Howdy From Midwest

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Abraxxas

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Original poster
Feb 9, 2025
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1
I am Abraxas, from the Midwest. Joined to see if there is a good homemade recipe for jerky cure, without buying something premade. I keep seeing mentions of cure #1 and #2, and I assume they are a product.
 
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Yes, cure #1 and #2 protect meats against botulism bacteria, along with a few other potentially bad ones. Cure #1 is salt with 6.25% sodium nitrite; NO2. It is used in Bacon (by law) and other cured meats that will be finished processing within 30 days, like sausages, summer sausage, snack sticks, Canadian Bacon, etc...
Cure #2 is for products that will take longer than 30 days to finish processing. The amounts are higher to allow for a longer protection time. Cure #2 is sodium nitrate; NO3. The nitrate NO3 breaks down into nitrite NO2 over time. Products like Salumi, Salami, long aged hams, etc....these use sodium nitrate NO3......
 
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Cure #1 has a couple trade names also like Insta Cure #1, Prague Powder #1, pink curing salt. It does not take much cure to make jerky. I'd get a digital pocket scale to weigh the cure. You can buy the cure #1 at most sporting goods stores that sell the jerky kits. $10 worth a cure last an avg person a long time.
 
Welcome to the forum.

...
Joined to see if there is a good homemade recipe for jerky cure, without buying something premade.
...
Any particular reason you don't want to use a kit?
If you're just getting started, that would be the better path until you get a handle on the process.
 
Welcome from Kentucky!

As said, cure#1 is all you need to worry about for use in jerky.
 
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