curing salt

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gbduke

Newbie
Original poster
Jan 22, 2012
27
10
new orleans louisiana
i have a question for all the smoked sausage makers out there.does anyone else add salt other than curing salt"when they smoke there sausage?i do not add extra salt when i do mine,but some of my friends do.i use the required amount according to the directions on the insta cure label.most of my buds use regular salt and just a pinch of curing salt.what ya think guys???
 
i have a question for all the smoked sausage makers out there.does anyone else add salt other than curing salt"when they smoke there sausage?i do not add extra salt when i do mine,but some of my friends do.i use the required amount according to the directions on the insta cure label.most of my buds use regular salt and just a pinch of curing salt.what ya think guys???


Follow the directions to a tee for the cure you are using, "just a pinch" could leave you with not enough cure, rendering the meat unsafe to eat.
 
i have a question for all the smoked sausage makers out there.does anyone else add salt other than curing salt"when they smoke there sausage?i do not add extra salt when i do mine,but some of my friends do.i use the required amount according to the directions on the insta cure label.most of my buds use regular salt and just a pinch of curing salt.what ya think guys???
When it comes to cure you MUST follow the directions for the cure you are using. By not doing so you can end up with not enough cure or too much cure, both are bad situations too have. Too little cure the meat can be unsafe by allowing the nasty bugs too grow, you would need to treat this as an uncured meat. Too much cure can make the meat unsafe by having unsafe levels of nitrite which is very bad.
 
 
When it comes to cure you MUST follow the directions for the cure you are using. By not doing so you can end up with not enough cure or too much cure, both are bad situations too have. Too little cure the meat can be unsafe by allowing the nasty bugs too grow, you would need to treat this as an uncured meat. Too much cure can make the meat unsafe by having unsafe levels of nitrite which is very bad.
 
Yep what Sprky said!
 
thanks for the speedy replys!i do follow the directions close by adding the proper amount of #1 insta cure.i just find i dont need as much regular salt in my recipe when i use the proper amount of #1.how ever i cant get  my fellow coon asses to use the proper amount of number1 !there idea is that your going to cook the sausage reguardless,wether it be by grilling or in a gumbo!i just wanted to know what the smoke masters  in this site have to say!thanks again!!!!!........duke
 
As long as you keep it cold and get it to proper internal temps in 4 hours you don't need cure.  The cure adds a bit of flavor and allows you to extend the 4 hour rule and use lower smoking temperatures.    You really don't need cure for gumbo sausage.  

Give me a yell when you make the gumbo,  Slidell is only 30 minutes away!  You're in Lacombe, right,  even closer!
 
Gees.  #1 is mostly salt, but it is 1 tsp per 5 lbs of meat?

Most sausage recipes call for 1 tsp to even two tsp of salt for every ONE LB of meat.  I don't see the problem?  Why would a sausage recipe need major modifications for adding only less than  one tsp of salt per 5 LBS?

Having said that, I would add the cure only when necessary for safety or desired for flavor and color setting properties?

Good luck and good smoking.
 
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Cure #1

6.25% sodium nitrite and the remainder non iodized salt. Pink tint added as to not confuse with regular table salt. Used at 1 level tsp per every 5 lbs of meat

Cure #2

6.25% sodium nitrite and 4% sodium nitrate and the remainder non iodized. Used at 1 level tsp per every 5 lbs of meat

AKA: Insta cure, Prague powder, DQ cure or Modern cure.

MTQ

Mixed with sodium nitrite, sodium nitrate, salt, sugar & PG (Propylene Glycol) MTQ Is not interchangeable with Cure #1 or 2

MTQ is used at 7.5 tsp per every 5 lbs of meat

Cold smoking, 165* or lower

Hot smoking 165* and higher
 
Cure #1



6.25% sodium nitrite and the remainder non iodized salt. Pink tint added as to not confuse with regular table salt. Used at 1 level tsp per every 5 lbs of meat




Cure #2



6.25% sodium nitrite and 4% sodium nitrate and the remainder non iodized. Used at 1 level tsp per every 5 lbs of meat



AKA: Insta cure, Prague powder, DQ cure or Modern cure.




MTQ



Mixed with sodium nitrite, sodium nitrate, salt, sugar & PG (Propylene Glycol) MTQ Is not interchangeable with Cure #1 or 2


MTQ is used at 7.5 tsp per every 5 lbs of meat



Cold smoking, 165* or lower


Hot smoking 165* and higher

I'm curious how this post answers the OP's question.

I don't think he asked anyone to define different cures.

Just curious......
 
im in metairie al,still not that far.thanks for the info.im just trying to convince my cousins they need to use more curing salt!plus its good to hear what good smokers think is the right thing to do
 
You need to add additional salt along with the cure salt to achieve a proper bind of the proteins while mixing. If you don't it will be a crumbly and less succulent sausage. the small amount of salt in the cure won't do it.

For a cooked sausage, 1%-2% of the recipe is what is normally used.

I like 30gm per 5 pound batch in most recipes. That's about 1.25% or 4tsp.
 
Last edited:
I'm curious how this post answers the OP's question.
I don't think he asked anyone to define different cures.
Just curious......


Sending basic cure info out there.

So if he would like an opinion on what he was asking like just a pinch of cure then.....NO WAY would i just throw a pinch in.

Shows how we all do things different

And like Dan said if you use Pink cure you will need to add salt in the recipe as cure at 1 tsp does not have enough salt, unlike MTQ

I keep wondering why the cure debate gets so scientific and technical when its soooo easy to do?

th_nopicsye3.gif
 
Last edited:
Hey Nepas

About the cure debate

In my opinion if people understand how we come up with the numbers we use they can look at a recipe and decide if the amounts of cure, salt etc in the recipe are safe and accurate.   We had a little discussion about this earlier and now, as I am looking at recipes I am aware of the amounts of ingredients.  Pretty interesting seeing how some of the recipes, especially the older ones, are so far off.  I guess in the old days they just threw a handful of cure salt on a belly or dusted till covered.  When the recipe got published the author weighed a handful and used that amount in the recipe.   I don't know how old the USDA recommendations are but I'll bet 50 years ago they didn't have the same guidelines they have now.

Something else,  if I find that I normally like 3% salt or maybe can handle only so much sage in my sausages I can adjust the recipes for each ingredient  If you understand that part of cooking or smoking then you are no longer a "just follow the recipe" kind of person. 

I really like understanding why we do something and not just how to do it.
 
Hey Nepas

About the cure debate

In my opinion if people understand how we come up with the numbers we use they can look at a recipe and decide if the amounts of cure, salt etc in the recipe are safe and accurate.   We had a little discussion about this earlier and now, as I am looking at recipes I am aware of the amounts of ingredients.  Pretty interesting seeing how some of the recipes, especially the older ones, are so far off.  I guess in the old days they just threw a handful of cure salt on a belly or dusted till covered.  When the recipe got published the author weighed a handful and used that amount in the recipe.   I don't know how old the USDA recommendations are but I'll bet 50 years ago they didn't have the same guidelines they have now.

Something else,  if I find that I normally like 3% salt or maybe can handle only so much sage in my sausages I can adjust the recipes for each ingredient  If you understand that part of cooking or smoking then you are no longer a "just follow the recipe" kind of person. 

I really like understanding why we do something and not just how to do it.


Yeah back when i started 76/77 it was all different, over the years when the FEDS got more involved it all changed and they want to tell you how to do things.

I used this way back......For new members following this post. PLEASE DO NOT USE THIS UNLESS YOU KNOW WHAT YOUR DOING.

9fc5f802_IMG_1071.jpg


Its all good
 
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