A Guide to Brining

It’s Time To Brine

Tired of your turkey turning out dry? It’s time to brine!  Brining is a simple way to add flavor and moisture to turkey, chicken and even seafood. All it takes is a mixture of salt, water and spices. Morton can help you learn how to brine so your next dish can be tasty, tender and juicy. 

What Can I Brine?

Turkey, chicken and pork are best for brining. That’s because they are lean and mild in flavor – so the brine can enhance flavors and juiciness. Many types of seafood, such as shrimp, are also excellent for brining. Beef and lamb aren’t recommended because they contain more fat, and don’t lose as much moisture as poultry or pork during cooking.

Morton Coarse Kosher Salt is perfect for brining because the flat, flaky crystals dissolve extremely well in water and create a crystal clear brine. Consider brining this grilling and holiday season.

brining tips and tricks

  1. Do not brine if you plan on deep frying as a cooking method.

  2. Do not brine meat that has been “basted,” “enhanced,” “marinated” or is already classified as Kosher.

  3. If you purchased a turkey or other poultry with a pop-up timer, leave it in place. If removed, the timer will leave a hole for juices to escape.

  4. You can brine any size. The key is to ensure you have the right size container and enough brine to keep things fully submerged.

  5. For larger items such as turkey, brine overnight. You may want to rearrange your refrigerator shelves ahead of time to make room.

  6. If you don’t have room in your refrigerator, you can use a cooler lined with a roasting bag—but you will need to make sure the water temperature remains below 40 degrees throughout the process.

  7. If you plan to brine your for 4 to 5 hours, use a brine proportion of 1 cup Morton Coarse Kosher Salt to 1 gallon water.

  8. If you plan to brine your overnight or up to 14 hours, use a proportion of ½ cup Morton Coarse Kosher Salt to 1 gallon water.

  9. Does the type of salt matter?  Yes, we recommend Morton Coarse Kosher Salt because of the way it dissolves completely in water.  Low or no Coarse Kosher Salt? Find a substitute salt for every grain size we make at our  Salt Conversion Chart