brine (2024)

FAQs

Brine? ›

Brine (or briny water) is water with a high-concentration solution of salt (typically sodium chloride or calcium chloride).

Brining is the process of infusing proteins with salt, sugar and flavor. In addition, it tenderizes and moisturizes meat. Typically, the protein is soaked in a solution of water (or another liquid such as apple juice, beer or wine), salt and spices for a number of hours in the refrigerator.

A brine is essentially just salted water, but for such a simple solution it can do many things. Brines are used to salt cheeses such as feta and halloumi, not only for flavour, but to inhibit the growth of a variety of moulds, to preserve it and in some cases to draw out moisture, helping it to develop a rind.

For all-purpose brine, a good rule of thumb is: ¼ cup of kosher salt and ¼ cup of sugar for every quart of water. You can also add aromatics or other flavorings to intensify the seasoning, like whole peppercorns, garlic cloves, dried herbs, whole spices, citrus or other fruit, mirepoix or fruit juices.

Add the protein, making sure that it is fully submerged. Leave the protein in the brine for about 1 hour per pound. Store in the refrigerator, as the brine must be kept cold at all times during the process.

A wide range of foods benefit from brining; not just meats and fish, but even vegetables and tofu. The benefits of brining can (and will) be listed at length. It all but guarantees juicy and tender food, perfect results, and foolproof cooking. Also, it's much quicker than you might think.

Brined meats end up gaining 10 percent or more of their original weight in water and salt. Then when they're cooked to well done, their swollen muscle fibers can lose moisture and still have enough left to seem juicy. And the weakened fiber structure makes them seem tender as well.

According to the Food Safety and Inspection Service1 the verb "brine" means to treat with or steep in brine. Brine is a strong solution of water and salt. A sweetener such as sugar, molasses, honey, or corn syrup may be added to the solution for flavor and to improve browning.

Sometimes you'll get the best results if you boil your brine solution before submerging your meat in it. But remember, if you do this you only want to boil half of your solution with your aromatics and spices and not with your salt and sugar.

Brines can be simply salt and water however, the addition of herbs and spices can give your brine added flavor. The seasonings you select will depend greatly on the food you are brining. Fresh herbs work best, but dried herbs work also.

Is vinegar a good brine? ›

When Top Chef winner Kristen Kish took over the responsibility of cooking Thanksgiving dinner, she gave her brother the job of roasting the turkey. This recipe, which she taught him, uses cider vinegar as the brine, which tenderizes it and yields flavorful drippings perfect for pan jus.

Basic Brine

Place that volume of water in a container large enough to hold the brine and the meat. Add 1 tablespoon of salt for every cup of water you used and mix until the salt is completely dissolved. For example, if you are using 1 gallon (16 cups) of water, add 16 tablespoons (1 cup) of salt.

The amount of time will depend on the type of brine you use; however, do not brine any longer than two days and always keep the turkey and brine refrigerated (at 40°F or less).

Can you put too much salt in a brine? Yes, you can definitely put too much salt in a brine. For starters, a certain amount of water is needed to dissolve salt (250 mL water per 100 grams salt, or about 6 tablespoons per 1 cup water). Our ratio calls for only 1 tablespoon per cup water, so you really don't need much!

There is generally no need to rinse the meat after using either brine listed above, just pat dry with paper towels. See Kosher Salt Measures Differently Than Table Salt to convert from table salt to kosher salt.

Replacing some of the water weight of your brine with ice will lower the temperature of your brine quickly and get it to that 32º F and under range.

Brine is used as a preservative in meat-packing (as in corned beef) and pickling. In refrigeration and cooling systems, brines are used as heat-transfer media because of their low freezing temperatures or as vapour-absorption agents because of their low vapour pressure. Brine is also used to quench (cool) steel.

The main objective of the brine treatment is to remove dissolved sodium (Na) ions from the salt in the wastewater. Depending on the origin of certain brine wastewater, additional treatment may be necessary to remove other contaminants, such as metals and other ions that give water hardness, such as calcium (Ca).

It has a freezing point lower than pure water and, as such, is a useful tool in reducing the adhesion of snow and ice to road surfaces. In addition to brine made with sodium chloride, some winter maintenance agencies also use brines made with calcium chloride or magnesium chloride.