

Be thankful for turkey cooking patents - MikeCapone
http://boingboing.net/2012/11/23/be-thankful-for-turkey-cooking.html

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aw3c2
Usually it is techdirt that is aggregator/hype spam, but in this case it is
boing boing aggregation of a good techdirt article. Actual source is
[http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20121121/23451821121/so-
lon...](http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20121121/23451821121/so-long-thanks-
all-turkey-patents.shtml)

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btilly
Be glad that patents have inspired Russ Parsons to improve the way we make
turkeys. What, he never filed for a patent on his improvements? Whodathunkit?

For those who have no clue what I'm talking about, see
[http://www.food52.com/blog/2713_russ_parsons_drybrined_turke...](http://www.food52.com/blog/2713_russ_parsons_drybrined_turkey_aka_the_judy_bird)
for some history on drybrining Thanksgiving turkey. (The technique has only
been used on turkeys since 2006, so the history is mostly recent, even though
dry brining is older.)

If you don't know what that is, for your next turkey you cook I highly
recommend mixing 1 tablespoon of salt for every 5 pounds of turkey with
whatever spices you'd like to taste in your turkey, sprinkle it over the
turkey, put it in a plastic bag, and leave it in the fridge for several days
before cooking normally. (You may have to search a little to find a turkey
that has not already been brined, but you really want that because otherwise
the salt balance is wrong and you don't get YOUR herbs in it.)

You will get a much better turkey. And no, it is not patented. True innovation
and patents are orthogonal.

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uhmnotreally
> The technique has only been used on turkeys since 2006

Saying that putting salt on a turkey a couple days ahead has "only been used
on turkeys since 2006" is made up, and it's stupid.

Which surprises me, because you're smart.

~~~
btilly
Don't believe me? Find me cookbooks from before 2006 suggesting dry brining
turkeys. (There are lots that recommend wet brining, which is much more work
and results in meat that is about the same, and a much worse skin.)

Russ Parsons has been publishing in a nationally read newspaper on this
subject for several years. He's had a lot of letters back with people
suggesting various tricks to make it better. (One of those is where he got the
idea of trying to add spices to that salt.) As far as I know he has not
received one response to the tune of, "I've known about this for ages, see X."
To the contrary I've seen a number of food experts comment positively on this
as a new twist to the holiday turkey.

That is why I have come to the belief that this really is an innovation. But
I'd be happy to be corrected.

~~~
uhmnotreally
> Don't believe me

No, and I'm not going to go looking through home cooking cookbooks to try to
prove something to you, either. That's not where cooking innovation happens.

~~~
btilly
So you don't believe me, have no references to cite, and are unwilling to back
up your disbelief.

In the meantime I'll look at <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russ_Parsons>,
conclude that he's a pretty good authority on food, and conclude that, _even
if_ someone else was out there dry brining turkeys before him, it was
certainly innovative for him to try it.

And he's certainly done more to popularize the idea than everyone before him,
combined.

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Charlesmigli
Looks like the turkey is the computer of the 60s

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JeremyKolb
I am definitely guilty of patent infringement...

