How long would you brine cornish hens?

[Mattkn]

I thought for maybe an afternoon or so, but I read a post on here that said only for an hour....

Any ideas?

Thanks!

[DishyDiva]

As the PPs have said, the more salt you use, the less the brining time. However, from my experience, using less salt for longer periods (at least 6 hours) produces juicier, more tender results. I usually use a very dilute salt (and herbs) solution in which I soak the birds overnight.

[jboeke]

A big turkey I would brine normally overnight, so for a cornish hen I would probably drop it in the brine in the morning and roast it that night. It's still protected with the skin, so I think this would be fine.

[Morganna]

Usually smaller bits of meat like this I'll do for an hour or two. Like center cut boneless pork chops I'll brine for around an hour. If you're going to brine for longer, reduce the salt a bit in your brine.

[Ali]

I've brined them for anywhere from a few hours to a few days, varying the salt/flavour levels accordingly. I've never done it for just one hour, though.