Salt question for bacon

  • Some of the links on this forum allow SMF, at no cost to you, to earn a small commission when you click through and make a purchase. Let me know if you have any questions about this.
SMF is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.
Custom, Morning.

First...when the message box opens, be sure it has loaded completely. Meaning all the icons at the top are visible. On occasion it hasn't loaded completely for me and then I end up with problems.
head-wall.gif


Left click on "insert image" icon.

Highlight "browse computer" tab.

Left click "browse"

Find the picture, on your computer, that you want to load into the post.

Left button "Double click" on the picture file and the address will load into the file box.

Click on the "submit" box and the pic should load.

I have found waiting 5-10 seconds between each operation works well for getting things to load.

Hope this works for you. I had to have it explained to me. I can't remember who squared me away, but heres to helping each other out.

Dave
 
Take a look at the top bar of the  reply section.  About half way you will see what appears as a film strip. Hover over it and it will say Insert video  to the left of the film is a portrait or something  it says Insert Image.  Click on that you get a pop us screen that allows you to browse your computer.  find the image you want to upload to the site and download it.   Hint.  give yourself a bit of room by hitting the return button a couple of times and then move your cursor back up a couple of lines before inserting the photo.  That will allow you to add text before and after the photo as needed.

Good Luck
 
Sorry Dave,  I hit send before knowing you had already replied.  Between the two of us he will either be very confused or very successful.

Al
 
Sorry Dave,  I hit send before knowing you had already replied.  Between the two of us he will either be very confused or very successful.

Al
Well, you saved the day with "hit the return to make room for typing stuff.

I think we tried to reply at the same time anyway. No worries.

We should do a poll: Are 2 heads better than 1.......At this hour of the morning................. opinions welcome...............
 
 
WE SHOULD UPDATE THE WIKIE!

Or what ever they call that stuff. 

Maybe supply links to important  "how to info" in the new members section  How to post pics,  how to post videos, how to send PMs, how to find a member etc.  Put the links all in one place so it's easy to reference, darn we may already have that but I don't know where it is.
 
Thanks guys, it worked. Now I can actually show what I am asking about. I only used the recommended amount of cure #1 on these bellies.

20d45433_bacon.jpg


I am getting juice in 3 of the 4 packages.

bb168570_bacon1.jpg


I did not completely suck the air out.

abac5f5d_bacon2.jpg


This one that does not have much juice. Is it normal that the edges on this piece got a little brown? The bottom part of the piece is not brown like it looks here in the pic. Only the sides are a little brown.
 
Is that a dry cure?  Is it vacu packed?  Remember dry cures need to be added several times over the curing period to ensure equal distribution of the cure.
 
What I did was skin it, rinse it, pat dry, sprinkle on recommended amount of cure #1, seal in bag but not suck all air out, rotate and flip everyday. Should I be doing more?
 
I don't want to make a lot of comments if you are following a specific recipe. The dry cure procedure I use recommends distributing the cure 3 times over the course of the cure but I have no qualms about the way your are doing it.  If you are getting a bit of gray edges then maybe you need to make sure the cure is getting to the meat.  Maybe a bit of rubbing on it to make sure everything it distributed real well.  I don't think you will hurt anything just "mushing the bag a bit" to get everything moved around.  I cure 10 - 12 lb slabs at a time so vacuum packing is not doable for me, I rub in the cure, cover with plastic wrap, stack the bellies on top of one another and then repeat a couple of more times during the 12 - 14 day cure.  Keep everything refrigerated and it will come out fine, the cure will move internally among the tissue regardless of what it looks like outside.

Keep up the good work,  thanks for sharing the pics

Al
 
All i used for cure was the cure #1. I did not want to experiment on my first try. They had to help me measure because of having to use such a small amount of cure. I had it figured wrong and almost used way too much. Since my smoker is a small cabinet I cut the belly into 4 pieces to fit better.  
did you weigh each peace individually and then use the prescribed amount for each piece?
 
In all the confusion with the posts earlier in the thread I have to ask if you added salt and sugar to the Cure 1?  Once you make the mix you have a pretty good amount of mixed cure to put on the green bacon and I would think it would be visable through the bags.  Like ChefRob mentioned did you cut the meat and add cure to the individual pieces?     Why not post the amounts of everything you used and the weight of the meat. 

Al
 
I did not use anything except the cure. The cure I used says 4 oz per 100 lbs of meat. After skinning the pieces were cut into 2.51  lbs for one and 2.54 lbs for two others. My wife figured out the amounts for me and I used 1/2 tsp  of #1 on each of those pieces. The fourth piece was only 1.14 lbs and I used an 1/8 tsp on that one. After patting the meat dry I sprinkled the cure on and rubbed it in.  
 
You have cure 1.  It is mixed with additional salt, sugar and other spices to make a bacon cure.  By mixing the cure 1 with additional salt and sugar you get enough cure mix to make distribution of the cure a lot easier.   The bacon you have will be safe but probably not have much flavor.

I am very sorry that the rhetoric exchanged between members earlier in this thread screwed you up.   

Why not start a new thread and get some opinions about how to save your bacon.  I am not where I have access to my recipes so I can not give you the rest of the ingredients.

How long has the bacon been on the cure?  If it is 3 or more days I would open them up, combine them in a bowl and add the additional salt and sugar.  Then wrap tightly in saran wrap and let cure for a couple of days and then redust with additional salt and sugar.  I just don't know how much salt and sugar you should be adding to the bacon.

Al
 
al, i posted what i use on the 2nd pg............question, why do you "re-dust" with more salt and sugar? i have always just added my total amount in the beginning and let it ride............just wondering.
 
SmokingMeatForums.com is reader supported and as an Amazon Associate, we may earn commissions from qualifying purchases.

Latest posts

Hot Threads

Clicky