Basic brining

[Ka Honu]

Saw this article on a food blog and thought it was one of the simplest, most informative basic "tutorials" on brining.  I liked that she didn't get heavy into the science but still explained it all pretty well.  Check it out.  Or not.

[watchdog56]

1 pound of salt to 1 gallon of water seems a little high doesn't it? I usually use 1 cup to 2 cups to 2 gallons of water when I do my fish just until the egg sinks then floats back up. Been doing it that way for about 25 years and never had a problem..

[Ka Honu]

Yeah, she says one pound per gallon but then says that equates to a cup of table salt.  Table salt actually weighs in at about 10 ounces per cup.  Math is obviously not her strong point.

[JF7FSU]

Good read, thanks!

[BuyLowSellHigh]

I always used this as a general guide and reference for brining, which is a technique I use frequently with poultry and pork.  Note that the difference in densities for different brands and types of salt is accounted for.  I have always used Morton's Kosher salt as a my baseline, where  1 cup = 8 oz, but generally prefer Morton Pickling salt as it dissolves much more readily.  Just use the same weight amount.

http://www.cooksillustrated.com/images/document/howto/ND01_ISBriningbasics.pdf

Eric

[Habanero Smoker]

That a guide I often refer to. They just published a more comprehensive brining guide in a recent issue.

[3rensho]

Thanks for the link KH.