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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 Can I Tell If Meat Has Been Brined?

My wife and I were eating some rotisserie chicken the other night and she commented something to the effect of "I think they brined this because I can taste the seasoning pretty deep in the meat." I she probably right? Is there a surefire way to…
Chad
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How much salt does brining a turkey add?

I want to brine a turkey for Thanksgiving, using Alton Brown's recipe for brining. My wife is concerned that this will increase the amount of salt and sugar in the turkey, making it unhealthy. How much salt and sugar from a brine would end up in…
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Can salted capers be un-salted?

A family member picked up the wrong jar at the supermarket and now we have a (small) jar of salted capers instead of the brined ones they wanted to buy. We were wondering if we could somehow wash the salted capers and remove enough salt to put them…
Zachiel
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Breaking down a turkey for storage - brine before or after freezing?

The subject should sum this up. We're taking advantage of the seasonal prices for 2 fresh turkeys which I'm breaking down into boneless breasts, thighs, and legs to be frozen for future use. The back and rest of the carcass will be boiled down with…
Matthew
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What happens if I brine my turkey for 2 days?

I have a logistical problem that leaves me with no fridge room for 2 days before Thanksgiving... I always brine my turkey, so I don't have any questions about that, but typically it's only an 8 - 10 hour brine. Is it possible to "over brine" a…
Rikon
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Brining a kosher bird

How should I adjust the salinity of a brine when using a kosher turkey? Some reccomendations suggest decreasing the salinity of the brine, but how much? My recipe is two quarts of water with 1 c. of each salt and sugar.
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Can I brine a self-basting turkey?

I was planning to brine my turkey but I realise that I bought a self-basting turkey. According to most websites, brining a self-basting turkey is a big "no". But has anyone brine a self-basting turkey before? What were your results? Did you…
zachary
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Could you brine steak?

I have read that brining pork chops is a good idea but can you brine beef steaks of various cuts? Would this achieve anything good or spectacular or is it just a waste of time?
Neil Meyer
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Substituting table salt for kosher salt when brining chicken

How much regular table salt should I use when brining chicken pieces? I don't have kosher salt, just regular iodised table salt. Does this really make a difference? I thought salt was salt. Additionally, I have never found non-iodised salt for…
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Is "quick brining" as effective as an overnight soak?

I recently came across this article, Quickly Brine Chicken When You Don't Have Much Time, which suggests 2-3 hours in a 10% brine, followed by a 1-hour rest. Does this work? If so, are there any trade-offs over compared to using a longer, weaker…
user1575
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Is it advisable to season a chicken with salt after having brined it?

I've used a standard 5% salt and water solution to brine a chicken, after having brined it is it advisable for me to season the chicken with salt before cooking it? I'm worried that if I do so that the chicken may become too salty; am I wrong in…
seeker
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Brined chicken - too salty

I brined chicken breasts overnight. When I grilled them they were too salty to eat. Any suggestions for the ones I brined and froze?
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How long will fermented/brined pickles last?

I've been interested in making some pickles, and a lot of the places I've found say that salt brined or fermented pickles generally taste better than acid-brined pickles. That is, pickles pickled in a saltwater brine taste better those pickled in…
josh
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How much salt is absorbed by meat during brining?

Has anyone created a table of sodium absorbtion during brining vs. other contributing factors such as brining time, meat type, salt ratio, etc. I'd like to be able to compute how much sodium is absorbed in a cut of meat during brining.
Jeff Axelrod
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How would I add heat to a brine?

I am interested in making roast chicken with a bit of a kick. I'm thinking about adding heat to the brine, but I'm not sure what the best way of doing that would be. How would brine work with hot peppers?
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