# TQ is REALLY hard to find in PDX!



## uncle kenny (Dec 24, 2010)

I am surprised at not finding a single source after a week of looking/calling/internet searching. I finally ordered some from Morton, but the shipping is more that two bags of TQ! I get around Portland a lot; anybody here have a source? Thanks. UK


----------



## scarbelly (Dec 24, 2010)

We can not find it in CA either - it is online for us too


----------



## dairyman (Dec 24, 2010)

I ordered from this company. Shipping was cheaper. http://www.americanspice.com/


----------



## que-ball (Dec 24, 2010)

It's all over up here, so feel free to PM me if you get desperate.  The going rate here is about $5 for a 2# bag, and two of those bags should fit in a small Priority Mail Flat Rate box, so shipping would be another $5.


----------



## nwdave (Dec 24, 2010)

I guess we're hoarding it up here in the far northwest.  Plenty on our shelves.


----------



## venture (Dec 25, 2010)

I am with Scarbelly.  Can't find it in central CA either.  I guess the professionals here must all make fresh sausages.


----------



## smoke dawg (Jan 1, 2011)

Try asking your local butcher or some of the smaller independent stores in the outlying areas. Maybe even whole foods in PDX

My wife said that Fred Meyer carries it


----------



## uncle kenny (Jan 1, 2011)

I've asked a couple of Fred Meyer managers about TQ. They say they used to carry it but no more. They do carry the smoke flavor sugar cure, but I found that stuff to be horrible and threw it away!


----------



## nwdave (Jan 1, 2011)

Uncle Kenny said:


> I've asked a couple of Fred Meyer managers about TQ. They say they used to carry it but no more. They do carry the smoke flavor sugar cure, but I found that stuff to be horrible and threw it away!




 I'm going to have to call B.S. on those store managers.  Our Freddies in Bellingham (2), the one in Mt Vernon and I'm sure others in this neck of the woods carry it year round.  Of course, now that they're associated with Kroger's, maybe they changed your districts food list.  The next best search point is the major food chains.  Haggens, AKA Top Food carries it, Safeway and on and on, unless there's some special restriction for areas south of here.  I guess it's like the shortage of a certain item in the Denver area when I was visiting last August.  Wanted to make up some SoFlaQuer South Carolina Mustard Sauce and one key ingredient is Red Wine Vinegar.  Since I was making a couple gallons, I of course was looking for gallon jugs of this particular vinegar.  Not a snow ball's chance.  Just those itsey, bitsey 12 oz bottles.  Yet, they're readily available here in Washington in gallon jugs.  Go figure.


----------



## thebarbequeen (Jan 1, 2011)

QFC, also in the kroger family carries TQ up here in Seattle area, as well.


----------



## smoke dawg (Jan 1, 2011)

I would bet Jims Thriftway down the road in banks has it.


----------



## les3176 (Jan 1, 2011)

here in erie we have it in dang near every store.My local mom and pop store has it year round.As a matter of fact i was in there the other day and bought a 12# pork butt for snacksticks and saw they had bout 10-12 bags of it.I guess we're lucky here.If you need to email me and we can work something out to send ya some.


----------



## uncle kenny (Jan 1, 2011)

Thanks, Smoke dawg. I'll give them a call tomorrow.


----------



## bilder (Jan 2, 2011)

Have you tried Northwest Butcher Supply out in Clackamas?

If they do not carry TQ, they should carry pink salt.

Fred Meyer in Alaska carries TQ as do some of the sporting goods and butcher supply shops.


----------



## smoke dawg (Jan 2, 2011)

bilder said:


> If they do not carry TQ, they should carry pink salt.


----------



## dink1960 (Jan 2, 2011)

Called Cash and Carry they have in in Aloha OR  170th and TV Hwy.  for $3.48 for a 2lb. bag.  Good Luck.


----------



## harlanr3 (Jan 2, 2011)

I think I saw it at freddys also I will look tonight.That said were can we find a good supply of sausage casings here in PDX


----------



## uncle kenny (Jan 2, 2011)

Thanks, bilder. I didn't know about NW butcher supply. I'm new in town, so any other links to good local suppliers are appreciated!


----------



## harlanr3 (Jan 2, 2011)

Nope none at fredys


----------



## bilder (Jan 6, 2011)

Smoke Dawg said:


> bilder said:
> 
> 
> > If they do not carry TQ, they should carry pink salt.




Pink salt, Prague Powder # 1, Insta-Cure, Modern Cure are all the same thing....sodium nitrate in a 6.25% concentration.  It is the key ingredient in TQ and most any other cure mixture out there.  TQ is mainly sugar and sodium nitrate if I remember correctly.  It is colored pink so it will not be confused for normal salt.  A little goes a long way, 4 ounces can cure 100 pounds of meat.  If you cannot find TQ you can get some pink salt and find a clone recipe for TQ on the internet to make your own cure.


----------



## fpnmf (Jan 6, 2011)

Smoke Dawg said:


> bilder said:
> 
> 
> > If they do not carry TQ, they should carry pink salt.


Here is an interesting read about curing salts.

http://www.susanminor.org/forums/showthread.php?736-Curing-Salts


----------



## mudduck (Jan 6, 2011)

i get TQ at the county co-op


----------



## lakeeriearms (Jan 6, 2011)

Recently was looking for TQ as well, here in ny i went to Walmarts Superstore and they didn't have it, so i went on the Mortons website and looked up stores in my area, Wegmans- a large groc. store carried it, i called them ahead of time as another Wegmans that i stopped at didn't have it, it was under $4/ bag, just my .02


----------



## ak1 (Jan 6, 2011)

No, not even close. TQ is nothing like Cure#1  TQ contains much less Nitrate than cure#1 plus it also contains Sodium Nitrite, but at different concentrations than Cure#2. 

TQ is not interchangeable with either of the other cures. Either cure is very simple to use if you follow the directions provided, but you cannot use one instead of the other.
 


bilder said:


> Smoke Dawg said:
> 
> 
> > bilder said:
> ...


----------



## smoke 2 geaux (Jan 7, 2011)

I couldn't find it down here either.  I ordered directly from Morton, but they are making a killing on shipiping.  There sausage seasoning is really good too, so I went ahead and stocked up since I was going to have to shell out for for the freight anyway.


----------



## placebo (Jan 7, 2011)

Venture said:


> I am with Scarbelly.  Can't find it in central CA either.  I guess the professionals here must all make fresh sausages.




Not sure where in central CA you are but I get mine _here_   You won't see it listed on the web site but they do carry it. Like Smoke Dawg suggests check any surrounding butchers/meat processors they usually carry it.


----------



## pit 4 brains (Jan 7, 2011)

Interested in a trade? I can get it here for around 6 bucks a bag so I could toss it in a flat-rate box and trade it for a box of wood or something..


----------



## bilder (Jan 8, 2011)

I never did say you could use TQ and pink salt as if they were the same.   I said that if you cannot find TQ, that you probably should be able to find pink salt and then look for a recipe to make a clone of TQ. 

Four ounces of pink salt can cure 100 pounds of meat.  It would take more than a  pound of TQ to do the same thing. 

Here is a link that explains the ratios much better than I ever could:

http://www.susanminor.org/forums/showthread.php?736-Curing-Salts

I used TQ at first, but it is cheaper to get the pink salt and make your own cure mix.
 


AK1 said:


> No, not even close. TQ is nothing like Cure#1  TQ contains much less Nitrate than cure#1 plus it also contains Sodium Nitrite, but at different concentrations than Cure#2.
> 
> TQ is not interchangeable with either of the other cures. Either cure is very simple to use if you follow the directions provided, but you cannot use one instead of the other.
> 
> ...


----------



## beer-b-q (Jan 15, 2011)

Posted in wrong thread...


----------

