Cure weight/volume calculation.

[chef jimmyj]

If you are going to mess with making cure from salt and pure Nitrite, be vigilant to mix the cure well before AND After each use. Label the container very well and store away from kids and pets...JJ

 

[daveomak]

AND, maybe add some purple dye to it... Add dye to the sodium nitrite ... Then maybe you can tell if it is homogenized..
At 6.25% , that would be 65,000 parts / 1,000,000 parts ... Probably couldn't see it..

 

[Oleg]

If you are going to mess with making cure from salt and pure Nitrite, be vigilant to mix the cure well before AND After each use. Label the container very well and store away from kids and pets...JJ

Too much trouble to care for it. Too much risk to mix it wrong and even if you do it right there is always a chance that salt and nitrite separate like one collecting at the bottom of the container.

 

[Oleg]

Add dye to the sodium nitrite ... Then maybe you can tell if it is homogenized..

LOL!

 

[Oleg]

(113/0.0625)-113 = 1695g of salt.

Thank you for the calculations. The deal with cure#1 is that it's a synthetic product. I am going to take my chances and use CJP for now.

 

[smokin peachey]

Just use the celery powder it works good.

Here is some bacon I cured with celery powder, unsweetened apple butter and sea salt.

 

[Oleg]

Here is some bacon I cured with celery powder, unsweetened apple butter and sea salt.

Looks good but I am very new to semi-hot smoking and still learning how to properly cure and when cure is necessary. At this point I am only using celery juice powder.
By the way, how long did it take you to cure/brine the bacon?

 

[smokin peachey]

I left it go for 2 weeks. I used the same brand of celery powder that you show in your picture. What questions do you have? What are you wanting to make? My wife has extremely bad food allergies so I have experience and will try to help you.

 

[Oleg]

I left it go for 2 weeks. I used the same brand of celery powder that you show in your picture. What questions do you have? What are you wanting to make? My wife has extremely bad food allergies so I have experience and will try to help you.

I am planning to switch CJP to the brand that Amazon sells for $60/lb. Much better deal.
I do not have any particular questions but I keep trying different methods and then seek help on this forum if I am not happy with the result.
I started with 3lb of boneless pork loin today. Pictures attached. Any tips on curing/brining time? Is curing really necessary as these are solid pieces?

 

[smokin peachey]

I am planning to switch CJP to the brand that Amazon sells for $60/lb. Much better deal.
I do not have any particular questions but I keep trying different methods and then seek help on this forum if I am not happy with the result.
I started with 3lb of boneless pork loin today. Pictures attached. Any tips on curing/brining time? Is curing really necessary as these are solid pieces?

What are you trying to make out of it?

 

[Oleg]

First of all I am planning to experiment with different length of cure/brine time to see if I can tell the difference in taste and appearance. 2.5-3 days for one piece and 6-7 days for the other. I am going to keep it in the smoker at 180-190 until IT reaches 145.

 

[DanMcG]

A little off topic here, but I think most Canadian suppliers sell #1 without the dye. and then there is also Morton's Tender Quick.

 

[zwiller]

If you want to speed things up just inject.

 

[PolishDeli]

Thank you for the calculations. The deal with cure#1 is that it's a synthetic product. I am going to take my chances and use CJP for now.

I’m not necessarily advocating in favor of making your own Cure#1; just following up on Zwiller’s comment that it is possible. I personally wouldn’t bother for the same reasons everyone else mentioned. If CJP works for you, and you wife’s health benefits, that’s great. I’ve never played with it, but probably will try it at some point.

Regarding Cure #1 being synthetic: I don’t think we have the same definition of that word. Cure#1 contains a synthetic ingredient: Red#3. If you think you need to avoid it, its best to avoid it.
(https://toxnet.nlm.nih.gov/cgi-bin/sis/search/a?dbs+hsdb:@term+@DOCNO+7974)

NaNO2 on the other hand exists in nature, and it’s the same molecule whether it’s plucked from a celery stock or gown in a lab. Same with salt: It’s NaCl weather you evaporate sea water, grow it in a lab, or dig it out of the ground. So for me, it comes down to impurities/contaminants: known, unknown, natural, synthetic, and their relative concentrations. In CJP, the concentrations of NaNO2, and NaNO3 are unknown. Trace contaminants would include dirt, fertilizers, and animal poop. The sea salt it’s mixed with contains unknown concentrations common ocean pollutants like heavy metals and micro plastics along with seaweed, and more animal poop. With Cure #1, the ingredients list is certain, and trace contaminants are mitigated. When it comes to the chemistry of curing meats, I want to control as many variables as possible.

For the record, I’m not knocking “natural” ingredients. I cook with sea salt, buy organic foods, and so forth. I’m just commenting on the “natural” label and how, at least to me, it’s sometimes misleading.

 

[chef jimmyj]

Hold on now! Poop is Organic, All Natural, contains No Artificial Ingredients, Preservatives, Gluten or GMO's. The primary fertilizer in Organic Vegetables is the Bovine Super Premium. The Rat, Mouse and Insect varieties are present in virtually all processed foods. Mmm, Mmm Good...JJ

 

[Oleg]

Well, guys, let's face it. Some people are allergic to food that contains synthetic preservatives, colorings, or flavors. This means that our bodies can tell the difference between natural and synthetic ingredients even if consumed in very small quantities.

 

[nanuk]

Hold on now! Poop is Organic, All Natural, contains No Artificial Ingredients, Preservatives, Gluten or GMO's. ...JJ

up here, a huge concern now with GMO is the spreading of GMO seeds and contaminating crops due to MANURE Fertilizer.

with horses, 20% or more seed goes through unprocessed.
Cattle is far better but they DO pass whole seeds....
SO, GIGO!! (Garbage In, Garbage Out)
if animals are eating GMO feed, they are pooping GMO poop!

Just say'n

 

[daveomak]

My buddy used to feed his animals alfalfa seeds in their feed so they would replant his fields as they sauntered about..

 

[atomicsmoke]

My buddy used to feed his animals alfalfa seeds in their feed so they would replant his fields as they sauntered about..

Lol

 

[nanuk]

My buddy used to feed his animals alfalfa seeds in their feed so they would replant his fields as they sauntered about..

That works really well!
You can mix-and-match seeds to reseed the pasture quickly and easily