Juniper Brine
For holiday turkeys. This keeps the breast meat moist and flavorful.
Steps
Put all the ingredients in a 3-4 quart saucepan.
Add 8 cups of water and stir to combine.
Bring to a boil over medium heat , stirring until salt and sugar dissolve.
Boil for 3 minutes , then remove from heat.
Add 4 cups of ice water , stir , then set aside to cool.
Have a heavy roasting pan ready and place the 2 oven cooking bags inside which should be nested in a double-layer.
Open the bags wide , and roll down the tops to form a collar.
Remove the turkey from its wrapper , remove the giblets , and rinse and prepare bird.
Place the turkey upright inside the bags with the legs pointing up.
And pour the juniper brine over the top , and add an additional 2 cups of cold water.
Draw up the inner cooking bag , squeezing out as much air as possible , and secure it closed with the twist-tie.
Do the same for the outer bag.
Place the turkey breast side down in the roasting pan and refrigerate for 12-24 hours , turning 3-4 times while it is brining.
Just prior to roasting , remove.
Ingredients
kosher salt, sugar, fresh sage leaves, fresh thyme, bay leaves, cloves, juniper berries, black peppercorns, allspice berries, turkey, oven cooking bags