turkey is usually the most stressful part of cooking any holiday meal. using the easy brine below ensures that the turkey has and keeps some great flavor.
holiday turkey brine with marinade 
yield: 5 gallons or brine for a 15-20lb turkey
2 ½ gallons water
10lbs of ice
4 garlic clove, smashed
3 cup salt
2 cup sugar
2 oranges, sliced in wedges
1 ½ cup marinade
for this recipe we used a 20 gallon orange water cooler, similar to what you see on sports sidelines. this is large enough for all the liquid to rise when the turkey is added.
- in a medium stock pot add the water, garlic, salt, sugar, marinade and orange wedges which should be squeezed into the pot. bring all the liquid to a boil and allow to boil for 5 minutes, whisking to ensure salt and sugar are well dissolved.
- while the liquid boils add 5lbs of ice to the water cooler. turn off brine mix and allow to cool to room temperature. carefully pour the liquid over the ice. whisk until the liquid has cooled. slowly lower the turkey into the container, legs first. add the remaining 5lbs of ice to the container. place a small pot or bowl over the turkey to hold it under the brine. cover with the lid and allow turkey to brine for at least 8 hours. check the ice periodically to ensure the turkey and the brine stay cold for the entire period. if more ice needs to be added to the brine do so in 5lb increments. the turkey will not need to be rinsed after brining.