In cooking, brining is a process similar to marination in which meat is soaked in a salt solution (the brine) before cooking. Cooking is the act of preparing food for consumption. ... Brine is water saturated or nearly saturated with salt. ...

Brining makes cooked meat moister by hydrating the cells of its muscle tissue before cooking, via the process of osmosis, and by allowing the cells to hold on to the water while they are cooked, via the process of denaturation. The brine surrounding the cells has a higher concentration of salt than the fluid within the cells, but the cell fluid has a higher concentration of other solutes. This leads salt ions to enter the cell via diffusion. The increased salinity of the cell fluid causes the cell to absorb water from the brine via osmosis. The salt introduced into the cell also denatures its proteins. The proteins coagulate, forming a matrix which traps water molecules and holds them during cooking. This prevents the meat from drying out, or dehydrating. Osmosis is the diffusion of a solvent through a semipermeable membrane from a region of low solute concentration to a region of high solute concentration. ... Irreversible egg protein denaturation and loss of solubility, caused by the high temperature (while cooking it) In biochemistry, denaturation is a structural change in biomolecules such as nucleic acids and proteins, such that they are no longer in their native state, and their shape which allows for optimal activity. ... A substance is soluble in a fluid if it dissolves in the fluid. ... Schematic drawing of the effects of diffusion through a semipermeable membrane. ... Dehydration is the removal of water (hydor in ancient Greek) from an object. ...

In many foods the additional salt is also desirable as a preservative. Note that kosher meats are salted during the process of koshering so they should not be brined. A preservative is a natural or synthetic chemical that is added to products such as foods, pharmaceuticals, paints, biological samples, etc. ... The circled U indicates that this can of tuna is certified kosher by the Union of Orthodox Congregations. ...

Some cheeses are periodically washed in a saltwater brine during their ripening. Not only does the brine carry flavors into the cheese (it might be seasoned with spices or wine), but the salty environment may nurture the growth of the Brevibacterium linens bacteria, which can impart a very pronounced odor (Limburger) and interesting flavor. The same bacteria can also have some impact on cheeses that are simply ripened in humid conditions, like Camembert. Large populations of these "smear bacteria" show up as a sticky orange-red layer on some brine-washed cheeses. Brine is water saturated or nearly saturated with salt. ... External links Wikibooks Cookbook has more about this subject: Spice Food Bacteria-Spice Survey Shows Why Some Cultures Like It Hot Citat: ...Garlic, onion, allspice and oregano, for example, were found to be the best all-around bacteria killers (they kill everything). ... Wine is an alcoholic beverage produced by the fermentation of grapes and grape juice. ... Categories: Food and drink stubs | Belgian cheeses ... Camembert is a commune located in the Orne département of the Basse-Normandie région in France. ...

External Links

• Cooking For Engineers: Brining - a discussion on what happens to meat as it brines (with reader comments)