Brine that bird!

Here is a fabulous brine recipe for your Thanksgiving day feast. If you have never brined a turkey, this is the year to try it. Trust me, you will never return to your previous cooking method!

Homemade Turkey Brine

2 gallons Water

2 cups Apple Juice

2 cups Kosher Salt (can Decrease To 1 1/2 Cups If You're Concerned About Salt)

2 cups Brown Sugar

2 cloves Garlic, Crushed

5 pieces Bay Leaves

3 Tablespoons Black Peppercorns

1 Tablespoon Dried Rosemary

2 whole Peel Of Oranges (Sliced Off The Fruit, Avoiding As Much Of The White Pith As Possible, Then Roughly Chopped)

Combine all ingredients in a large pot and bring to a boil. Turn off heat immediately, cover, and allow mixture to come to room temperature. Cool mixture in the fridge until you’re ready.

To brine the turkey, remove turkey from wrapper, remove innards, and rinse thoroughly under cool water. Place the turkey into a plastic brining bag or large pot or bucket.
Pour cool brine mixture over the top, adding extra cold water if you need more to cover. Seal bag or cover pot and allow turkey to brine in refrigerator for 8 to 18 hours before roasting.
Before roasting, remove turkey from brine and rinse thoroughly under cold water. Pat dry. Discard brine.

*The drippings will be VERY salty, so cut with water or add no sodium broth to make gravy.
*This is a perfect time to pull out one of those free icing buckets for brining your bird!