Ingredients:

  Amount  Measure       Ingredient -- Preparation Method
--------  ------------  --------------------------------
     2/3  cup           salt
     1/2  cup           plus 2 tablespoons sugar
     1/2  cup           black pepper -- cracked
   1      pinch         dried thyme
  13                    cloves
  13                    allspice -- cracked
   3                    bay leaves
  13                    juniper berries -- crushed
   1      gallon        water

Preparation:

Combine salt, sugar, pepper, thyme, cloves, allspice, bay leaves and juniper berries in saucepan. Add 1 quart water and bring to boil. Simmer 5 minutes, then add to 1 gallon cold water. Chill thoroughly before using brine. This recipe, inspired by one of Jeremiah Towers', is enough for a 12- to 14-pound turkey. The spicing is very faint, mostly you taste the salt and a bit of the sugar. It's a bit like a very elegant version of commercial smoked turkey, only without the smoke. Peel also uses this recipe for roast pork and smoked fish. For a pork loin, cut all of the amounts by half; for fish or chops, cut them into quarter