- Dec 22, 2015
- 18
- 10
So I have some questions on curing concentrations and time in cure. Since it is a fairly complex, long winded series of questions, I’m going to break it down into a couple of messages. Let’s start with some recommended concentrations.
It appears, as a general rule, that; 1 tsp. (.20 oz.) of Prague #1, (a.k.a.; Insta Cure #1, Legg Cure, pink salt, etc.) with 6.25% nitrite to 93.75% salt will ‘adequately’ cure about (5) Five pounds (80 oz.) of meat, be that sausage, corned beef, ham, what have you.
That works out to about [0.20 oz. (1 tsp. Prague #1 by weight?) x 0.0625 (6.25% nitrite) = 0.0125 oz. nitrite by weight per teaspoon]. This produces a ratio of 0.0125 oz. nitrite to 80 oz. of meat, or 0.015625% (156.25 ppm) nitrite to meat.
It likewise appears, as a general rule, that; 1 tsp. (.20 oz.) of Prague #2, (a.k.a.; Insta Cure #2) with 6.25% nitrite, 4% nitrate to 89.75% salt will ‘adequately’ cure about (5) Five pounds of meat, be that sausage, corned beef, ham, what have you.
That works out to about [0.20 oz. (1 tsp. Prague #1 by weight?) x 0.0625 (6.25% nitrite) = 0.0125 oz. nitrite by weight per teaspoon]. This produces a ratio of 0.0125 oz. nitrite to 80 oz. of meat, or 0.015625% (156.25 ppm) nitrite to meat.
And,
That also works out to about [0.20 oz. (1 tsp. Prague #1 by weight?) x 0.04 (4% nitrate) = 0.008 oz. nitrate by weight per teaspoon]. This produces a ratio of 0.008 oz. nitrate to 80 oz. of meat, or 0.0001% (interestingly 1 ppm) nitrate to meat.
It likewise appears, as a general rule, that; 7.5 tsp. (1.15 oz.) of Morton Tender Quick or Sugar Cure, with 0.5% nitrite, 0.5% nitrate to 99% salt (actually salt, sugar, dextrose, and other) will ‘adequately’ cure about (5) Five pounds of meat, be that sausage, corned beef, ham, what have you.
So if you look at the active ingredients (nitrite/nitrate) of that 7.5 tsp. of QT:
That works out to about [1.15 oz. (7.5 tsp. QT by weight?) x 0.005 (0.5% nitrite) = 0.00575 oz. nitrite by weight in 7.5 teaspoons]. This produces a ratio of 0.00575 oz. nitrite to 80 oz. of meat, or 0.000071875% (0.71875 ppm) nitrite to meat.
And,
That also works out to about [1.15 oz. (7.5 tsp. QT by weight?) x 0.005 (0.5% nitrite) = 0.00575 oz. nitrate by weight in 7.5 teaspoons]. This produces a ratio of 0.00575 oz. nitrate to 80 oz. of meat, or 0.000071875% (0.71875 ppm) nitrate to meat.
That seems like a pretty broad range for the percent (or ppm) of nitrite to meat. Is my cure all mixed up or is my math off somewhere?
It appears, as a general rule, that; 1 tsp. (.20 oz.) of Prague #1, (a.k.a.; Insta Cure #1, Legg Cure, pink salt, etc.) with 6.25% nitrite to 93.75% salt will ‘adequately’ cure about (5) Five pounds (80 oz.) of meat, be that sausage, corned beef, ham, what have you.
That works out to about [0.20 oz. (1 tsp. Prague #1 by weight?) x 0.0625 (6.25% nitrite) = 0.0125 oz. nitrite by weight per teaspoon]. This produces a ratio of 0.0125 oz. nitrite to 80 oz. of meat, or 0.015625% (156.25 ppm) nitrite to meat.
It likewise appears, as a general rule, that; 1 tsp. (.20 oz.) of Prague #2, (a.k.a.; Insta Cure #2) with 6.25% nitrite, 4% nitrate to 89.75% salt will ‘adequately’ cure about (5) Five pounds of meat, be that sausage, corned beef, ham, what have you.
That works out to about [0.20 oz. (1 tsp. Prague #1 by weight?) x 0.0625 (6.25% nitrite) = 0.0125 oz. nitrite by weight per teaspoon]. This produces a ratio of 0.0125 oz. nitrite to 80 oz. of meat, or 0.015625% (156.25 ppm) nitrite to meat.
And,
That also works out to about [0.20 oz. (1 tsp. Prague #1 by weight?) x 0.04 (4% nitrate) = 0.008 oz. nitrate by weight per teaspoon]. This produces a ratio of 0.008 oz. nitrate to 80 oz. of meat, or 0.0001% (interestingly 1 ppm) nitrate to meat.
It likewise appears, as a general rule, that; 7.5 tsp. (1.15 oz.) of Morton Tender Quick or Sugar Cure, with 0.5% nitrite, 0.5% nitrate to 99% salt (actually salt, sugar, dextrose, and other) will ‘adequately’ cure about (5) Five pounds of meat, be that sausage, corned beef, ham, what have you.
So if you look at the active ingredients (nitrite/nitrate) of that 7.5 tsp. of QT:
That works out to about [1.15 oz. (7.5 tsp. QT by weight?) x 0.005 (0.5% nitrite) = 0.00575 oz. nitrite by weight in 7.5 teaspoons]. This produces a ratio of 0.00575 oz. nitrite to 80 oz. of meat, or 0.000071875% (0.71875 ppm) nitrite to meat.
And,
That also works out to about [1.15 oz. (7.5 tsp. QT by weight?) x 0.005 (0.5% nitrite) = 0.00575 oz. nitrate by weight in 7.5 teaspoons]. This produces a ratio of 0.00575 oz. nitrate to 80 oz. of meat, or 0.000071875% (0.71875 ppm) nitrate to meat.
That seems like a pretty broad range for the percent (or ppm) of nitrite to meat. Is my cure all mixed up or is my math off somewhere?