Brining helps insure that the turkey stays extra juicy during the roasting process. This orange brine complements the maple-glaze and scents the turkey with Thanksgiving's favorite seasonings.

6 cups water
1 cup sugar
2 cups Kosher salt (if using iodized table salt use only 1 cup)
2 oranges, quartered
1 tablespoon whole clove
3 bay leaves
2 teaspoons whole peppercorns
1 12-14 pound turkey, defrosted And cleaned
Olive oil for brushing turkey

Heavy duty foil pan

In a large saucepan over high heat, bring the water, sugar and salt to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar and salt. Let cool to room temperature.

In a 3-gallon plastic bucket or other food safe container large enough to hold the turkey, combine one gallon of water, the oranges, cloves, bay leaves and peppercorns. Add the sugar-salt solution and stir.

Submerge the turkey in the brine. If necessary, add more water to cover turkey and top with a weight to make sure it is completely covered with the liquid. Refrigerate for 8-12 hours.

Follow turkey roasting instructions either with the Easy Turkey on the Grill or the Grilled Maple-Glazed Turkey recipe.