You can also use an oven bag from Reynolds if you don't have a big enough pot to submerge the turkey, but you want to be careful (obviously) not to let the wings or a bone poke holes in the bag. Not enough room in the refrigerator? If you have a big cooler, they work great for brining as well. Just make sure you clean them well before and after (a little bleach water to kill all the bad stuff), and keep the cooler cold so you don't breed salmonella.

Heat a 1/2 gallon of the water over medium high heat. Add the salt. Stir until the salt is dissolved. Tie the herbs in a bouquets garnis (a what? yeah, that is what I said. It is a bunch of herbs tied with a string) and add to the water. Let it simmer for about 25 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool. Add the cold water and stir.

Clean out the turkey (none of that giblet stuff inside the cavity). Rinse it inside and out.

Add the turkey and water to the container you are going to brine in and refrigerate for 10 to 15 hours or overnight. If you didn't plan well enough ahead and have only 4 to 6 hours to soak, double the salt. This way you can time it with when you are going to cook.  Make sure it is fully submerged.

After the long soak, remove the turkey from the brine. Dispose the brine water safely. Remember, these birds can carry salmonella, so disinfect any spills. Rinse the turkey inside and out. Now your turkey is brined and ready to cook.  At this point, the turkey doesn't need a whole lot of additional seasoning.  A little fresh ground black pepper is fine, but do NOT add more salt.