Slightly Salty Bacon - Adjustments

[jceroli42]

So I've been doing bacon for few years now. Recently, I have found it slightly salty, most likely becuase I use little salt during normal cooking. That said, I EQ Dry cure and know that I can always soak the bellies in water after, but wanted to "get it right in cure" per se.

I use 2% Kosher Salt, 1.5% Sugar, and .25% Cure #1.

Should I decrease the Kosher Salt percentage to 1.5%? Does that throw off the curing process per say or just the seasoning/salting?

Any thoughts would be appreciated.

 

[thirdeye]

So you want to lower the salt, and eliminate the soak-out... Yes, you can lower the Kosher salt without any change in the curing process. In my experiments, when I lower the salt, I also lower the sugar. Canning salt dissolves easier, and I like using white sugar over brown.

My lower salt recipe is:
1.8% canning salt
1% white sugar
.25% Cure #1
Garlic powder
Black Pepper
Crushed bay leaf
1 to 2 tablespoons of water in the zipper bag to give the process a head start. I overhaul daily.
Cure time is 10 or 11 days, and I do a 3 to 4 hour soak-out depending on thickness, then equalize overnight.

Smoking is either single or double cold smoked, or hot smoked.

 

[jceroli42]

So you want to lower the salt, and eliminate the soak-out... Yes, you can lower the Kosher salt without any change in the curing process. In my experiments, when I lower the salt, I also lower the sugar. Canning salt dissolves easier, and I like using white sugar over brown.

My lower salt recipe is:
1.8% canning salt
1% white sugar
.25% Cure #1
Garlic powder
Black Pepper
Crushed bay leaf
1 to 2 tablespoons of water in the zipper bag to give the process a head start. I overhaul daily.
Cure time is 10 or 11 days, and I do a 3 to 4 hour soak-out depending on thickness, then equalize overnight.

Smoking is either single or double cold smoked, or hot smoked.

Thanks, So I have to lower sugar along with salt, since I have 2% salt and 1.5% sugar, lowering salt I inturn have to lower the sugar, (not 1.8% salt and 1.5% sugar) and that will lower the salinity altogether? Doesn't make sense, but if that's how it works...

I used 2.5gallon bags, I was considering vac sealing them too, not sure that would make a difference, i know not for salinity just in general...

 

[thirdeye]

Thanks, So I have to lower sugar along with salt, since I have 2% salt and 1.5% sugar, lowering salt I inturn have to lower the sugar, (not 1.8% salt and 1.5% sugar) and that will lower the salinity altogether? Doesn't make sense, but if that's how it works...

I used 2.5gallon bags, I was considering vac sealing them too, not sure that would make a difference, i know not for salinity just in general...

The reason for adding sugar to a dry cure formulation is to offset the bitterness of the salt, and secondly add a sweet back-flavor. Some recipes call for using maple syrup in addition to sugar. Some people use turbinado sugar, and the use of fenugreek will give you a maple flavor without adding any additional sweet. I rarely make bacon without cracked pepper, but that is optional as well.

Back to your question.... No, it's not a requirement to lower the sugar as you lower salt, I did it in my experiments and like the results, but taste is subjective, and you might like a sweeter flavor on your bacon. Just be sure to calculate and measure the correct amount of Cure #1, (or Tender Quick) because that is a constant based on the weight of your slab(s).

At one point in time I did vac-seal the slabs, but never pulled a full suction on them, I didn't want to interfere with the mobility of the liquid brine formed in the bags. Now I use the 2.5 gallon zipper bags and just force as much air out as I can.

 

[BrianGSDTexoma]

There nothing wrong with soakig that I know of. I become salt sensitive and soak all my cured meats in cold water for a hour now.

 

[forktender]

My first bacon was made with Bears help and using T.Q. It turned out a little salty to my taste.
Granted it was most likely my fault for rounding up on the T.Q. measurements I didn't soak but I did a very good long rinse. The next time I will round down instead of up and soak for an hour or two before I put it in the refer for two days before the two day cold smoke. The bacon is great but just a touch on the salty side.
My next bacon is going to be a dry brine, so I'm watching this thread to learn as much as I can before I make up the next batch.



One question I have is can I still do the soak after the cold smoke to knock some of the salt down a touch?
And would I have to cold smoke it again? Or would a day or two uncovered in the refer work out?

Thank you for the tips.
Dan

 

[thirdeye]

I'm not sure what fractions you are rounding up, or rounding down but try to be as accurate as possible with the Tender Quick. Even though TQ is made especially for home curing the 1T/lb is easy enough to break down. Or, just weigh 1 Tablespoon in grams and the amount is easier to calculate.

I've never gone 2 days for the pellicle to form (usually 12 to 18 hours), but many times I'll cold smoke 4 hours one day, wrap the bacon overnight and cold smoke again the following day, and rest overnight so it cools out nicely.

Some bacon recipes using TQ call for 4 or 5 hours (and 2 changes of water) of soaking out, and overnight is favored by some. Not sure how successful soaking after round 1 of cold smoking.... I mean you've spent all that time getting the belly ready to take the smoke, and soaking it mid-process might work against you.

I have no issues using TQ on belly bacon, but I prefer Cure #1 because it allows me full control of the salt percentage. That said, I generally use TQ on Buckboarded bacon (I do more buckboarded loins than butts) because I get great results.

 

[forktender]

If the weight was 1lb 14 oz I rounded up to 2lbs because I suck at math. LOL.
If I remember correctly I did that to 3 of the 4 slabs, so that right there is why it'sa little salty 100% my fault and not Bears recipe.
Next time I will make cure 1 bacon, I'm going to try to soak the stuff I have left and resmoke it for a few hours.
I did cold smoke for 6 hour using dust wrap in plastic overnight and the same the next day except I left it unwrapped to mellow on the second night.
It's really smokey already so it shouldn't need much smoke time so all I can do is screw it up at this point but it's worth a shot.

Thank you.
Dan

 

[smokerjim]

One question I have is can I still do the soak after the cold smoke to knock some of the salt down a touch?
And would I have to cold smoke it again? Or would a day or two uncovered in the refer work out?

Thank you for the tips.
Dan

I would slice a piece off and fry it before you smoke if it's salty soak it then do another fry test then smoke it

 

[forktender]

I soaked it all last night for 4 hours, it's uncovered in the refer right now I'll see if it needs another round in the cold smoker later today.
Dan