Used curing salt #2 instead of #1 - bacon

[Ferdels]

I'm curing 7kg porkbelly to make bacon. Bought prague powder (asked the guy at the store and he said it's #1). But after some research..i found that it's actually #2... do I have to throw the meat away now?

Dry rub
Salt (weight of belly x 0.02)
pepper (weight x 0.02)
Brown sugar (weight x 0.01)
Curing salt (weight x 0.002)

Rub everything on bellies and put in ziplock bag in refrigerator for 7days. Flip them once a day. Wash everything off on day 7 and hot smoke on day 8 until int temp is 140f.

Will I get sick because of the wrong curing salt?
Please help..

 

[SmokinEdge]

Would be nice if they listed the percentages. Cure #1 has 6.25% nitrite and cure #2 has 6.25% nitrite with anywhere from 1-4% nitrate.

I wouldn’t throw it out. Bacon was cured for a long time with potassium nitrate, it’s since been banned from commercial bacon in the USA but there are still a lot of home producers making bacon with Morton Tender Quick which contains both nitrite and nitrate, even though Morton no longer recommends their product for bacon. But it was used successfully for many decades and still works just fine.

In the future you may try to source some cure #1 with 6.25% nitrite for bacon, but if I remember right some places like Australia it’s very hard to find nitrite only cure, maybe South Africa as well.

EDIT: To add the package says to use .375% to total meat weight. You used .2% so almost half that amount.

 

[02ebz06]

A good place to get Insta Cure #1 and #2 is SausageMaker.Com

 

[indaswamp]

I would highly recommend the addition of sodium erythorbate to your bacon while it is curing. This will help prevent nitrosamine formation when you fry the bacon. It will definitely add to the margin of safety. But as SmokinEdge has pointed out, the percentage of nitrates ranges 1-4%. Were it me, I'd cure it and smoke it and have no fear of eating it....but I like orange juice with breakfast, and the citric acid will also neutralize any nitrosamine formation from frying.

 

[SmokinEdge]

I would highly recommend the addition of sodium erythorbate to your bacon while it is curing. This will help prevent nitrosamine formation when you fry the bacon. It will definitely add to the margin of safety. But as SmokinEdge has pointed out, the percentage of nitrates ranges 1-4%. Were it me, I'd cure it and smoke it and have no fear of eating it....but I like orange juice with breakfast, and the citric acid will also neutralize any nitrosamine formation from frying.

Yup played with erythorbate and dry rubs, works very well. Use .05% NaE with equal part’s sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) this double the volume and helps with application. I now use erythorbate in all of my curing except for dried sausage and long term cures.

 

[Ferdels]

Yup played with erythorbate and dry rubs, works very well. Use .05% NaE with equal part’s sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) this double the volume and helps with application. I now use erythorbate in all of my curing except for dried sausage and long term cures.

Thanks a million for the reply.
Tomorrow is day 7 of process. Won't be able to get erythorbate that fast. Any other quick fixes?

 

[Ferdels]

Would be nice if they listed the percentages. Cure #1 has 6.25% nitrite and cure #2 has 6.25% nitrite with anywhere from 1-4% nitrate.

I wouldn’t throw it out. Bacon was cured for a long time with potassium nitrate, it’s since been banned from commercial bacon in the USA but there are still a lot of home producers making bacon with Morton Tender Quick which contains both nitrite and nitrate, even though Morton no longer recommends their product for bacon. But it was used successfully for many decades and still works just fine.

In the future you may try to source some cure #1 with 6.25% nitrite for bacon, but if I remember right some places like Australia it’s very hard to find nitrite only cure, maybe South Africa as well.

EDIT: To add the package says to use .375% to total meat weight. You used .2% so almost half that amount.

Thanks for your reply. Really appreciate it. I actually used 0.25. My bad.

But 0.25 is still less than 0.375.

I'm gonna go ahead as planned..and hope for the best

 

[SmokinEdge]

Thanks a million for the reply.
Tomorrow is day 7 of process. Won't be able to get erythorbate that fast. Any other quick fixes?

What was your planned finish time in day?

 

[SmokinEdge]

Also what temp is the meat curing at?

 

[Ferdels]

Also what temp is the meat curing at?

Dunno... the temp of the the refrigerator..?After day 7 i rinse everything off and put it back i refrigerator for a day and then smoke it. At 225F until inside temp 140F, then back in refrigerator for a day and then cut and eat.

 

[DougE]

May want to push that cure time out to a couple weeks which will aid in flavor development. It may be fully cured at a week, but the extra time is going to bring out more flavor. I also keep a fridge thermometer in the fridge I cure meats in, and try to keep it at 35~37°F.

 

[SmokinEdge]

Yes curios about fridge temp.
I would advise something closer to 14 days in cure, then smoke and rest. That said, you should be fine with what you have, not optimal but workable. Carry on.

 

[Ferdels]

Yes curios about fridge temp.
I would advise something closer to 14 days in cure, then smoke and rest. That said, you should be fine with what you have, not optimal but workable. Carry on.

If I don't report back within a week...the curing #2 took its toll...

 

[DougE]

If I don't report back within a week...the curing #2 took its toll...

You will be fine lol. Maybe something else will get you, but not the cure#2 you used instead of cure#1.

 

[SmokinEdge]

If I don't report back within a week...the curing #2 took its toll...

All is well. But I would be interested in the nitrite/nitrate percentage if you can track that down. It’s very useful information.

 

[DougE]

In the future, use cure#1 for bacon and other things that will go less than 30 days, and cure#2 for anything that will go past 30, but you aren't going to die or suffer any ill health effects from your bacon.

 

[Ferdels]

May want to push that cure time out to a couple weeks which will aid in flavor development. It may be fully cured at a week, but the extra time is going to bring out more flavor. I also keep a fridge thermometer in the fridge I cure meats in, and try to keep it at 35~37°F.

Yes curios about fridge temp.
I would advise something closer to 14 days in cure, then smoke and rest. That said, you should be fine with what you have, not

In the future, use cure#1 for bacon and other things that will go less than 30 days, and cure#2 for anything that will go past 30, but you aren't going to die or suffer any ill health effects from your baco

In the future, use cure#1 for bacon and other things that will go less than 30 days, and cure#2 for anything that will go past 30, but you aren't going to die or suffer any ill health effects from your bacon.

If I don't report back within a week...the curing #2 took its toll...

Refrigerator temp is 52F. Will bring it down to 35