Use of spinach in sausage

[cheech]

There is an article talking about using spinach in sausage for the cure. Have you ever heard of this?

 

[teacup13]

i have never heard of this... google comes up empty as well

what paper is that in Cheech?

 

[up in smoke]

I read this earlier, that sodium nitrate appears naturally in lots of veggies, so that would make perfectly good sense, now if we can only get some details!

http://www.extension.umn.edu/distrib...on/DJ0974.html

 

[deejaydebi]

There is a certain amount of salt in all growing things from the earth so it would apear that the natural conversion of salt to nitrates when smoking would hold true as well with veggies. Green plants absorb more salt from the soil than do lighter colored plants. So .... it makes sense.

Have a Safe and Happy Easter!

 

[cheech]

But don't you need more than just salt to cure?
Not sure I would trust putting my health in the hands of a few spinach leaves

 

[up in smoke]

I understand that sodium nitrate/nitrite is the curing salt (which turns your meat pink in color and gives it that hammy taste) while regular salt is sodium chloride.

 

[deejaydebi]

The sodium is naturally occuring in the soil and tranferedd to the plants. Nitrogen is also in the soil, air etc. Green plant have more nitrogen than or red, yellow etc. Through photosynthisis plant abosorb the oxegen and give off carbondioxide. Nitrates are NO2 - 1 nitrogen molecule and 2 oxegen molecules. dioxide means 2 oxgen molecules. The nitrogen is absorbed from the soil giving it the 1 nitrogen molecule. NO2. I can't say why the extra carbon molecule gets bumped. I may have to research that.