Fruity Tutti Turkey Brine

This whole roasted turkey gets a full three-day soak in fruity brine with lots of dried fruit and spices. Your house will smell like the holidays for sure.

• Cooking Time: 5 hr
• Total Time: 5 hr
• Calories: 985 Calories

Ingredients

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

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

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.

Step 2

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.

Step 3

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.

Step 4

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.

Step 5

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).