Put a fresh, Northern Michigan turkey into a brine from Suttons Bay Trading Company and amp the Thanksgiving wow factor.
Find your fresh turkey at these fine Northern Michigan Farms:
(Call early for order deadlines and availability)
- Biehl’s Circle B Turkey Ranch, Mancelona, 231.587.9580
- Duerksen Turkey Farm, Mancelona, 231.587.8267 or 231.357.7784
- Echo Bend, Arcadia, 231.352.6998
- Fleming Feirm, Levering, 231.537.4809
- Haymaker Poultry Co., Traverse City, 847.271.6002
- Hubbell Farm, Cedar, 231.228.6390
- River Valley Poultry Farm, Kingsley, 231.313.0413
Once Tom T. is in the bag, contact Suttons Bay Trading Company for the hand-blended turkey brine. Suttons Bay Trading Company is the end product of proprietor Karen Pontius’s culinary training and her passion for Leelanau County. Karen and her husband, Kim, originally founded their hand-blended spice company in Fort Wayne, Indiana, naming it after their favorite vacation spot. Last spring, town and namesake were united in this boutique for the senses, where flavors from far-flung ports mingle with locally sourced herbs (now that remodeling is finished, Karen hopes to expand her Northern Michigan sources). Following the spice route has naturally turned Karen into a brining devotee. Her signature brine boasts a heady dose of hand-blended mulling spice that renders roasted or smoked pork, beef and chicken tender with autumnal flavors. Try it on your holiday turkey and you’ll find one more reason to give thanks.
Pick up (or order online or by phone) a pound of brining spice ($7.95) and brine your turkey this way: Fill a medium-sized saucepan almost to the top with water and add the spice while the water is heating. Let it come to a boil, then turn heat to low for 5 minutes. Turn off the burner and cool to room temperature. Place turkey, breast side down, in large canning kettle or roaster. Pour brine over it adding cold water as needed to cover the meat entirely. Refrigerate. Brine for at least 12 hours and no more than 24.
Suttons Bay Trading Company, 310 N. St. Joseph St., Suttons Bay. 231.271.7423