One tablespoon, three different salts
| Salt | Grams per tablespoon |
|---|---|
| Table salt | 18.3 |
| Kosher salt, Diamond Crystal | 8.4 |
| Kosher salt, Morton | 14.4 |
A recipe that says "1 tablespoon of kosher salt" can mean 8 grams or 14 grams. That is why this calculator works in weight.
The USDA recipes
- Wet brine for poultry: 3 tablespoons of table salt per quart of water (¾ cup per gallon). Submerge the poultry, cover, and refrigerate at least overnight. Up to 2 days. Discard the brine.
- Dry brine: 1 tablespoon of kosher salt for every 5 pounds of poultry, rubbed on and refrigerated up to 2 days.
How it is calculated
- Wet brine salt (g) = water weight (g) × salt percent ÷ 100. Water: 1 ml = 1 g.
- USDA wet brine = 3 tbsp table salt per quart = 3 × 18.25 g ÷ 946 g = 5.8%.
- USDA dry brine = 1 tbsp kosher salt per 5 pounds of poultry. Grams depend on the brand.
Worked example
2 liters of water at 5.8%: 116 g of salt. A 12 pound turkey dry brined by the USDA rate: 2.4 tablespoons of kosher salt, which is 20 g of Diamond Crystal or 35 g of Morton.