Cut, Toss, or Keep As-Is?

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Glad you got it figured out . I know good mold from bad , but going by a picture is always a guess .
I never suggest people throw things out . Fact is , no one can tell 100 % for sure from a picture .
Be waiting for the sliced shots .
 
In fridge to cool now…

6E39E150-B68F-4941-8CA5-A41D22336C90.jpeg 23E51B61-ABF2-4366-9D20-A9BBA93A3D9B.jpeg 0C0C062E-EAFB-4227-9FFD-0553C15CACCD.jpeg
 
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My first thought was mold as well....just po'd for losing 10 days of effort. Guess it’s time to defrost the other piece and start again. Oh well.

If you don't find out what it is & how it got there, what's gonna keep the same thing from happening to the other one in the freezer?

Bear
 
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If you don't find out what it is & how it got there, what's gonna keep the same thing from happening to the other one in the freezer?

Bear
The one in the freezer is a sealed and packaged belly from BJ's, so that's why I am not worried about that piece. That being said, I'll take a close look at it before I start the process for it.

On the one already done smoking, I'm not 100% sure either way if it was mold or salt, but following some of the feedback I received, it was worth a shot to go through the rinse, slice-off, and smoke. It had no moldy odor, and I did closely look at the rest of the belly and didn't see anything. I am going to test fry tonight and see if it tastes "off", so fingers crossed.

Thanks Bear - and to all the others who helped! Pics and (hopefully) final report later this evening.
 
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Interesting read...and interested to see the slice and fry test! We can all still learn here...I can for sure!

Ryan
 
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That white kind of looks similar to what's on the ground outside my barn where I dumped the salt water my sausage casings were stored in. I'm not positive it's salt, but it very well could be.
 
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That white kind of looks similar to what's on the ground outside my barn where I dumped the salt water my sausage casings were stored in. I'm not positive it's salt, but it very well could be.
Like chopsaw pointed out, it’s difficult to know 100% from a picture, but I just don’t believe that mold grew on fresh meat at refrigeration temperature with 4.25% salt applied (Including cure #1) In 10 days. I don’t think you could get mold to grow on a piece of fresh meat at refrigeration temperature in 10 days, much less heavy cured.
 
Like chopsaw pointed out, it’s difficult to know 100% from a picture, but I just don’t believe that mold grew on fresh meat at refrigeration temperature with 4.25% salt applied (Including cure #1) In 10 days. I don’t think you could get mold to grow on a piece of fresh meat at refrigeration temperature in 10 days, much less heavy cured.
I agree. if the parameters are correct, mold ain't going to grow.
 
Not in 10 days, and think about it, that mold didn’t show up magically on day 10, it would have been present on day 7 or 8. Anybody buy that?
I'll play. Agree with everyone. Can't be definitive from the pic. I wish he would have scraped some off to let us know for sure but we are too late for that. I agree with you that it's a high salt/cure environment. Seems just as odd to me that he had a mass build of salt that he didn't notice and/or dissolve during the flipping as opposed to mold?
 
I'll play. Agree with everyone. Can't be definitive from the pic. I wish he would have scraped some off to let us know for sure but we are too late for that. I agree with you that it's a high salt/cure environment. Seems just as odd to me that he had a mass build of salt that he didn't notice and/or dissolve during the flipping as opposed to mold?
This is a very odd case given the environmental from the OP. Refrigeration temp of 37F, that’s a wee high but still cold. My bet is still no mold in this timeframe with that level of salt plus nitrite.
 
This is a very odd case given the environmental from the OP. Refrigeration temp of 37F, that’s a wee high but still cold. My bet is still no mold in this timeframe with that level of salt plus nitrite.
I can't disagree. Just seems weird most of the salt (and according to the pic looks like a high concentration) would end up in one spot on the belly after 10 days of flipping and mixing with moisture. I'm just trying to understand it lol
 
Just seems weird most of the salt (and according to the pic looks like a high concentration) would end up in one spot on the belly after 10 days of flipping and mixing with moisture. I'm just trying to understand it lol
We're all trying to understand what happened, but with all the info given, mold just seems unlikely.
 
  • 1 1/3 teaspoons Prague Powder #1
  • 5 Tablespoons coarse Kosher salt
  • 5 Tablespoons brown sugar
  • 3Tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon maple syrup
  • 3 Tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon cracked black pepper
  • 1 ½ teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes
Was a 5lb piece, wrapped n Ziploc for 10 days, flipped and massage daily. Fridge at 37.
I’ll be honest TNJAKE TNJAKE ,
Ive never applied that much sugar to meat in relationship to salt. This thing is meat candy. So maybe it is the sugars that brought on the “mold” if it is this then I would suspect fungus, or yeast, but the pic doesn’t look right for that. I do believe it’s safe, but I’d sure like to see it with my own eyes.
 
I’ll be honest TNJAKE TNJAKE ,
Ive never applied that much sugar to meat in relationship to salt. This thing is meat candy. So maybe it is the sugars that brought on the “mold” if it is this then I would suspect fungus, or yeast, but the pic doesn’t look right for that. I do believe it’s safe, but I’d sure like to see it with my own eyes.
Gotcha and understand. Sugar has been in my mind. I don't think it's unsafe either. Especially after the cleanup he did........ enquiring minds you know
 
Gotcha and understand. Sugar has been in my mind. I don't think it's unsafe either. Especially after the cleanup he did........ enquiring minds you know
The sugar kinda would be but this is 4.25% salt with nitrite. And a total of 10 days. We are not digging into or even coming close to charcuterie.
 
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