Thanks for all of the suggestions, I've not considered the brands!! I've moved three time in the last 3.5 years, so different grocery stores. I had a commissary in Maryland and was making a really nice CB up there. It was the whole thing, not just the flat cut, like the fat :). Then in FL I bought at Publix and here in NC there is Farm Fresh. There is a TJ's an hour North of me, along with Target and an actual mall. Also some commissaries in Norfolk. I'll start paying attention to the brand. I've always wanted to wash off the brisket, but thought I was supposed to keep it. I dislike that nasty floating stuff that it creates, from now on I'll be washing it off!!! Christy

I don't know that lightly rinsing it would make it "bland", because it's been soaking in that stuff for a long time. But you may be using too much water if you've got a really large slow cooker, that can leach some of the flavor out. I don't rinse it myself, just dump the whole thing in there. I add extra spices too, because the packet is pretty skimpy. Another way to intensify the flavor is to remove the corned beef from the liquid when it's almost done and finish it in the oven.

We love Yankee Red Flannel Corned Beef Hash but use the leftovers from a boiled dinner & include the cabbage plus add beets. Yankee Red Flannel Hash (approximate ingredients - use whatever leftovers you have) 1-1/2 cups chopped corned beef 1 cup chopped cooked beets 1 cup chopped cold boiled potatoes 1 cup leftover chopped cabbage 1 onion, finely chopped 2 garlic cloves, peeled, crushed or finely chopped 1/4 cup heavy cream (or whole milk) 2 tablespoons butter Heat butter and saute onion and garlic until soft. In a large bowl mix together corned beef, beets, potatoes and greens with the cream or milk. Stir until well-coated. Add mixture to onion/garlic saute in pan. Stir ocasionally until it is heated thoroughly. Continue to cook until a brown crust forms underneath. Serve with fried eggs. /tricia

I don't worry a lot about it, but I avoid adding them when possible. I made the canadian bacon and the peameal bacon without it, as they were only brined two and three days, respectively. The salt brine for corned beef is going to keep the meat fine for five days in the fridge without an issue, but if I were leaving it for a couple of weeks, I might have second thoughts. Then again, those fancy steakhouses dry age beef for 40 days or more, so there's that, everyone has to make their own choices about what they are comfortable with. I know that 90% of the nitrates in our bodies come from vegetables, and 10% from processed meats, but there's a difference in nitrates. According to the University of Minnesota: "Normally, sodium nitrate in vegetables does not pose the same health risk as nitrites found in processed meat. The nitrites added to processed meats as preservatives and color enhancers can combine with proteins called amines to form compounds called nitrosamines. Nitrosamines have shown cancer-causing potential in animal studies. Nitrates and nitrites themselves do not have cancer-causing potential. Vegetables contain ascorbic acid, a form of vitamin C and an antioxidant which helps prevent nitrosamine formation, although it might not completely prevent it. Store fresh cooked vegetables high in nitrates for no more than one to two days in the refrigerator or cook only as much as you plan to eat at one time." So, are you more concerned about the food safety issues with leaving beef in brine alone, or with the nitrates added to your diet? It's strictly your call, the flavor will be there no matter what. Laceyvail, I never thought of corning the tongue, that's a good idea! Do you take the skin off it first, or brine with the skin on? Annie