Brined Turkey Breast

Ingredients:

6 cups apple cider
¼ cup brown sugar
½ cup kosher salt
3 Tablespoons poultry seasoning
4 cups of ice
1 (6 to 7 pound) turkey breast, either fresh or thawed from frozen
1 slow cooker liner bag
1 twist tie
2 Tablespoons canola oil

Directions: In a large saucepan, heat the cider, sugar, salt and seasoning to a boil. Turn off the heat and remove the pan to a trivet or cold burner. Let sit until the pot is cool to the touch, about 1 hour. Add in the ice to cool the brine. Rinse the turkey breast with cold water and place it securely, cavity side up, into the bottom of the slow cooker liner. Slowly and carefully pour the cooled brine mixture over the turkey breast, holding up the ends of the bag with your non-dominant hand. Pull the edges of the liner bag together and tie very tightly with the twist tie. Place this into a grocery store plastic bag and put it in an appropriately fitted dish to make sure that it doesn’t leak all over it the bag tips or the tie comes undone. Brine for at least 24 hours, but up to 72 hours.

When you are ready to cook the turkey, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Drain the brine off, pat the skin dry and rub on the oil. Discard the slow cooker liner, and place the turkey breast in a roasting pan. Cook until a meat thermometer reads 165 to 170, about 2 hours. . Cover the breast with foil and let rest for about 30 minutes before carving. And those drippings? If you like gravy, the drippings here make awesome gravy that is full of flavor!