I have a recipe that was my grandparents. This was cured in an open crock in the cellar then smoke and could hang in a dry cellar.
100# of meat
2 ounces of saltpeter-food grade (nitrate)
2 pounds of sugar
7 pounds of coarse Kosher salt-original recipe called for 8 pounds but they change it to 7 pounds in 1980-your choice
4 gallons of well water-non-treated
Warm half the water to dissolve the salt and the other half of the water should be warmed to dissolve the salt. Then put the two mixtures together. Brine must be able to float a raw egg. Put bacon in crock with brine covering it and weight down bacon with a board with a rock on the top. Flip bacon over every 2-3 days for 3 weeks before smoking.
Few questions,
1. Assuming you sub saltpeter for Cure #1 @ 6.25% That would be 32 oz pink salt / 100 lbs. Or about 8x what the pink salt recipie calls for
2. This is a lot of salt and others in the family have already cut back even more.
I'm more wondering about the cure salt. Is the direct conversion correct? If so is this because it was out in the open? I also plan to use a crock and not in the fridge.
Thanks in advance.
100# of meat
2 ounces of saltpeter-food grade (nitrate)
2 pounds of sugar
7 pounds of coarse Kosher salt-original recipe called for 8 pounds but they change it to 7 pounds in 1980-your choice
4 gallons of well water-non-treated
Warm half the water to dissolve the salt and the other half of the water should be warmed to dissolve the salt. Then put the two mixtures together. Brine must be able to float a raw egg. Put bacon in crock with brine covering it and weight down bacon with a board with a rock on the top. Flip bacon over every 2-3 days for 3 weeks before smoking.
Few questions,
1. Assuming you sub saltpeter for Cure #1 @ 6.25% That would be 32 oz pink salt / 100 lbs. Or about 8x what the pink salt recipie calls for
2. This is a lot of salt and others in the family have already cut back even more.
I'm more wondering about the cure salt. Is the direct conversion correct? If so is this because it was out in the open? I also plan to use a crock and not in the fridge.
Thanks in advance.