fruity tutti turkey brine

Ingredients

• Servings: 1
• 9 (14 ounce) cans vegetable broth
• 1 1/2 cups chopped candied ginger
• 1 1/2 cups dried cherries
• 4 ounces dried pears
• 4 ounces dried apples
• 2 1/2 cups brown sugar
• 1 cup kosher salt
• 2 tablespoons whole peppercorns
• 1 teaspoon whole allspice berries
• 3 cinnamon sticks
• 5 leaves fresh sage
• 1 gallon ice water
• 1 (15 pound) frozen whole turkey, unthawed
• 1 white onion, quartered
• 1 red apple, cored and quartered
• 1 sprig fresh rosemary, or to taste
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 1 leaf fresh sage, or to taste
• 3 cups water, or amount to cover
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, or as needed

Recipe

Cook Time: 5 hrs

Ready Time: 5 hrs


• stir the vegetable broth, candied ginger, dried cherries, dried pears, dried apples, brown sugar, kosher salt, black peppercorns, allspice berries, 3 cinnamon sticks, and 5 sage leaves together in a large stockpot until the brown sugar and salt dissolve completely; bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
• remove the brine from heat, add the ice water, and stir to melt ice and chill the brine; refrigerate until cold, at least 2 hours. place the still-frozen turkey into the brine and refrigerate for 3 days. on the second day of brining, turn the turkey over in the brine.
• on serving day (the third day of brining), preheat oven to 350 degrees f (175 degrees c). remove the turkey from the brine and place into a roasting pan. discard the brine.
• place the onion, red apple, 1 sprig of rosemary, 2 more cinnamon sticks, and 1 sage leaf into a 5-cup microwave-safe measuring cup and fill the cup with enough water to cover. place into microwave oven and cook on high power until hot, about 5 minutes. pour the contents of the cup into the cavity of the turkey. rub the skin of the turkey with the vegetable oil.
• roast in the preheated oven until the turkey is golden brown and the juices run clear, 4 to 4 1/2 hours. an instant-read meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of a thigh should read 165 degrees f (75 degrees c).