Fall Turkey Brine

By Jessica Cameron

• 2 cups of coarse grey sea salt
• 1 cup of juniper berries
• 1 cup of dried thyme
• 1 cup of dried rosemary
• 1/2 cup of dried lemon rind
• 1/2 cup of dehydrated apple diced
• 1/2 cup of dried orange peel
• 1/2 cup dried roasted garlic
• 1/2 cup of lemon pepper
• 12 bay leaves dried

      Mix all ingredients together thoroughly. Fill a pot with 1 gallon of water, add the salt mixture, and bring to a boil. Boil until the herb mixture dissolves. Let the mixture cool to room temperature, then put the mixture in the refrigerator to cool completely. When ready to brine your bird, combine the chilled brined water, with an additional 1 gallon of chilled water*.   Add the turkey and brine a minimum of 24 hours, to a maximum of 48 hours keeping the mixture and the bird cool for the entire brining process. When you are ready to roast your turkey, remove the bird from the brine and rinse it off in cold water. Pat the bird dry with a paper towel and let sit to warm up to room temperature. Proceed to roast your bird per your recipe. Discard the brine entirely once used.

* Apple Cider Option: To further emphasize the apple flavor in your bird, instead of adding 2 gallons of water to your brine, add 1 gallon of water and 1 gallon of apple cider. Note, this is for a fifteen pound turkey.