# Calculating bacon cure time using Morton® Tender Quick® or Sugar Cure® (Plain or Smoke Flavored)



## mr t 59874

With all the different dry cured bacon recipes, I was beginning to question myself whether or not the one I have been using  was the one recommended by Morton[emoji]174[/emoji] or had I misunderstood and been doing it wrong for a good many years.   After contacting Morton[emoji]174[/emoji] the following was confirmed and I felt reassured.

Morton[emoji]174[/emoji] recommends dry curing pork belly.  The rate of cure is 7 days per inch thickness using one application of Tender Quick[emoji]174[/emoji] or Sugar Cure[emoji]174[/emoji] (Plain or Smoke Flavored) over the entire belly of  1/2 oz. or 1 TBS per pound of meat.

 At 7 days per inch, it takes the cure 7 days to penetrate 1/2 inch from both sides to reach the center.  This calculates to be 1/14 of an inch per side per day to reach 100% saturation.

A 2 inch pork belly would then take 14 days minimum to cure to the center, which is 1 inch.
Morton[emoji]174[/emoji] then recommends a two day equalization period resulting in a minimum of 16 day's cure time  for a two inch thick pork belly.

Hope this helps those who questioned the recommended cure times using Morton[emoji]174[/emoji] products.

To receive the Morton[emoji]174[/emoji] Home Curing Guide.PDF or ask questions,  Google Morton Salt/contact-us.

Tom

Updated to include the following threads:  Bacon curing time using Tender Quick  ,  Fry Testing Bacon - Not Needed - Explained


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## pc farmer

Very interesting.


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## disco

I am glad to see this post. There are so many different instructions on the web and this forum. I have used as little as 10 days for 2 inches based on recipes and they turned out ok but I do think I will extend my curing times based on this post and other manufacturers' guides. For example, Bradley Cures use the same calculation.

Disco


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## Bearcarver

I go by my own calculating that I learned on this forum.

Mortons tends to change things around with each book they print.

Plus when you call them it depends on which person you talk to, as to what your answer will be.

I've already called them on one day & got one answer. Then there was some questions about what they told me, so I called a few days later & got a different answer from another person.

I never had a piece of meat not completely cured to center, and I don't change my methods, like Mortons does.

I use 1/2 ounce (1 TBS) per pound, but I do one day per 1/2" of total thickness, and then add a minimum of 2 days for safety. Then I usually add 2 more days. So going by my way, I would cure a 2" Belly for --------4 + 2 + 2 = 8 days.

Nothing wrong with going 14, instead of 8 days, but you better do a test fry, because it's gonna be salty from the extra time in cure.

My 2 cents.

Bear


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## venture

I use different math, but I do it pretty much like Bear.

I use two days per inch of total thickness and add a couple of days.  A couple days more if my fridge is running cold.

The same math is 1/4 inch per day BUT that is 1/4 inch from each side?

Gets confusing doesn't it?

I never exceed 2 to three inches of total thickness.  That will get you into other methods.

A little over cure for safety won't hurt. 

Under cure is a recipe for major problems.

Really simpler to use a curing brine, but without a dedicated fridge, the dry cure comes in handy in the space saving arena.

Good luck and good smoking.


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## pc farmer

..........


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## Bearcarver

Venture said:


> I use different math, but I do it pretty much like Bear.
> 
> I use two days per inch of total thickness and add a couple of days.  A couple days more if my fridge is running cold.
> 
> The same math is 1/4 inch per day BUT that is 1/4 inch from each side?
> 
> Gets confusing doesn't it?
> 
> I never exceed 2 to three inches of total thickness.  That will get you into other methods.
> 
> A little over cure for safety won't hurt.
> 
> Under cure is a recipe for major problems.
> 
> Really simpler to use a curing brine, but without a dedicated fridge, the dry cure comes in handy in the space saving arena.
> 
> Good luck and good smoking.


Great Point about the Fridge, Merv.

If someone isn't sure about their fridge, that 7 days per inch might be a good idea, because if the fridge is sometimes too low, a few of those days might not be curing.

Anything I cure that's over 3", I'll cut in half, because I don't care to inject.

BTW: Good to see you!!!

Bear


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## waywardswede

Great timing on this, guys, I have a pork belly coming in on Friday that I'm going to dry cure.  One thing I've been wondering about on the salt / fry test. Do you think that a soak in water to remove excess saltiness affects the flavor at all?


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## webowabo

Great info. I like to see different methods from you guys. I Still wanna do some bacon! ;(


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## Bearcarver

WaywardSwede said:


> Great timing on this, guys, I have a pork belly coming in on Friday that I'm going to dry cure.  One thing I've been wondering about on the salt / fry test. Do you think that a soak in water to remove excess saltiness affects the flavor at all?


It doesn't affect any flavor on mine, but I only put TQ and Brown Sugar on when curing. Then after rinsing & drying I sprinkle CBP, Garlic Powder, and Onion Powder on it before forming the Pellicle. I originally added other seasonings to my curing & got no flavor from them. I even tried adding real Maple Syrup to my curing & found it to be a waste of good Maple Syrup. They say Dry Maple Flavorings work, but I never tried it.

However it will remove some salty flavor.

Bear


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## joopster

How do you wrap? Cling wrap and foil for curing or do I need to put it in a bag?  I bought MTQ at the store.


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## Bearcarver

Joopster said:


> How do you wrap? Cling wrap and foil for curing or do I need to put it in a bag?  I bought MTQ at the store.


I use the Zip Locks with the sliding zipper. Mrs Bear folds the open end of the bag over like a Pants Cuff. Then when I'm ready, she holds the bag open & I slide the meat in (No smart remarks here---Married 46 years). Then she keeps it open while I throw any cure & sugar that fell off into the bag too, because the cure belongs with that piece.

Folding the open end of the bag over like a Pants Cuff keeps cure & salt from getting in the zipper causing the seal to fail.

Bear


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## joopster

I guess I will wait to cure my bacon until we get some ziploc bags.


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## Bearcarver

Joopster said:


> I guess I will wait to cure my bacon until we get some ziploc bags.


You can use the Zip-locks that you just pinch shut, but I trust the ones with the sliding gizmo more.

BTW: I don't usually mention it, but I always lay the bags flat so the whole down side lays in the juices until flipped to the other side each day.

Bear


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## pc farmer

If I may add to this,

I use the zip type zip lok and always make sure the zip lok part of the bag stays up in the air in case of leaks.


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## mr t 59874

The guy's have covered for me well.  I use two gallon zip bags and lay them flat on a rack so the fluid can access the bottom.  Lay them with the zip up like cf suggested and turn and message daily like Bear suggested.

Enjoy your bacon.

Tom


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## joopster

I will get some tomorrow and start the cure process.


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## wade

Hi Bear. This may be a bit of a naive question but why are you using Tender Quick for bacon as it contains equal amounts of both Nitrite and _*Nitrate*_? My understanding was that in the USA Nitrate is not permitted in the curing of bacon.


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## dirtsailor2003

Joopster said:


> I guess I will wait to cure my bacon until we get some ziploc bags.



You can also vac pac if you have a vacuum packer. 

Not the best method but you can wrap with cling wrap. If you do make sure you have a good wrap on it and several layers. Place the wrapped belly in something in case it leaks. 

I have a friend that places his in a flat glass container with a lid. He flips daily and massages the belly. Something that should be done no matter what you cure in.


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## Bearcarver

Wade said:


> Hi Bear. This may be a bit of a naive question but why are you using Tender Quick for bacon as it contains equal amounts of both Nitrite and _*Nitrate*_? My understanding was that in the USA Nitrate is not permitted in the curing of bacon.


That rule is for Commercial Bacon, cured differently than we do.

Like many thousands of others, I've been using it for a long time. If TQ was harmful the USDA would have made them take it off the market a long time ago, or at least put a warning label on it for "Not using it for curing Bacon".

A couple years ago I got tired of hearing that worry about TQ, so I Messaged the USDA on their site about it, and their reply was "Just keep using your TQ for your home curing of Bacon---No problem".

Bear


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## wade

Hmm OK Bear.


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## wade

dirtsailor2003 said:


> You can also vac pac if you have a vacuum packer.
> 
> Not the best method but you can wrap with cling wrap. If you do make sure you have a good wrap on it and several layers. Place the wrapped belly in something in case it leaks.


The vac pack I find the best and cleanest method. Not only does it stop any leaks it also ensures that any resulting brine stays in intimate contact with the meat. A side seal vacuum packer is inexpensive these days and is a very versatile method of packing for the fridge or freezer.


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## mr t 59874

Wade said:


> The vac pack I find the best and cleanest method. Not only does it stop any leaks it also ensures that any resulting brine stays in intimate contact with the meat. A side seal vacuum packer is inexpensive these days and is a very versatile method of packing for the fridge or freezer.


I have a question on vac packing.  Wouldn't that keep the juices from exiting the meat blending with the cure and then being re-absorbed?

T


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## tjohnson

Mr T 59874 said:


> I have a question on vac packing.  Wouldn't that keep the juices from exiting the meat blending with the cure and then being re-absorbed?
> 
> T


This is a good question....!

I tried speed curing bacon in a vacuum tumbler

The experiment was to see if I could cure bacon starting on Friday, smoke on Saturday and slice/pack on Sunday

The cure penetrated the bacon, but the flavor was just not there

Some things just can't be rushed

Someone would have to vac seal a slab and have another slab in a zip lock bag as a control

I have plenty of bacon on hand or I would take on the task

Anyone willing to try this test?


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## mr t 59874

TJohnson said:


> This is a good question....!
> 
> I tried speed curing bacon in a vacuum tumbler
> 
> The experiment was to see if I could cure bacon starting on Friday, smoke on Saturday and slice/pack on Sunday
> 
> The cure penetrated the bacon, but the flavor was just not there
> 
> Some things just can't be rushed
> 
> Someone would have to vac seal a slab and have another slab in a zip lock bag as a control
> 
> I have plenty of bacon on hand or I would take on the task
> 
> Anyone willing to try this test?


Interesting experiment, Todd. Thanks for sharing the results.  I've had excellent results using the bag on a rack method, so will continue using that method.  I agree, some things just can't or shouldn't be rushed.

With 13 smokers (envious) on hand, I can see how you could have plenty of bacon on hand (envious again).

Happy New Year, Todd, we appreciate all you do.

Tom.


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## dirtsailor2003

I have cured in both vac pac and ziplock. I cured the same length in the vac bags as I would otherwise. I can say that there was no difference in flavor or texture.


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## mr t 59874

dirtsailor2003 said:


> I have cured in both vac pac and ziplock. I cured the same length in the vac bags as I would otherwise. I can say that there was no difference in flavor or texture.


Good enough for me.  Thanks DS.

Tom


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## wade

Mr T 59874 said:


> I have a question on vac packing.  Wouldn't that keep the juices from exiting the meat blending with the cure and then being re-absorbed?


For bacon the purpose is to get the cure into the meat rather than to remove juices from the meat. This takes time and it is important that the cure remains in contact with the meat so that it can be absorbed. If you allow the extracted juices to flow away from the pork it will actually flush away any surface cure along with it. This is the reason why with a zip loc bag it is important to keep turning the meat during the curing process to keep the resulting brine in contact with the meat. When vac packing you still need to turn the meat during the curing time however the vac pack helps keep the cure/brine in intimate contact with the meat surface. Even when vac packing there is still a considerable amount of liquid brine that is produced.


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## wade




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## mr t 59874

Wade said:


> Even when vac packing there is still a considerable amount of liquid brine that is produced.


This answers my question, thanks.

Tom


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## haywire haywood

I have a little bit to add to the discussion...  "America's Test Kitchen" did a test on various ziplock type bags and the ones with the zippers were the worst performers for sealing.


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## clarkr

Bearcarver said:


> I go by my own calculating that I learned on this forum.
> 
> Mortons tends to change things around with each book they print.
> 
> Plus when you call them it depends on which person you talk to, as to what your answer will be.
> 
> I've already called them on one day & got one answer. Then there was some questions about what they told me, so I called a few days later & got a different answer from another person.
> 
> I never had a piece of meat not completely cured to center, and I don't change my methods, like Mortons does.
> 
> I use 1/2 ounce (1 TBS) per pound, but I do one day per 1/2" of total thickness, and then add a minimum of 2 days for safety. Then I usually add 2 more days. So going by my way, I would cure a 2" Belly for --------4 + 2 + 2 = 8 days.
> 
> Nothing wrong with going 14, instead of 8 days, but you better do a test fry, because it's gonna be salty from the extra time in cure.
> 
> My 2 cents.
> 
> Bear


Hi Bear.... Question for you.

I use the Morton Plain Sugar Cure with 1 TB of cure per pound when doing slabs between 1-2 inches thick. I cure this at about 38° and like you for about 8-10 days.

The comment I have is this: The first time I smoked bacon I used the rinse method after the cure. It turned out too salty to eat (more like salt pork than bacon) and I am a basic salt lover so that's saying a lot. I then had to soak the bacon in water (after smoking it) to make it edible. That took a lot of flavor out of the finished bacon and also rinsed off the pepper seasoning I used.

Now, after the 8 day cure time, I soak the slabs in water for about 6-8 hours (changing the water once after about 2 hours) to remove some of the salt content in the bacon. I pat it dry, add the spices and leave it open to the air in the fridge overnight. It then goes into the cold smoker the next day.

Question: Do you see anything wrong with this method of soaking prior to the smoke as far as safety goes? I have done 4 batches of this over the last 2 years with no problems. All turned out fantastic. What are your thoughts on this?

Thanks in advance,

Clark


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## Bearcarver

clarkr said:


> Hi Bear.... Question for you.
> 
> I use the Morton Plain Sugar Cure with 1 TB of cure per pound when doing slabs between 1-2 inches thick. I cure this at about 38° and like you for about 8-10 days.
> 
> The comment I have is this: The first time I smoked bacon I used the rinse method after the cure. It turned out too salty to eat (more like salt pork than bacon) and I am a basic salt lover so that's saying a lot. I then had to soak the bacon in water (after smoking it) to make it edible. That took a lot of flavor out of the finished bacon and also rinsed off the pepper seasoning I used.
> 
> Now, after the 8 day cure time, I soak the slabs in water for about 6-8 hours (changing the water once after about 2 hours) to remove some of the salt content in the bacon. I pat it dry, add the spices and leave it open to the air in the fridge overnight. It then goes into the cold smoker the next day.
> 
> Question: Do you see anything wrong with this method of soaking prior to the smoke as far as safety goes? I have done 4 batches of this over the last 2 years with no problems. All turned out fantastic. What are your thoughts on this?
> 
> Thanks in advance,
> 
> Clark


I can't see how that would be unsafe. I would worry more about washing the flavor out.

However I have never used their "Sugar Cure", and if this is what's happening for you, I would never use it.

I've been using their Tender Quick for 6 years, and I have been using basically the same method all of those 6 years, and I have never had a TQ cured Belly Bacon, CB, BBB, or Dried Beef that came out too salty. All I ever do is give it a short soak (Maybe 1/2 Hour) just to get rid of the Surface salt. And I'm used to using very little salt, due to a Kidney problem caused by a Dr Screw-up.

The only time I ever had to soak Bacon to eliminate extra salt flavor was the one time I used "Hi Mt Cure & Seasoning".

You could go to my "Step by Step Index", and check out any of my "Bacon" Step by Steps (My Favorite is "Bacon (Extra Smoky)", and follow that---Then see how you like it.

Hope this helps,

Bear


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