Turkey Brine

November days

Ingredients

12-20 lb thawed or fresh turkey (remove neck and livers,etc)

1 gallon sweet cider

1 cup apple cider vinegar

1 cup sugar

2/3 cup kosher or sea salt

1 yellow onion, sliced

1 lemon, quartered
1 orange, quartered
10 cloves
4 cloves garlic, smashed
6 bay leaves
1 tablespoon thyme
2 sticks cinnamon
1 quart ice water

Preparation

Put all ingredients EXCEPT ice water in a large (8 quart pot).  Simmer until all sugar and salt dissolve (about 5 minutes).  Add ice water.  When the brine is room temperature, place the turkey in breast side down. Cover and refrigerate turkey and brine.  Ideally, brine turkey on each side for 12 hours.

Drain brine and discard.  Pat turkey dry, rub with sage butter, inside and outside of turkey.  Make several small slits in turkey breast skin and rub some sage butter in between the skin and the meat. Add chicken broth to roasting pan (according to the size of the turkey) I use about 6-8 cups of chicken broth.  Roast with lid on pan according to weight of turkey.   Remove the lid of the pan for the last 20 minutes.