Don't heat pink cure in your brine.

[Rings Я Us]

You look at 100 brine recipes containing curing salt and you will find that 95% of the recipes call for or say that you can heat the mix on the stove and whisk or stir while boiling.
I am in the camp of playing it safe and not heating my brine with curing salt in it.
You may not have heard that curing salt is degraded by higher temps in a brine on the stove.
I would say if you have to heat up your brine ingredients to dissolve it, that you add the cure #1 or Prague Powder or Pink Cure #1 after you cool down the brine. Whisk in your curing salt last after its all cooled down.
I can not find any evidence from any sources as to the proof that curing salt is no good or weakens in potency after being heated above 130-150 in a brine. I only know a few people say not to do it and I just leave it at that.

I hope to see some body of evidence one day with scientific findings published with this information.
I sure do feel sorry for the possibly millions of recipe followers that have been boiling the pink salt in their bribes for so many years not knowing it's wrong to do so.
Everyone have a great summer and be safe!

 

[daveomak]

I've read, but can't locate, where cure breaks down around 130--140...

 

[Rings Я Us]

Cool.. I thought so. :)

 

[Ishi]

That’s good to know!

 

[dward51]

Hell, 45 years ago I was an organic chemistry major in college. I should know this stuff, but age and lack of use of those particular brain cells has apparently dulled my memory.

I think the "cure breaks down around 130-140*" thing is for the raw cure compound and not in a wetted solution or mixed with meat (again adds moisture forming a slightly wetted solution). I did a quick google search and the amount of potassium nitrate/nitrite that can be dissolved into a water solution at room temp increases greatly as the temp increases. I did find a chart that showed water would hold about 8 time the amount from room temp at boiling. Of course the excess holding amount would precipitate back out to a crystal as the solution cooled and the holding capacity decreased. But I'm pretty sure it does not break down when in solution like it does in open atmosphere.

If the above is correct, in a brine, which would attain the maximum temp of 212*F at boil, it should not break down and simply remain in solution, but the hot brine could hold more cure in solution than a room temp brine.

 

[Rings Я Us]

:eek:. Lol. I should ask some of the manufactuing companies that sell the stuff.

 

[Rings Я Us]

American spice company has this to say.

Usage for Prague Powder:
Use 1 oz. of cure for 25 lb. of meat or 1 level teaspoon of cure for 5 lb. of meat. Mix cure with cold water. This product is not to be used in place of table salt.
Ingredients:
Salt, sodium nitrite, FD & C Red #3

 

[noboundaries]

I have never heated a brine, whether using it for jerky, poultry, or bacon .

 

[daveomak]

The USDA/FDA notes....
Nitrite Dissipation from heat.....

Prague Powder #1
Also called Insta-Cure and Modern Cure. Cures are used to prevent meats from spoiling when being cooked or smoked at low temperatures (under 200 degrees F). This cure is 1 part sodium nitrite (6.25%) and 16 parts salt (93.75%) and are combined and crystallized to assure even distribution. As the meat temperate rises during processing, the sodium nitrite changes to nitric oxide and starts to ‘gas out’ at about 130 degrees F. After the smoking /cooking process is complete only about 10-20% of the original nitrite remains. As the product is stored and later reheated for consumption, the decline of nitrite continues. 4 ounces of Prague powder #1 is required to cure 100 lbs of meat. A more typical measurement for home use is 1 level tsp per 5 lbs of meat. Mix with cold water, then mix into meat like you would mix seasonings into meat.
++++++++
https://www.meatinstitute.org/index.php?ht=a/GetDocumentAction/i/44170
By contrast, the amount of nitrite allowed by
USDA to be added to cured meats is miniscule at no
more than 156 parts per million. In most cases, the
amount added is 120 parts per million or less and after
processing the amount remaining in the
final product is typically 10 parts per million or less. This amount is
approximately one-fifth the level of 25 years ago.

There is another source of nitrite in the body. Called
the “Molecule of the Year” by Science Magazine in
1992, nitric oxide is an amazing chemical that the body
uses to control blood pressure, kill tumor cells and heal
wounds. When nitrite oxide is done with its work, its
byproduct is nitrite. So clearly, nitrite is something
that is made by the body as part of its normal, healthy
processes.
+++++++++++
after processing in this case, is interpreted to infer the cooking process.... I have worked in a "sausage" making plant and that's what I think "processing'' means...

 

[dward51]

There is another source of nitrite in the body. Calledthe “Molecule of the Year” by Science Magazine in1992, nitric oxide is an amazing chemical that the bodyuses to control blood pressure, kill tumor cells and healwounds. When nitrite oxide is done with its work, itsbyproduct is nitrite. So clearly, nitrite is somethingthat is made by the body as part of its normal, healthy
processes.

And yet "they" try to convince the world that any processed meat with "cure" in it is the devils food and will cause you to surely die a horrible death soon, most likely of 6 kinds of cancer from just looking at a sausage.

There are more nitrites and nitrates in green and other vegetables than there ever will be in charcuterie. It irks me to no end to see all the advocates of "healthy" eating insisting everyone must become a grazer on nothing but vegetables and grains and forever abandon the consumption of evil meat and especially "processed" meat. It does not matter if the compound comes from celery juice, lettuce, spinach, etc... or the crystal in cure #1 mixed with salt. It's still the same compound going into your body.

Ok random rant over.....