What does brining mean?
Brining refers to the culinary technique of soaking food — most often poultry, pork, or seafood — in a solution of salt dissolved in water before cooking. The salt penetrates the flesh through osmosis and diffusion, seasoning it throughout while helping muscle fibers retain moisture, so the finished dish stays juicy rather than drying out. Cooks may use a wet brine (a liquid bath) or a dry brine (a salt rub that draws out and then reabsorbs juices), sometimes adding sugar, herbs, or spices. Brining has deep historical roots as a preservation method, long predating refrigeration, when salting and brine-soaking kept meat and fish edible for months; today it survives mainly as a flavor and texture technique, beloved especially around holiday turkey dinners.
verb (present participle/gerund)The act of soaking food, typically meat or vegetables, in a solution of salt and water (a brine) in order to season it, preserve it, or keep it moist during cooking.
- Soaking meat, poultry, seafood, or vegetables in a salt-water solution to season it and improve its moisture retention before cooking.
- (By extension) Treating or preserving any food by immersion in a salty liquid.
"After brining the turkey overnight, she roasted it to a golden, juicy perfection."
"The chef spent the morning brining a pork shoulder for tonight's slow roast."
"Brining olives at home takes weeks, but the flavor is worth the wait."
A simple bath in salt water is the secret behind every juicy Thanksgiving turkey — that's brining at work.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of brining
Brining derives from the noun 'brine,' meaning strongly salted water, which entered Middle English from Old English 'bryne,' related to similar Germanic forms. The verb 'to brine' — to soak or preserve in brine — developed from the noun, and 'brining' is its present participle. Cognate ideas appear across Germanic languages, and the word's association with the sea gives rise to 'briny' as a poetic adjective for salty ocean water.
Related word forms
How brining is actually used
Primarily a culinary term used in both home cooking and professional kitchens. 'Wet brining' (submerging in liquid) and 'dry brining' (coating with salt) are common variants discussed interchangeably in this context.
Easily confused with brining
Marinating uses a seasoned liquid (often with oil, acid, and aromatics) primarily to add flavor, whereas brining specifically uses a salt-water solution chiefly to season deeply and retain moisture.