The brining of meats is an age-old process of food preservation. Heavy concentrations of salt could preserve meats for long ocean voyages and military campaigns before the advent of refrigeration. Now brining takes on a new purpose. By using smaller quantities of salt, mixed with other spices and herbs, brining can permeate meat with flavor. The chemistry behind brining is actually pretty simple.
Meat already contains salt water.
By immersing meats into a liquid with a higher concentration of salt the liquid is absorbed into the meat. Any flavoring added to the brine will be carried into the meat with the saltwater mixture. And because the meat is now loaded with extra moisture it will stay that way longer while it cooks. The process of brining is easy but takes some planning. Depending on the size of what you want to brine it can take up to 24 hours of more.