Susan > wrote:

>Steve Pope wrote:

>> I would say this is not a brine, it is a marinade. There is not
>> enough salt in it to be a brine, plus there is vinegar -- brines
>> are not acidic.

>> Spices are optional in a brine and sugar is not normally included.
>> These ingredients are more typical in marinades.

>> A basic brine is water and salt in a 12:1 ratio by volume.
>> I've seen recipes calling for 8:1 but I have not found that
>> level of salt necessary. I've seen 16:1 used in a recipe from Acme
>> chop house, San Francisco. The above recipe is about 21:1.
>> I would say the salt concentation is too low for brining action.

>A lot of basic brining recipes also call for sugar, though I've never
>seen one with vinegar in it before, and I would never add it.

I see sugar routinely in brines for fish, not so much for
meat or fowl in my experience. YMMV.

Steve