Brine Turkey in KCl (Potassium Chloride)

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PianoAl

Cook
Joined
Aug 30, 2012
Messages
71
I've been substituting KCl for NaCl for about a year, with excellent blood pressure results:

BloodPressure5.jpg

Although some people don't like the taste of KCl, I find it to be almost identical in taste to normal salt (and see below). I even replace NaCl with KCl in bacon, by soaking the bacon to remove the regular salt, then adding KCl.

So, I'm considering brining our turkey in a solution of KCl. To hedge my bets, I'll probably make the solution more dilute that normal. Has anyone tried this? Any thoughts?

Concerning the taste of KCl, consider this story. When my daughter was visiting she said she didn't like salt substitutes. I put a small pile of salt on each of two plates, and had her do a taste comparison. "Oh, yuck, that second one is the KCl, it tastes terrible!" she said.

What she didn't know was that both piles were regular NaCl table salt. IOW, we can't always trust our senses.

Thanks,

Al
 
All though it may work for you. People must be aware that babies, people with heart or kidney disease should be careful about the use of PC. Also it is not a good substitute for cooking as it leaves a bitter aftertaste in food. Just a word of caution!
 
It turned out great. This may have been the best turkey I've prepared.

Here's the recipe I used:

Ingredients
Makes enough brine for one 18- to 20-pound turkey

2 quarts (28 cups) water
1/3 cups lite salt
2 bay leaves
1 tsp whole coriander seeds
.5 tsp dried juniper berries
1 tsp fennel seeds
1 fresh whole turkey (11 pounds), patted dry, neck and giblets reserved for stock, liver reserved for stuffing
.5 cup red wine
.5 onion, thinly sliced
1 tsp chopped garlic
1 tsp thyme

Mix, Soak.
 
Why is there no Potassium Coloride in this recipe? I thought this thread was to brine with KCI. And not to be rude, but I have not seen a brine using lite salt! Most brines use 1 cup of salt to a gallon of water. The recipe seems more like marinade then a brine. I'm just happy to see your turkey came out well. Happy Thanksgiving.
 
Lite salt is half NaCl and half KCl is it not?

KCl is so weird and bitter/metallic tasting.. Wouldn't use it.

Plus isn't it SODIUM that makes the physics/chemistry of brining happen in the first place?
 
Actually, anything soluble in water should work

Hi! I'm trying to find information about brining with potassium chloride, as my Dad was recently diagnosed with chronic heart failure, and is now on a low sodium diet. Of course at the same time I discovered the magic of brining, but am nervous to make brined chicken for him with sodium chloride.

As far as the last comment about need sodium for brining, I believe this is not the case. I'm a chemist, and as far as I understand the principles of brining occur based on osmotic pressure, which is a fancy way of saying how much stuff there is dissolved in the water. The same number of molecules of sodium chloride should have the same effect as the same number of molecules of potassium chloride, which will be about 1.3 times as much potassium chloride, by weight, than sodium chloride (table salt).

I was thinking of playing around with other solutes, like sugar or vinegar, as a way of increasing the osmolarity of the brining solution. Any ideas?
 
Hi! I'm trying to find information about brining with potassium chloride, as my Dad was recently diagnosed with chronic heart failure, and is now on a low sodium diet. Of course at the same time I discovered the magic of brining, but am nervous to make brined chicken for him with sodium chloride.

As far as the last comment about need sodium for brining, I believe this is not the case. I'm a chemist, and as far as I understand the principles of brining occur based on osmotic pressure, which is a fancy way of saying how much stuff there is dissolved in the water. The same number of molecules of sodium chloride should have the same effect as the same number of molecules of potassium chloride, which will be about 1.3 times as much potassium chloride, by weight, than sodium chloride (table salt).

I was thinking of playing around with other solutes, like sugar or vinegar, as a way of increasing the osmolarity of the brining solution. Any ideas?
"but am nervous to make brined chicken for him with sodium chloride." So, why brine it? (No don't bother answering that.)
 
I know this is a super old thread... but it's not the salt that does the chemistry...

https://www.cooksillustrated.com/how_tos/6055-low-salt-brining

"When we did some further investigation, we learned that while the positive sodium ions in table salt are responsible for adding flavor, it’s the negative chloride ions that bind to the proteins and cause them to swell and absorb moisture. Potassium chloride provides the same negative ions as table salt, and thus has a nearly identical effect when used in a brine."

And most people can't tell the difference in flavor.
 
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