I wrote:
> I *never* add sugar or brown sugar for the same reason I don't add
> them to my rubs -- I don't see the need for extra carmelization and it
> just doesn't taste right, IMHO. I add Mace to my rubs in lieu of
> sugar, but I haven't tried that with brining. *However*, I have taken
> to adding honey to brines (again, credit TKattt) and that's working
> out for me. I think the chemical complexity of honey differentiates it
> from sugars more than subjectively in this use (and others).

Having expended some small, additional thought on this, let me expound a
bit mo

Shirley Corriher states in her _Cookwise_ book that a sugar solution will
also contribute to water-transport across the cell walls into meats. This
should have been obvious, since I am reminded of the junior high
experiment in which molasses is placed in a water-permeable sac and
placed in a water bath. It is shown to draw water through the membrane
towards the molasses. Obviously, the reverse is happening due to the high
solution concentrations inside the cells, thus drawing moisture into the
meat. How this functions quantitatively in a salt/sugar solution versus
just salt or just sugar, I have no idea.

However, my thoughts on adding sugar to the brining solution wrt
carmelizing, etc. are probably mostly nonsense.

But I do like using honey more than sugar... ;-)

-jeffrey