Natural Curing

[BGKYSmoker]

Well my Degrees are only in Electrical Engineering Technology, Culinary Arts and Restaurant Management. So since I am not a Chemist or Microbiologist, I am getting out of this discussion...JJ

I got my degrees and certs at the School Of Hard Knocks

Muuuuawwwhahahaha

 

[diggingdogfarm]

I used some of the celery juice powder. Had a funky taste like soapish so i tossed the 3 lbs. I'll stick with modern cure or a back up of MTQ

Yes, I've tried some of the commercial 'organic" products made with the stuff, they tasted like CRAP!!!!!



~Martin

 

[BGKYSmoker]

@ Martin

Sorry off topic but how did the cloth casing work for ya?

 

[diggingdogfarm]

@ Martin

Sorry off topic but how did the cloth casing work for ya?

Great!!!!

I picked up some fabric.

I think I'm going to try to sew some up myself (LOL) via a French seam, since we don't have a serger sewing machine.

Just haven't got around to it yet.

~Martin

 

[diesel]

Good stuff here.  I know I am interested.  I recently had a discussion w/ a work peer about home curing bacon.  He quickly spoke up about the nitrate free bacon he gets from "said store".  I had to explain to him how that was not true.  That it still contained nitrate/nitrite.  Well that lead to how the bacon he was eating had "Natural" nitrate/nitrite not man made.  I just said good for you. 

again, great discussing everyone. 

Aaron.

 

[pops6927]

Guess I'll just have to break down and buy some... gawd I'm cheap, lol!

 

[pops6927]

Oh, btw Martin, got to use your calculator the other day; put down 4 12-15 lb. turkeys in a big bucket for Thanksgiving smoke for family and ran out of cure #1.  I thought I'd given my son a bag of it and went to borrow it, but nay, he didn't have it (must have borrowed it earlier, lol!).  So I used your calculator to figure out what the minimum cure needed to be and I'd already exceeded it in the brine I'd done, so I just made up some more to cover w/out any cure #1 added.  Thank you!  (Plus ordered 4 more bags!). 

 

[diggingdogfarm]

Oh, btw Martin, got to use your calculator the other day; put down 4 12-15 lb. turkeys in a big bucket for Thanksgiving smoke for family and ran out of cure #1.  I thought I'd given my son a bag of it and went to borrow it, but nay, he didn't have it (must have borrowed it earlier, lol!).  So I used your calculator to figure out what the minimum cure needed to be and I'd already exceeded it in the brine I'd done, so I just made up some more to cover w/out any cure #1 added.  Thank you!  (Plus ordered 4 more bags!). 

Cool!


~Martin

 

[zalbar]

The real problem with using vegetable based powders is that we can't calculate the precise amount of nitrite in it. It's completely variable depending on where the stuff was grown, what was in the soil, etc. Now, sure you can use that stuff and come out with a good product, but educating people to the difference or lack of one concerning nitrites and nitrates is very important. Sodium-nitrite is the same no matter the source. The difference is that we can accurately measure the amount when using pink salt, but not so when using the vegetable additive.

 

 

[timoak]

whoa was going to post a bunch of old UK sugar salt  cures here but am thinking you guys may just rip it apart if anyone would liek to know thay have been in my family for years and they work

 

[daveomak]

whoa was going to post a bunch of old UK sugar salt  cures here but am thinking you guys may just rip it apart if anyone would liek to know thay have been in my family for years and they work

Tim, morning and welcome to the forum.... Please take a moment and stop into " Roll Call    " and introduce yourself so we can give you a proper welcome.....  We have great members prowling the forum who share their secret recipes and are willing to help you become the greatest smoker on your block.... Sit back, relax and cruise through the threads.... enjoy the long smokey ride..   Dave

 

[pops6927]

The real problem with using vegetable based powders is that we can't calculate the precise amount of nitrite in it. It's completely variable depending on where the stuff was grown, what was in the soil, etc. Now, sure you can use that stuff and come out with a good product, but educating people to the difference or lack of one concerning nitrites and nitrates is very important. Sodium-nitrite is the same no matter the source. The difference is that we can accurately measure the amount when using pink salt, but not so when using the vegetable additive.

 

Well, the good news is that they come with directions, as long as you follow them it should be fairly simple to achieve a good outcome.

 

[diggingdogfarm]

I never did get a response back from the manufacturer.
I sent the same message 3 times and nothing.
That's not a good sign, IMHO.

From what I've read about the natural cures the past few years, the thing that makes them unreliable as far as being considered a real cure is the way the nitrate in the powder distributes throughout the meat and not the level of nitrite or nitrate, which, I assume, is tested to ensure a certain level.
Regular cure dissolves and distributes well, not the case with a powder, or so they say.



~Martin

 

[venture]

I seem to recall that the recommended quantities on nitrites/nitrates are MAX.  Right?

I know that Pops uses a little less in his brine, but uses a little longer curing time than some would in order to compensate.  Right?

Until the "natural" stuff gets sorted out?  Like there are no nitrates/nitrites in the "natural" stuff?  I will stick with what is known and proven.

As I said in a previous thread?  Convince me there is no MSG in "natural" vege products.  Why don't people have all these "symptoms" after they eat a salad?  Seems to only happen in Chinese restaurants?  C'mon!

Good luck and good smoking.

 

[pops6927]

whoa was going to post a bunch of old UK sugar salt  cures here but am thinking you guys may just rip it apart if anyone would liek to know thay have been in my family for years and they work

Oh no, we're not a forum with any attitude at all, if there's something else that's out there, we'd love to know about it!  It is you, the subscriber, who educates us just as much as we try to give education, believe me!  The only thing we want to make sure is that we follow all the proper safety rules so no one gets sick or dies or doesn't follow proper safeguards.  We learn from you, believe me!  Do you know the ingredients of these substances and how to formulate them?  We'd love to know!