# Cure?



## c14james35 (Apr 8, 2017)

Is there any grocery stores that sell cure #1? I looked at meijer and they only have mortons TQ. Does walmart carry it in store or maybe gordons food service? Might have to check at a butchers to buy local and not online.


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## crankybuzzard (Apr 8, 2017)

This is a good time to have your location available.  If you're in Texas I can point you to several places.  

Where are you so some of your neighbors can chime in.


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## c14james35 (Apr 8, 2017)

I live in south bend, IN (where Notre Dame is).


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## crankybuzzard (Apr 8, 2017)

Bass Pro and Cabellas usually have it. If Walmart carries Fiesta seasonings, they may have it.  

Amazon can get it to you in a couple of days as well.


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## c14james35 (Apr 8, 2017)

Bass pro and cabellas are a drive for me. Im sure I could find it at the butchers I sometimes use. If not amazon it is. Do you recommend a certain brand?


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## dirtsailor2003 (Apr 8, 2017)

Hoosier Hills is the brand I buy on Amazon. I can get small amounts of cure #1 here but only enough to do 10 pounds at a time. Costs almost as much as the 2 pound mega supply I buy on Amazon.


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## c14james35 (Apr 8, 2017)

Thanks guys


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## c14james35 (Apr 8, 2017)

Is there a difference between prague powder and any other #1 cures?


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## daveomak (Apr 8, 2017)

Read the label...  It should say 6.25% sodium nitrite...    That's the only one to buy.... 

There is a cure #2 but that's for different type of curing you may get into in a few years....


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## c14james35 (Apr 8, 2017)

It is cure #1 6.25%.


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## c14james35 (Apr 8, 2017)

Screenshot_20170408-230000.png



__ c14james35
__ Apr 8, 2017


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## daveomak (Apr 8, 2017)

Sorry for the confusion...  Yes....  it is cure #1 that is 6.25% nitrite...


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## pugsbrew (Apr 10, 2017)

Just to compare

http://www.butcher-packer.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=237_12


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## link (Apr 10, 2017)

Pugsbrew said:


> Just to compare
> 
> http://www.butcher-packer.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=237_12


OK, Silly question time. Looking at this link the DQ Curring Salt at 6.25% Sodium Nitrite is the same as Cure #1? It appears it can be called different names.

Thanks Link


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## pugsbrew (Apr 10, 2017)

I say yes.  I've just recently started this world of curing, and I'm hooked.  This is what I've been using.


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## link (Apr 10, 2017)

Pugsbrew said:


> I say yes.  I've just recently started this world of curing, and I'm hooked.  This is what I've been using.


Thanks for the clarification. I was thinking the same thing and that is a good price.


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## jlpicard (Apr 10, 2017)

Prague powder #1 is 6.25% Sodium Nitrite bonded to salt as a carrier. (One ounce of Nitrite to one pound of salt).  There are gobs of different 'cures' that contain Sodium Nitrite and will often contain other flavorings as well.  That's all well and good if you realize what you are using and what it is made up of.  Personally I like to just purchase plain ole Prague Powder #1 and fine tune my spices as I see fit.

Prague Powder #2 however contains the 6.25% Sodium Nitrite, Salt, but also adds in 4% Sodium NITRATE.  (One ounce of Nitrite, one pound of salt, .64 ounces of Nitrate).  The Sodium Nitrate is a time release preservative that, over time, breaks down and converts into Sodium Nitrite.  #2 is needed for long term curing type products that will never be cooked.

These two can NOT be interchanged.  As a matter of fact, the #2 does have a shelf life, so if you are making a product using #2, don't buy a bunch of it as it will slowly be converting the Nitrate to Nitrite on the shelf and if it sits for very long it may NOT contain the necessary amount of Nitrate when you finally do use more of it.


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## wild west (Apr 10, 2017)

JLPicard said:


> Prague powder #1 is 6.25% Sodium Nitrite bonded to salt as a carrier. (One ounce of Nitrite to one pound of salt).  There are gobs of different 'cures' that contain Sodium Nitrite and will often contain other flavorings as well.  That's all well and good if you realize what you are using and what it is made up of.  Personally I like to just purchase plain ole Prague Powder #1 and fine tune my spices as I see fit.
> 
> Prague Powder #2 however contains the 6.25% Sodium Nitrite, Salt, but also adds in 4% Sodium NITRATE.  (One ounce of Nitrite, one pound of salt, .64 ounces of Nitrate).  The Sodium Nitrate is a time release preservative that, over time, breaks down and converts into Sodium Nitrite.  #2 is needed for long term curing type products that will never be cooked.
> 
> These two can NOT be interchanged.  As a matter of fact, the #2 does have a shelf life, so if you are making a product using #2, don't buy a bunch of it as it will slowly be converting the Nitrate to Nitrite on the shelf and if it sits for very long it may NOT contain the necessary amount of Nitrate when you finally do use more of it.


Do you know the shelf life? I have some about a year a half old


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## c14james35 (Apr 10, 2017)

JLPicard said:


> Prague powder #1 is 6.25% Sodium Nitrite bonded to salt as a carrier. (One ounce of Nitrite to one pound of salt).  There are gobs of different 'cures' that contain Sodium Nitrite and will often contain other flavorings as well.  That's all well and good if you realize what you are using and what it is made up of.  Personally I like to just purchase plain ole Prague Powder #1 and fine tune my spices as I see fit.
> 
> Prague Powder #2 however contains the 6.25% Sodium Nitrite, Salt, but also adds in 4% Sodium NITRATE.  (One ounce of Nitrite, one pound of salt, .64 ounces of Nitrate).  The Sodium Nitrate is a time release preservative that, over time, breaks down and converts into Sodium Nitrite.  #2 is needed for long term curing type products that will never be cooked.
> 
> These two can NOT be interchanged.  As a matter of fact, the #2 does have a shelf life, so if you are making a product using #2, don't buy a bunch of it as it will slowly be converting the Nitrate to Nitrite on the shelf and if it sits for very long it may NOT contain the necessary amount of Nitrate when you finally do use more of it.



Thanks for the clarification.


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## jlpicard (Apr 10, 2017)

wild west said:


> Do you know the shelf life? I have some about a year a half old


I am afraid I do not.  I, like you, had some old #2 that I intended to use years ago and I posted on another forum I frequent about using it.  There was a rather long discussion about #2 and how it works, with the Nitrates slowly converting to Nitrites over time.  I came to the conclusion, that if I couldn't say with any certainty exactly what quantities of Nitrates I had in my old #2 that I wasn't worth the risk.  These cures are so inexpensive, it just wasn't worth it to risk it.  I now only purchase the amt of #2 and even #1 that I intend on using, and if I don't use it all, and it sits for more than a few months, I just throw it away.


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## country smoker (Jun 25, 2017)

Pork belly can be cured without nitrites, salt will do the job just fine.


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## daveomak (Jun 25, 2017)

country smoker said:


> Pork belly can be cured without nitrites, salt will do the job just fine.


When smoking foods, the smokehouse has a reduced oxygen environment... the nitrite prevents botulism, the deadliest pathogen known to man...

I strongly suggest you start using cure#1 when making smoked meats....

*FOR ALL MEMBERS ON THE FORUM....     USE NITRITE WHEN MAKING BACON AND SMOKING MEATS....*


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## atomicsmoke (Jun 25, 2017)

country smoker said:


> Pork belly can be cured without nitrites, salt will do the job just fine.


Belly cured with salt only will not taste like bacon.


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