Wow I don't know how I missed this earlier but I did. I normally brine and inject.
Here's how I do mine;
Poultry Brine
1 1/2 Gallon Apple Juice
5/8 Cup Kosher Salt (5 oz)
3/4 Cup Dark Brown Sugar (6 oz)
1/2 Cup Morton’s Tender Quick (4.5 oz) or 2 Tbsp DQ cure #1 (1.5 oz)
1 Tbsp Garlic Powder ( .3 oz)
1 Tbsp Onion Powder ( .3 oz)
1 Tbsp Cajun Spice ( .5 oz) (Louisiana Cajun Seasoning)
1 Tbsp Celery Seed ( .3 oz)
1 Tbsp Pickling Spice ( .4 oz)
1 1/2 tsp Ground Cloves ( .2 oz)
Instructions
1. Place all spices in spice grinder and grind fine.
2. Place 4 cups of apple juice in a 4 quart sauce pan, add Salt, Sugar, cure, and spices heat and stir until completely dissolved.
3. Turn off heat, cover, and cool to room temp.
TIP do steps 1-3 ahead of time to allow chilling in refrigerator or freezer.
4. In a large stock pot, combine remaining apple juice with the concentrated brine.
5. Wash turkey inside and out, making sure you have removed the innards, and tail.
6. Inject turkey 5% by weight with brine injection
Brine injection
1/2 Gallon Apple Juice
3 Tbsp + 1 tsp Kosher Salt (1.67 oz)
1/4 Cup Dark Brown Sugar (2oz)
2 Tbsp + 2 tsp Morton’s Tender Quick (1.5 oz) or 2 tsp DQ cure #1 ( .5 oz)
1 tsp Garlic Powder ( .1 oz)
1 tsp Onion Powder ( .1 oz)
1 tsp Cajun Spice ( .17 oz) (Louisiana Cajun Seasoning)
1 tsp Celery Seed ( .1 oz)
1 tsp Pickling Spice ( .13 oz)
1/2 tsp Ground Cloves ( .06 oz)
Instructions
1. Place all spices in spice grinder and grind fine.
2. Place 2 cups apple juice in sauce pan, add salt, sugar, cure, and ground spices.
3. Heat to low simmer and stir till all salt and sugar is dissolved.
4. Remove from heat and cool
5. Mix in remaining apple juice
6. Inject turkey with 5% by weight
7. Place turkey in turkey roasting bag neck down.
8. Place turkey in cooler large enough to hold turkey and pack ice around turkey roasting bag.
9. Pore brine into turkey roasting bag. Remove as much air as possible from turkey roasting bag and tie off.
10. Let turkey soak for 1 to 5 days.
11. Remove turkey from brine and rinse well inside and out
12. Dry turkey with paper towels inside and out.
13. Inject turkey with poultry injection.
Poultry Injection
1 Package Zesty Italian Dressing mix
1/4 tsp Ground Cloves
1 tsp Cajun Spice (Louisiana Cajun Seasoning)
1 1/2 tsp Garlic Powder
1 1/2 tsp Celery Seed
1 1/2 tsp Pickling spice
1 Tbsp Dark Brown Sugar
4 Tbsp melted non salted Butter
2 C Apple Cider
Instructions
1. Place all spices, and dressing mix in spice grinder and grind fine.
2. Heat Apple cider till butter is melted
3. Mix in ground spices, and sugar.
4. Heat in microwave for 1 1/2 min on high.
5. Allow to cool while preparing turkey
6. Inject turkey all over.