Smoked Turkey

For each four quarts of water:

Brine
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

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. 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.