LEM Cure

[mike1ranger]

I've always used sausage maker cure #1 for sausage and bacon. Recently, purchased LEM at the local retailer. Package says "LEM cure is the same as cure #1."

But, in looking closer at the ingredients, sodium nitrite is 6%. So, even though I have a good handle on using cure I decided to investigate a bit more and it appears LEM's instructions are the same as for cure #1 (6.25%) in terms of amounts to use.

Any thoughts on LEM ingredients listing sodium nitrite at 6% vs 6.25%

 

[sawhorseray]

Like you, I've always ordered my Cure #1 from The Sausage Maker or PS Seasonings, 6.25%. I usually try to stay somewhere in the middle of the minimum / maximum recommendations so I don't imagine it'd make all that much difference. I use this site most often when curing my bacon. If you click on it you can adjust the percentage of Cure #1 from 6.25% to 6%, I just tried that out, always thought that was a fixed number. RAY

Thurlaston Online

 

[daveomak]

6% is NOT the same as 6.25%.... They LIED .....

 

[JC in GB]

If you apply it in the same manner as cure #1 you will most likely still be well within safety margins for your cure unless you are measuring your cure for the absolute minimum safe level.

European peklosol is salt with 0.6% NaNO2 and has been used safely for decades. The amount of NaNO2 rises and falls based on the NaCl content chosen by the maker. Any reasonable amount of peklosol will produce a safe level of cure.

My $0.02

JC

 

[bill ace 350]

I have used it many, many times over the years with great results.

 

[wild west]

If I did my math correctly the .25% nitrite difference between the two cures amounts to .00275 grams of nitrite per lb of meat. My scale doesnt read that small of a weight.

 

[flatbroke]

6% is NOT the same as 6.25%.... They LIED .....

Damn liars

 

[tallbm]

I've always used sausage maker cure #1 for sausage and bacon. Recently, purchased LEM at the local retailer. Package says "LEM cure is the same as cure #1."

But, in looking closer at the ingredients, sodium nitrite is 6%. So, even though I have a good handle on using cure I decided to investigate a bit more and it appears LEM's instructions are the same as for cure #1 (6.25%) in terms of amounts to use.

Any thoughts on LEM ingredients listing sodium nitrite at 6% vs 6.25%

I think you will be ok.
Could be that the department handling the labeling rounded down from 6.25% to 6%.
Many of the food labeling laws state that certain nutritional items be rounded up/down based on the actual decimal value present. Many items that are not explicitly called out are also lumped into a given general rounding up/down requirement for labeling.

I'm just giving a possibility here so don't quote me as giving you an exact answer to why they list 6%.

As long as you aren't cooking massive amounts of meat you should be ok :)

 

[bill ace 350]

Damn liars

Double dog damn liars!

 

[mike1ranger]

Took a while but I got a response from LEM.

"Thank you for your inquiry. I have checked with our seasoning department and the cure is still 6.25% even though the package states 6%. I know it is confusing, but the final product is insta cure #1."