Brining
Brining is treating food with salt dissolved in water. It seasons food and can alter its moisture retention and texture.
Osmosis: The net movement of water across a selectively permeable membrane toward a region with higher solute concentration. Salt concentration differences drive water movement between brine and food.
Poultry: Domesticated birds raised or used for meat and eggs, including chickens and turkeys. Brining poultry is a common way to season meat and limit cooking losses.
Dry salting: Applying salt directly to food without first dissolving it in water. It seasons food without the added water and dilution associated with immersion brining.
Corned beef: Beef preserved and seasoned with salt, commonly using a brine containing curing ingredients and spices. Its name and characteristic flavor come from a traditional salt-curing process that often uses brine.
Sodium chloride: The ionic compound NaCl, commonly known as table salt. It is the principal solute responsible for the salinity of most culinary brines.
Diffusion: The net spreading of particles from regions of higher concentration to regions of lower concentration. Salt ions gradually spread from the brine into the food.
Curing (food preservation): Preserving food through salt, sugar, nitrite, smoke, or combinations of these treatments. Brining can be one stage of curing, especially when salt is the main preservative.
Marination: Soaking food in a seasoned liquid, often containing acids, oils, or aromatics, before cooking. Marinades emphasize flavoring ingredients, while brines center on dissolved salt.
Sauerkraut: Finely cut fermented cabbage made with salt and lactic-acid-producing bacteria. Salt draws liquid from cabbage, creating the brine in which fermentation proceeds.
Brine: Water containing dissolved salts, especially sodium chloride. Brining uses this salt solution as its treatment medium.