Brining

[pete77]

I am trying to understand the concept of brineing but it makes no sense to me. Osmosis is the transfer of WATER between a semipermeable membrane (ie skin or muscle tissue) when there are different concentrations of electrolytes (salt) When you soak a piece of meat in a container filled with a higher concentration of salt water than that present in the meat itself (which is 0.9%), you are going to draw water OUT of the meat, not the other way around. Can anyone explain to me how brining makes the meat "puff up with salt water" as this goes against scientific principle! Hopefully this practice is based on something other than an old wives tale?

Thanks

 

[matchless q]

Who cares how it works, just be glad that it does. It don't make no sense to me either.

 

[superdave]

Pete,

In a dry environment, your understanding would be accurate.  Submeressed in a pool of water, the meat would have to repell liquid not to absorb.

 

[chef jimmyj]

Here you go. An in depth description of how it works...JJ

http://www.edinformatics.com/math_science/science_of_cooking/brining.htm