Basic Cure Info

[BGKYSmoker]

Salt

A. Provides a characteristic flavor to impart a cured meat
taste.
B. Acts as a preservative through growth inhibition and
destruction of microorganisms.
C. Enhances the transport of other cure ingredients
throughout the muscle by osmotic movement of salt
itself.
D. Dehydrates meat tissue to reduce bacterial growth.

Sugar

A. Provides a characteristic flavor to impart a cured meat
taste.
B. Counteracts the harshness of salt.
C. Provides an energy source for microorganisms which

convert nitrate to nitrite during a long term cure.
D. Provides a surface color characteristic of aged ham if
carmelized sugar is used.

Nitrates and Nitrites

A. Contribute to the characteristic cured flavor.
B. Contribute the characteristic reddish-pink color of
cured meat.
C. Prevent growth of a food poisoning microorganism
known as Clostridium botulinum which can occur in
foods that require heat processing.
D. Retard the development of oxidative rancidity and
rancid taste.
E Prevent warmed-over flavor in reheated products

Phosphates

A. Reduce rancidity development and shrinking during
curing and smoking of meat by use of a pickle (cure
ingredients dissolved in water) that is injected into the
muscle tissues.
B. Reduce cooking loss of the cured product.

Ascorbates

A. Speed the curing reaction by faster color development
through more rapid reduction of nitrates and nitrites
to nitrous acid and ultimately nitric oxide that
combines with myoglobin (a muscle pigment) to fix
the cured color.
B . Reduce oxidation and subsequent off flavor and color.
A specialized product such as the home cured Virginia
ham.

 

[pike2]

i tried the salt cure once, packed the meat in salt for overnight and washed it off the next day but it didnt come out very good.

 

[BGKYSmoker]

i tried the salt cure once, packed the meat in salt for overnight and washed it off the next day but it didnt come out very good.

Did you use non iodized or kosher?

 

[smokinhusker]

Good info.

 

[sound1]

X2

 

[ldrus]

is this a Q & A  or just factual info?

 

[diggingdogfarm]

Facts.




~Martin

 

[oldvirginiajoe]

I don't know about an "overnight" salt cure, but curing meat in salt, commercially, by the 40,000 pound load, we left our whole hams to cure in the dry salt and saltpetre for literally 40 (forty) days!