Apple and Spice Brine
Ingredients
- 1 gallon water (yes, we’re making a lot of liquid here)
- 3 quarts apple juice (bonus points if it’s the fancy kind)
- 3 quarts orange juice (fresh-squeezed? You overachiever, you.)
- 1 1/2 cups kosher salt (turkey doesn’t season itself)
- 1 1/2 cups brown sugar (because sweet and salty is a vibe)
- 2 sticks of cinnamon (for that cozy aroma)
- 10 whole cloves (tiny but mighty)
- 1 teaspoon nutmeg (because holiday vibes, obviously)
- Candied ginger (no measurement—just channel your inner sprinkle fairy)
Instructions
- Spice It Up:
- Pour the apple juice and orange juice into a pot big enough to make you question your cabinet space decisions. Add the cinnamon sticks, cloves, nutmeg, and a handful of candied ginger. Bring it to a simmer over medium heat for 15 minutes, or until your kitchen smells like a festive dream. Don’t boil it, unless you enjoy cleaning sticky juice explosions.
- Salt and Sugar Magic:
- In another pot (because one pot is never enough), combine the water, salt, and brown sugar. Heat it up until the sugar and salt dissolve completely. Give it a stir—it’s like making a savory caramel… but not.
- Cool It, Literally:
- Take both mixtures off the heat and let them cool down. Nobody wants to scald the turkey.
- Combine and Chill:
- Once cooled, marry the juice-spice mix with the salt-sugar water in a container large enough to house your turkey and its new flavor bath. Refrigerate this glorious brine overnight. Yes, overnight—it’s a marathon, not a sprint.
- Brine That Bird:
- The next day, your turkey gets a spa treatment. Submerge it fully in the brine and let it soak up all the love and flavor. Turkey season just got serious.
