Salty Bacon

[wayne p]

]Made my first batch of Bacon. It has been in the fridge now for just two weeks after smoking. But I tried a few slices before resting and it is quite salty. Is there any way that I can soak it in water to draw somemore of the salt out. Or just learn from my mistake?

 

[daveomak]

I see you have asked questions about the 3 different Morton's products for curing....   What recipe did you use....  How much of what ingredients did you use...   Was it a brine cure or did you rub the product on the meat to cure.... 

 

[jeffinn]

]Made my first batch of Bacon. It has been in the fridge now for just two weeks after smoking. But I tried a few slices before resting and it is quite salty. Is there any way that I can soak it in water to draw somemore of the salt out. Or just learn from my mistake?

Soaking it now won't help much. However, You can simmer the individual slices before cooking and that'll remove some of the saltiness. Just a minute or two is all it takes. Next time test fry a slice or two before smoking so you can soak if needed.

 

[wayne p]

I used 1 cup pickling salt, 3 cups brown sugar & 7 table spoons of Morton tender quick and 7 pounds pork belly. Rubbed and let marinate for 7 days turning daily. Rinsed and let set in fridge for two days then smoked for 4 hours and temp of 150. It is now resting in sealed bags for 2 weeks. Which ends today.

 

[mr t 59874]

Unless you really like salt, no need to add extra salt when using TQ.  Also, unless your bacon was only a inch thick, you may not have cured it long enough for the sugars to penetrate making it taste salty even without the added salt. ( 7 days per inch of thickness) makes for excellent bacon.

T

 

[jeffinn]

I used 1 cup pickling salt, 3 cups brown sugar & 7 table spoons of Morton tender quick and 7 pounds pork belly. Rubbed and let marinate for 7 days turning daily. Rinsed and let set in fridge for two days then smoked for 4 hours and temp of 150. It is now resting in sealed bags for 2 weeks. Which ends today.

I don't use TQ but from what I've read here you didn't need the extra 1 cup of pickling salt, just the TQ and the sugar.

 

[SmokinAl]

Hey you learn from your mistakes.

I'm sure your next batch will be the best bacon you ever ate!

Al

 

[brodieb666]

Soaking it now won't help much. 

why not?  what is the difference between soaking before the smoke and after?

 

[atomicsmoke]

If you soak after smoking you lose smoke flavour.

 

[brodieb666]

If you soak after smoking you lose smoke flavour.

but i would still draw out the salt, wouldn't it? and then couldn't it be re-smoked?

 

[slipaway]

I think you are trying a bandaid approach to trying to save this bacon.

1) I can't comment about not needing more salt when you use TQ as I use pink curing salt (Prague Powder #1) and I add kosher salt to  that

2) A fry test is recommended after the curing. A small slice, fried up will tell you all you need to know about the saltiness

3) If you don't want to fry test (and also, if it is too salty after a fry test) soak the bacon in cool water for an hour, changing the water 2 times.

Soaking now will just result in a mushy peice of meat that may become edible after additional smoking but I am not sure how it will respond to being heated 2 times to 150 degrees.

My .02 would be to chalk this up to experience

 

[brodieb666]

I missed where Wayne said he smoked to 150, I was thinking cold smoke. I can see why smoking twice to 150 could be a problem, but what about soaking to remove the salt, and then a cold smoke?