Smoked Turkey
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups curing salt
- 1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
- 3 cup cider
- 1/2 teaspoon ginger
- 4 tablespoons black pepper
- 1/2 cup lemon juice
- 1/2 ounces maple flavoring
Instructions
- Thoroughly mix all ingredients in a non-aluminum container that is large enough to completely submerge the bird. Simmer over medium heat five minutes per pound.
- Remove bird from brine and allow to air dry for at least one hour.
- Begin preheating smoker.
- Rub skin with a modest amount of brown sugar. Suspend the whole bird from meat bar on smoker rack. Leave bottom rack in smoker and fabricate a drip pan out of aluminum foil. Smoke one hour per pound, basting with melted butter every 1 1/2 hours. Refill flavor pan with hickory flavor every three hours.
- Remove turkey from smoker and place in roasting oven, preheated to 300 degrees F or microwave on HIGH for 5 to 10 minutes or until leg joint will move freely and easily in socket. The turkey should have a rich golden brown color.
Notes
* For each four quarts of water
Turkey smoked in this manner will keep about the same as a normal roasted turkey.
To freeze, remove meat from bones with sharp knife, freezing in individual-size packages. Keeps up to seven months frozen.
