as 38° temp is being maintained; double check your fridge temp just to make sure. Thanks for asking!
Just thought I'd repost this to help others gain more confidence in the wet curing method, and at any time you feel the brine is "just not right" don't hesitate to change it for fresh brine!
