Pink salt amount question

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mrbeef

Smoke Blower
Original poster
Jan 17, 2015
96
23
SE Iowa
My prague #1 salt says 1 teaspoon per 5lbs of meat. If i have 3 lbs can i still use 1 tsp? If i have 7lbs can i use 2 tsp? I guess what im asking is if i put more then what the directions say is that ok or doest it have to be correct amount no matter how many pounds?
 
As Jim stated. It's much better to use the correct amount. Why would you want to adjust it differently?
 
My prague #1 salt says 1 teaspoon per 5lbs of meat. If i have 3 lbs can i still use 1 tsp? If i have 7lbs can i use 2 tsp? I guess what im asking is if i put more then what the directions say is that ok or doest it have to be correct amount no matter how many pounds?

If you have 3 pounds use 1/2 tsp + 1/8 t
7 pounds use 1 level tsp + 1/2 t (this tad over wont hurt you)
 
In the end, you can do what ya want, but you're better off doing the math and getting it close. there is a high and low recommendation for it. do some research and then you'll be comfortable with your decisions.
 
The best thing you can do is get a gram scale and use it to weigh out the amount of cure needed. There are numerous threads here on the forum about the variation in amounts when you try to use a teaspoon. Also always double check your meat weight.
This cure calculator is a great thing to save and use when calculating cure amounts.
 
I bought a postal scale, (that can weigh in ounces, pounds, grams, etc.) the 55 lb. one, from ultraship company to weigh my meats, spices, and ingredients, a one time investment for everything!

I also wrote an Article on converting "standard" pre-proportioned mixes to custom amounts!

 
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My prague #1 salt says 1 teaspoon per 5lbs of meat. If i have 3 lbs can i still use 1 tsp? If i have 7lbs can i use 2 tsp? I guess what im asking is if i put more then what the directions say is that ok or doest it have to be correct amount no matter how many pounds?

What you need to use..... is some math so the amount of Cure #1 is as close as possible to the recommended amount for your weight of meat. Because measuring spoons are notorious for being flat out inaccurate (some as much as 25%) use grams and a scale if you have one available.
 
Thanks everyone. The reason i asked is i was gonna give some away and to make it easier for them use 1 tsp even if its under 5lbs of meat. Sounds like i should tell him to be more precise in all the weights.
 
Thanks everyone. The reason i asked is i was gonna give some away and to make it easier for them use 1 tsp even if its under 5lbs of meat. Sounds like i should tell him to be more precise in all the weights.

Yes you should weigh... tsp. conversions to weight are NOT accurate...
I have 2 sets of measuring spoons and I did a test...
The larger spoon, in the picture, delivered 25% more cure than the smaller...
AND you won't know that until you weigh the cure...


Teaspoons 001 (2).JPG
 
... I have 2 sets of measuring spoons and I did a test...
So Dave are you saying those two measuring spoons were both marked "1 tsp"? I know it's not a well-defined unit, but that's a huge difference! I'm not a big fan of the metric system but that picture may be one of the better arguments I've ever seen for it.
 
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Like others have said weighing it works so much better especially for repeatability. I use a postal scale for meat and a little gram scale for cure and seasonings.
 
So Dave are you saying those two measuring spoons were both marked "1 tsp"? I know it's not a well-defined unit, but that's a huge difference! I'm not a big fan of the metric system but that picture may be one of the better arguments I've ever seen for it.

Yep.... both marked 1 teaspoon AND marked 5 ml also.....
 
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when i convert grams to tsp i use only the herb or spice and search .. you cannot use 2 grams of salt for tsp then use 2 grams cinnamon for same conversion. density is different for every herb dried or seed to crushed ect.. in other words 2 grams of salt is not same volume as two grams of parsley .. volume is tsp or tbsp not weight
 
These guys are right...Weight is the Best measurement and Accurate measurement saves you from dangerous mistakes, like Adding Tablespoons instead of teaspoons!. But to answer your Question...YES, a little bit Over or Under, 1tsp Cure per 5 Lbs, will not Hurt anyone...JJ
 
I admit I haven't thought about this enough. The table in this link shows that the density of NaCl salt can vary over a factor of 2. TSP & ml are units of volume not mass. So there's bound to be conflicts in dry vs liquid measurements. Mass/weight is better. Unfortunately most people have a set of measuring spoons but not necessarily a scale with milligram precision. Guess I shouldn't have been so surprised by DaveOmac's 2-spoons pic...there's quite a few published medical papers on how such variation leads to serious variation in liquid medicine dosing.
 
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