Brine Calculator

Method

Food

Weight of the food, kg

Water, l

Your own brine strength, %

Leave at 0 to use the recommended value.

Sugar, % of the salt

Result

Salt, g120
Brine strength, % of water6%
Salinity of the food, %3%
Time in the brine4 h
Sugar, gno sugar
Water, l2
Foodchicken and turkey

Percentages instead of spoonfuls

Works out the salt for a wet or dry brine, the salinity the food itself ends up at, and how long to leave it in for its weight.

Recipes measure salt in spoons, but brining is about percentages. A brine's strength is quoted against the water — six percent means 60 g of salt per litre — and that single number is what decides the result, not the size of your spoon.

The food then takes some of that salt on. Once the two sides even out, a joint sitting in a six percent brine finishes noticeably milder than the brine itself, which is why the final salinity of the food is shown separately here.

What this calculator shows

The salt in grams for the brine strength you choose
The salinity the food itself reaches once the brine has done its work
How long to leave it in, based on the weight

What to keep in mind

Wet brine strength is a percentage of the water, exactly as recipes state it: 6% is 60 g of salt per litre.
Dry brining is a percentage of the food itself — 1 to 1.5% salt, uncovered in the fridge, no liquid at all.

FAQs

How much salt per litre of water?

60 g for chicken and pork, 50 g for beef and fish, 70 g for lightly salted cucumbers. That figure is the brine strength: 60 g per litre is a six percent brine.

Why choose a dry brine?

It does not dilute anything: the meat takes on no extra water, the skin dries out and browns far better. It does need more time and more care with the quantity of salt.

Can food sit in brine too long?

Yes. Meat turns distinctly salty with a ham-like texture, fish goes firm and dry. At six percent, do not leave a chicken longer than 6 to 8 hours.

Which salt should I use?

Any non-iodised salt. What matters is that the recipe works by weight: a teaspoon of fine salt outweighs the same teaspoon of flakes by half again.

Worked example

A 2 kg chicken before roasting

Input: 2 kg chicken, 2 l water, 6%

Output: 120 g salt, food salinity 3%, 4 hours

Note: The usual 'a tablespoon per litre' is about 1.5%, and in four hours it barely reaches the meat. Six percent is what gives the juicy result people brine for in the first place.

Useful links

All tools in Cooking calculators: temperatures, ratios and substitutions How long to cook guides How long to cook chicken breast in the oven How long to cook salmon fillet in the oven How long to cook pork chops in the oven

Brine Calculator

Result

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Useful links