Actual % Sodium Nitrite Calculation in a Curing Mixture

[SmokinEdge]

No
Nitrite is based on the meat.

when I solve for cure #1
It goes like this.
1 pound= 454 grams, so for every pound of meat to impart 156ppm of nitrite from cure #1 (containing 6.25% nitrite)
454x0.000156= 0.070824. I now divide that by the percent of nitrite in the cure (6.25%) so 0.070824/0.0625= 1.133 grams of cure #1 to one pound of meat for 156ppm.
The cure is imparted to the meat by weight of BOTH the meat and cure. But the % of nitrite in a given cure is listed by weight of the cure.
Example: cure #1 is 6.25% nitrite.
Morton Tender Quick contains 0.5% nitrite and 0.5% nitrate.
Both are applied to meat by meat weight, but both contain different amounts of nitrite by percentage to the product weight, not volume.

 

[daveomak]

I read somewhere, NEVER premix the cure#1 with the spices and herbs etc....
Chemical reactions are a possibility......

 

[thirdeye]

thirdeye
These guys have you covered. However this does bring up an interesting point. In Cure #1 they have a proprietary process that keeps the 6.25% nitrite from separating from the salt, so any volume or weight is always 6.25% nitrite. However, I do not know in these other cures how well the nitrite stays mixed. Hi mountain and waltons come to mind. They both have similar curing salt mixtures, sugar, maple, whatever. But the question is, does the nitrite stay in concentration with the other ingredients? I don’t know. When I mix cure #1 or #2 with other salt, sugar and spice, that cure salt always settles to the bottom.

"Held in suspension" is how the manufacturers of Cure #1, Cure #1 and Tender Quick explain how the nitrite/nitrate and the salt carrier stay mixed. When I make a dry cure I mix everything very well before using, and stir often during use.

 

[thirdeye]

So, are we are in agreement that when using Cure #1 in a dry curing mixture for whatever product, the amount needed is based on the weight of the meat in order to deliver the necessary amount of sodium nitrite. And that when a manufacturer (say Hi Mountain) sells a pre-mixed cure, the label expresses the percent of sodium nitrite within their product, but their instructions explain how much to use.

And come to think of it, a container of Cure #1 has a label that expresses the percent of salt and of sodium nitrite (6.25%) that it contains.... and instructions on how much to use.

 

[olaf]

So, are we are in agreement that when using Cure #1 in a dry curing mixture for whatever product, the amount needed is based on the weight of the meat in order to deliver the necessary amount of sodium nitrite.
View attachment 489272

Yes but am I wrong to also add the weight of water when doing a brine 16oz water+1lb meat = 2

 

[thirdeye]

Yes but am I wrong to also add the weight of water when doing a brine 16oz water+1lb meat = 2

For a wet curing brine I add meat weight, water weight and salt/sugar weight and use that weight for calculating the amount of Cure #1. But don't add the weight of signature seasonings like pepper or garlic. Some people only weigh meat and water.

 

[Fueling Around]

So, are we are in agreement that when using Cure #1 in a dry curing mixture for whatever product, the amount needed is based on the weight of the meat in order to deliver the necessary amount of sodium nitrite. And that when a manufacturer (say Hi Mountain) sells a pre-mixed cure, the label expresses the percent of sodium nitrite within their product, but their instructions explain how much to use.

And come to think of it, a container of Cure #1 has a label that expresses the percent of salt and of sodium nitrite (6.25%) that it contains.... and instructions on how much to use.

Yes, Thank you.
That's what I was trying to state, but it wasn't coming out correctly.

I read somewhere, NEVER premix the cure#1 with the spices and herbs etc....
Chemical reactions are a possibility......

That's in the instructions of the cure kits I've used.