I picked up a belly to make my first bacon. After a ton of reading I have my cure amount figured out. Well the butcher I got the belly from sold me a 1/2 pound of cure with the belly. I asked just to verify it is just sodium nitrite and he looked at me like he didn't even know what that is. He said it's a premixed sugar cure, just rub it down and let it sit for a couple weeks and it will be fine....
So I have no idea how much or even what kind of cure I have right now and I couldn't even see a label for my own verification. They sell a ton of their own bacon and i used to buy a lot of it....now I'm uncomfortable about the whole situation. It will take about a week to get DQ cure #1 at my door. I'm thinking I may just freeze the belly for now and wait for a cure I can identify.... I could have hounded the guy more but everyone in the room stared at me as soon as I questioned the cure so I just gave my $2 for it and left. Any advice/opinions or am I just over thinking this?
So I have no idea how much or even what kind of cure I have right now and I couldn't even see a label for my own verification. They sell a ton of their own bacon and i used to buy a lot of it....now I'm uncomfortable about the whole situation. It will take about a week to get DQ cure #1 at my door. I'm thinking I may just freeze the belly for now and wait for a cure I can identify.... I could have hounded the guy more but everyone in the room stared at me as soon as I questioned the cure so I just gave my $2 for it and left. Any advice/opinions or am I just over thinking this?