Will be doing a corned beef next week after the 1st. Make your own from scratch - buy a brisket on sale and begin:

5 pound brisket
1/4 cup large-grained sea salt
1 tsp coarse ground black pepper
2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp sage
1 tbl brown sugar
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1/8 tsp paprika
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup warm water

1. Wash and remove most fat from brisket. Mix together all spices and rub well into brisket. Let stand for one hour.
2. Place brisket in zip-lock bag and pour water over the meat.
3. Weigh the brisket down in the refrigerator with heavy stones or bricks.
4. Refrigerate at least three weeks. Turn meat every 2-3 days while rubbing the mixture deep into the brisket.
5. Before cooking, soak the brisket in several changes of cold water to remove excess salt - roughly 24 hours.

I know it's easier to by one from Walmart - but not as much fun.