your favorite curing power and why?

[lisacsco]

What curing agent do you like the best and why?

(as in the prague powder or mortins, etc.)

Lisa

 

[cowgirl]

I like Morton products just because they are so easy to use.

I can use the basic tenderquick/water mixture and personalize the brine to my own taste. It's also fun to experiment. lol

 

[richtee]

Tenderquick. Versatile, and accurate. Dry or in a brine, it's confidence in a bag.

 

[bigarm's smokin]

I use the Mortons sugar cure, its all the local stores carry. I like it except if the directions say to put the dry cure on a fish and leave it 8 or 6 hours, I do it for 3, I garontee.

Otherwise, its WAY too salty.

Terry

 

[chadpole]

Lisa, I like the Morton's Tender Quick also. It works for me. I haven't used the other because you have to order it and I get Morton's in the grocery stores here. Just my .02 worth.

 

[scotty]

this newbie uses prague 1 and 2 .

In wine making I have to measur grams and grains of additives and i enjoy the measuring as well as the results that it can bring.. Whatever that means.
I dont like kit wines either.
Some all grain beer brewers will understang the obcession.
When i get a little more experience i will get smart and do it the easier way.

 

[bonniesboytoy]

I dont like kit wines either.

Hey Scotty,,Just a thought, kit wines and Florida water don't mix..Just like pizza dough and Florida water..

 

[deejaydebi]

I use Prague Powders #1 and #2. I have to buy all of them online none are available locally.

Prague powder #1 is a mixture of 1 part sodium nitrite and 16 parts salt. Use is 1/4 teaspoon per pound of meat and is colored pink.

Prague #2 is 1 part sodium nitrite, .64 parts sodium nitrate and 16 parts salt. Use is also 1/4 teaspoon per pound of meat and is colored pink.

Tender Quick is is a mixture of salt, sodium nitrite, sodium nitrate and sugar. Use is 1 tablespoon per pound of meat. The exact proportions are a secret Mortons will not share. It is white like sugar or salt and this concerns me because twice someone saw MORTONS on the bag and tried to add it to my salt shaker.

The Prague powders are cheaper to use, easier to control, can not be mistaken for salt or sugar because they are pink and don't contain sugar.

1 bag of Prague #1 costs $4.99 and will do 400 pounds of meat
1 bag of Prague #2 costs $3.99 and will do 100 pounds of meat
1 bag of TenderQuick costs $5.99 and will do 64 pounds of meat

I make alot of sausages, bacon and lunchmeat and Tender quick is just too expensive!


Scott - I don't know about wine but I use a postal scale for my beer and sausages

 

[scotty]

There is actually good water in some inland parts of florida. I'm on high ground. I had a well installed in a house that I used to own and we drilled 80 feet into rock for crystal clear water.

The days of not getting good food in florida are past. Its just an old myth mow

We can easily buy pecorino romano or fresh mozzarella here now

 

[scotty]

Scott - I don't know about wine but I use a postal scale for my beer and sausages

I have a gunpowder scale that measures down to grains of weight. I make my own .1 solution((from sodium metabisulfate crystals)) for titrate testing and it also is a liquid substitute for campden tablets.

1 teaspoon of .1 solution = 1 campden tablet.

 

[glued2it]

I like to use the tender quick for the pump pickle when making ham.

I don't use it in my brine.

 

[fatback joe]

Same thoughts here as what Deb posted.

 

[smokin for life]

After reading everyone's posts about mixing this & mixing that, I fell like a lazy guy. I use Hi-Mountain cures. I just open the little bags and start rubbing. I'm so ashamed.

 

[navionjim]

Not to reopen this issue, but I make my own cures from Potassium nitrate and sodium nitrite and kosher salt. I add food colorings to each type of cure to differentiate them from regular salt. When I was brewing I also made everything from scratch. I do that with most averting in life.

 

[scotty]

look ashamed you lazy so and so

 

[goat]

I am able to get and use saltpetre in making dried sausage, I also use Mortons and the pink stuff.

 

[deejaydebi]

Michael -

No need to feel ashamed. If you did buy that stuff we wouldn't have anything to compare our stuff to. That didn't sound right but it was supposed to be good.

I'm just not good at instant food - I did tell you it took my son almost a year to get me to make microwave pocorn without burning it up didn't I? I like real popcorn better - in fact one of my drum building students sent me a whole case of Jolly Time popcorn kernals because they stopped selling it here!

 

[lisacsco]

this is what I believe I am going to go with, but I can not find it anywhere. I have one more place to try before I resort to buying online. It is the Sportmans Warehouse. They have ALOT of stuff in the smoking/campfire cooking section. I am not a shopper at all (hate malls) and I will go in a store get what I need quick and get home. But this store I could spend some time in. I love cast iron and smokers!! :)

Thanks everyone for your help and answers!!


Lisa

 

[bonniesboytoy]

I am able to get and use saltpetre in making dried sausage,

Doesn't saltpetre make your sausage shrink....???