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Questions tagged [brining]

Questions about what ingredients can be used in the brining liquid and how the brining will affect the food.

Questions about what ingredients can be used in the brining liquid and how the brining will affect the food.

Brining is similar to marination in which meat is submerged in a liquid. The liquid used in brining will have a higher concentration of salt which will hydrate the cells of the muscle tissues through the process of osmosis. The process will also denature the meat so the cells can hold in the moisture while they are being cooked. This will result in meat that is moist and tender.

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How deeply will the flavors in a brine penetrate chicken?

I'm not asking about salt or "juiciness". I think there is enough evidence here and elsewhere to answer that question with "pretty deep, or all the way to the bone". My question concerns spices and other flavorings in the brine. I want to know not…
Jolenealaska
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Does adding salt when soaking dry beans toughen or soften the skin of the bean?

I have heard opinions on both sides of this. The the latest answer on this site, says salt softens bean skins quoted Cooks Illustrated (I can't see the article, but I trust CI), while another answer says salt hardens the beans' skins. In case is…
Clay Nichols
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What are the basics and options of brining meat, for example chicken?

What are the basics and options of brining meat, for example chicken? I ate at a restaurant in Santa Fe that specialized in brining and the chicken was amazing. Id like to know what the process is and how much variation there is.
peter hoffmann
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Is there any substitute for saltpeter / sodium nitrate in corned beef brine?

I realize there is another question about corned beef from scratch, but the answers don't really cover my question. Many recipes for making your own corned beef still refer to the use of saltpeter (potassium nitrate) or sodium nitrate. From what…
Cold Oatmeal
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Is soaking beans 24 hours unrefrigerated safe?

It strikes me as an unsafe food practice to follow Cook's Illustrated's advice for soaking dried beans for 24 hours unrefrigerated. I've also seen them suggest you soak steel-cut oats unrefrigerated overnight. Is there some reason why these…
Jeff Axelrod
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Pulled Pork in a slow cooker. To brown or not to brown?

I'm going to make some barbeque pulled pork in a slow cooker. I've done it a few times with some good results, but I'm always looking for ways to improve. Here's what I've been doing: 1. Brine pork for a few hours 2. Slow cook all day with carrots,…
user1575
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Why do home-made pickles float in the jar, but commercial pickles don't?

I make a lot of home-made pickles; mostly pickled onions/shallots/cucumbers. I use a cold process and I don't pre-brine. I notice all of my pickles always end up floating to the top of the jars, even after months of pickling. This is very annoying…
WackGet
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Reusing pickle brine

So I just finished a jar of home-made pickles. They were excellent! Not too salty, a bit spicy, very good. They were so good that I'd like to get some more pickles out of that jar. I was thinking of pickling some eggs in that same brine. Is reusing…
FrustratedWithFormsDesigner
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Botulism risk with refrigerated items

Is there any risk of botulism from refrigerator pickling or brining? (referring to both meat and slices of vegetables/fruit) I've read about the subject a fair bit, and know the inherent risks with garlic in oil or items vacuum packed in the fridge…
matt
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What brine ingredients are effective?

I frequently brine chicken and pork, and mostly it's just salt and water, sometime sugar, and occasionally garlic. But I've seen all sorts of other "goodies" people add in, like spices, herbs, sometimes oils, alcohol, acids, fruits, vegetables,…
Ray
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Why do some recipes call for sugar in a brine?

In making a brine for my chicken, I came across a lot of recipes that call for sugar in the brine. I understand the general idea behind brining, but don't understand what benefit the sugar provides. In this answer, @papin links to a PDF that…
stephennmcdonald
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Can I brine meat after cooking it?

I cooked up a bunch of beef to slice into luncheon meat, and did some reading afterwards... and have decided that I want the meat to be brined, so it is more tender and moist, like the storebought stuff. ...except, I already cooked it. I now know…
jpadvo
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If salt dehydrates the meat, then why would brining make it more juicy as a whole?

As the title says, why does brining work? If salting, by osmosis, pulls the water out of the meat, then why is meat considered more juicy after it's cooked?
MandoMando
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Can you make pan gravy if the turkey was brined?

I've read every question here that mentions brining a turkey, and I've seen conflicting remarks about whether the pan drippings are suitable for making gravy. (None of the existing questions actually address this point directly.) So: if I brine the…
Marti
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Are there ingredients I should avoid in a brine?

I see good answers to What brine ingredients are effective?, and I am looking to really push the envelope. I realize that there is some debate as to the effectiveness of brine to add flavor to the meat itself, so I'm going to experiment to answer…
Jolenealaska
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