# Bacon turned slimy?



## theyankeesmoker (May 8, 2020)

so I have a 5 pound pork belly. Cured with a usual quarter cup salt sugar and two teaspoons of curing salt #2.

After two weeks it was not getting firm. Figured I'd take out of vac seal. Well it was slimy. But no smell. I rinsed it off and threw on another layer of cure.

Anyone have any experience like this?


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## pops6927 (May 8, 2020)

First of all, you have to use cure #1, not cure #2.  You don't leave it in the cure long enough for the nitrates to convert to nitrites.  Cure #2 is for curing 30 days to 2 years, cure #1 is for curing from 1 day to 30 days.  Cure #1 only contains nitrites, cure #2  contains both nitrites and nitrates


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## bregent (May 8, 2020)

In addition to what Pops has told you about using the wrong cure, you used about twice as much cure as needed initially. After 2 week all of that has been absorbed, and now you added 2 more tsps, bringing the total to about 4X the recommended amount - around 650PPM.

Pork bellies don't always firm up much after curing. I would rinse it off now, maybe even do some cold water soaking, and smoke - or consider tossing it and starting over.

I suggest buying a scale and using a cure calculator next time.


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## theyankeesmoker (May 9, 2020)

bregent said:


> In addition to what Pops has told you about using the wrong cure, you used about twice as much cure as needed initially. After 2 week all of that has been absorbed, and now you added 2 more tsps, bringing the total to about 4X the recommended amount - around 650PPM.
> 
> Pork bellies don't always firm up much after curing. I would rinse it off now, maybe even do some cold water soaking, and smoke - or consider tossing it and starting over.
> 
> I suggest buying a scale and using a cure calculator next time.



Thank you. Meant cure #1. It was the under 30 day one. Will soak and smoke and have some bacon for tomorrow :)

In the past when I have done Pancetta and bacon it has usually firmed up. What threw me off is usually with a slime there has been a smell. This time no smell.


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## theyankeesmoker (May 9, 2020)

Eh no issues. Soaked and smoked today. I got distracted and it went up to 160 before being pulled out (given circumstances may not be the worst).

Thanks for the feedback


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