Adding sodas, like Dr. Pepper to meats when curing...

[daveomak]

Some time back we had this discussion... Well, I finally found why that is not recommended.... I know I'm slow, but this is ridiculous....

Phosphoric acid is added to most sodas... Read the label.... What happens when acids are added to your meat you are curing, is explained below by Marianski...


Ascorbic acid (vitamin C) - should not be added with sodium nitrite at the same time as they react violently creating fumes. Therefore, ascorbic acid should be added last. A vitamin C tablet may be pulverized and applied to meat. It is usually applied at 0.1%. Sodium ascorbate - sodium salt of ascorbic acid. Sodium erythorbate (isoascorbate) - salt of erythorbic acid. Ascorbate is added at 0.4 - 0.6 g per kilogram of total mass, ascorbate or erythorbate are added at 0.5 - 0.7 g per kilogram of total mass. Curing accelerators are of little use in air dried products as by increasing nitrite reaction they deplete its amount. As a result, less nitrite is available for long time curing.

Marianski, Stanley. Home Production of Quality Meats and Sausages (Kindle Locations 2726-2733). Bookmagic LLC. Kindle Edition.

 

[indaswamp]

Yep. I learned of this when talking about curing tasso. I use to add Worcestershire sauce when curing. Not anymore. I now wet the surface of the tasso after curing is done for seasoning to stick. The Worcestershire sauce is very acidic...and reacts with the cure....