Summer sausage, jerky, snack stciks curing

[AND]

I get confused with methods...trying to understand when why how of curing for sausages...jerky...snack sticks.
Been using LEM and also HiMountain spices mostly....one will say cure at least 4 hours in fridge other will say overnight...some will say mix and cook right away...if casing, put in fridge overnight..if no casing cook right away...this whole curing concept is still confusing me...I need an avalanche of information so that it will one day make sense...also all about the temperatures...sitting out..cooking..smoking...etc...

 

[SmokinEdge]

Welcome to the forum from Colorado, there AND.

Box cures and seasoning can be like that. Just follow their directions and it will work out fine.

Some of us make up our own mixes with cure #1 and if we buy packaged mixes with cure we toss their cure and add our own. Lots of ways to go at curing meats. You just have to settle on what makes the most sense to you. I or many others will be happy to help you sort it all out. It’s not complicated.

 

[AND]

Welcome to the forum from Colorado, there AND.

Box cures and seasoning can be like that. Just follow their directions and it will work out fine.

Some of us make up our own mixes with cure #1 and if we buy packaged mixes with cure we toss their cure and add our own. Lots of ways to go at curing meats. You just have to settle on what makes the most sense to you. I or many others will be happy to help you sort it all out. It’s not complicated.

So what would be the difference if I added cure and stuffed then put in fridge overnight vs adding cure stuffed and cooked right away? Would the latter be less safe or less shelf life after done?

 

[BGKYSmoker]

So what would be the difference if I added cure and stuffed then put in fridge overnight vs adding cure stuffed and cooked right away? Would the latter be less safe or less shelf life after done?

You will be fine doing this provided you added the right amount of cure to your pounds of meat. You can stuff and smoke right away if you like.

 

[AND]

You will be fine doing this provided you added the right amount of cure to your pounds of meat. You can stuff and smoke right away if you like.

Thank You!

 

[SmokinEdge]

So what would be the difference if I added cure and stuffed then put in fridge overnight vs adding cure stuffed and cooked right away? Would the latter be less safe or less shelf life after done?

The difference is most often the addition of sodium erythorbate to the cure mix. This is a cure accelerator and with it they often say smoke right away. But I disagree. All needs to set 24hrs.

 

[AND]

The difference is most often the addition of sodium erythorbate to the cure mix. This is a cure accelerator and with it they often say smoke right away. But I disagree. All needs to set 24hrs.

I'm just using pink#1 when I make my own spice blend....same rules? Can I put in oven right away at 180 or does it have to go in fridge for 12 hours....what would be the different outcomes of the meat overnight vs cooking right away?

 

[SmokinEdge]

I'm just using pink#1 when I make my own spice blend....same rules? Can I put in oven right away at 180 or does it have to go in fridge for 12 hours....what would be the different outcomes of the meat overnight vs cooking right away?

Difference is that nitrite needs time to work, thus the 12/24 hr wait. If you cook right away with no accelerator the cure will not complete.

 

[AND]

Difference is that nitrite needs time to work, thus the 12/24 hr wait. If you cook right away with no accelerator the cure will not complete.

Thanks Guys! Making more sense...I'll probably be on again asking the same questions again sometime..lol! I try to think, but sometimes nothing happens!

 

[nlife]

So what would be the difference if I added cure and stuffed then put in fridge overnight vs adding cure stuffed and cooked right away? Would the latter be less safe or less shelf life after done?

This is a great question and one that I've been trying to figure out myself since I'm new to all this as well

 

[indaswamp]

The only hard fast rule is that when using ECA (encapsulated citric acid) which is used to give the tang in some snack stick premixes, you have to stuff and smoke right away.....can not let it sit after stuffing.

 

[indaswamp]

Good read:
https://genuineideas.com/ArticlesIndex/diffusion.html