Chicken question

[Palmyrasteak]

I have another rookie question. I brine my chicken breast for about 2 hours. I only use salt in the water. Is a 24 hour brine too long? I don't want to ruin tomorrows supper.

[Pappymn]

For a breast that Would be too long IMHO. That would be perfect for a whole bird though.

This might be helpful.

It all depends (don’t you love that answer)? The size of the item your brining, the relative strength of the brine and your individual preferences will all make a difference. I highly recommend you experiment, keep good notes and you’ll determine your own answer. Before you experiment, read the Questions and Answers chapter for some ideas and concerns about changing times and solutions.

 These are “sample” times.  Feel free to adjust –SLIGHTY- but remember:

If you’re worried about your first brine, go with a time in the middle of the range.  If that was too salty, try lowering your time.  After than, you can adjust your solution if you still think it’s too salty (see the Q&A section for more).

Item

Brine Time

Whole Chicken (4-5 Pounds)

8 to 12 hours

Chicken Parts

1 1/2 hours

Chicken Breasts

1 hour

Whole Turkey

24 - 48 hours

Turkey Breast

5 - 10 hours

Cornish game hens

2 hours

Shrimp

30 minutes

Pork chops

12 - 24 hours

Pork Tenderloin (whole)

12 - 24 hours

[Palmyrasteak]

Thanks! I better go with the 2 hour brine again. It worked good in the past. Like I said, I don't want to mess it up too bad. I will try a longer time when I'm not cooking for company  That would NOT be a good time to try something new! Thanks again!!