# How much Sodium nitrate



## swinkie (Oct 3, 2020)

Hi all
How much sodium nitrate powder do I need to order and how much salt to make Prague no 1 cure
for 25lbs if pork

I want to make my own with a combination of pink/gray salt...not a pre prepared batch.

Cheers


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## indaswamp (Oct 3, 2020)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curing_salt
Curing salt is 6.25% sodium nitrite (not nitrAte) and 93.75% sodium chloride (regular salt-iodine free)
It is a 1:16 ratio so 1 ounce of sodium nitrite to 16 ounces of salt. so that is what I recommend you acquire. This will be enough cure #1 for 425# of meat.
For 25# of meat, you will need one ounce of your cure #1 mix.

You can use beet color powder to give you the pink tint to the mixture....


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## chef jimmyj (Oct 3, 2020)

Is Ready made Cure #1 not available? 
Make sure your Cure is mixed well before use...JJ


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## indaswamp (Oct 3, 2020)

...and wear gloves when handling the nitrite!


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## daveomak.fs (Oct 4, 2020)

Let's check this out....
Cure#1's generally accepted usage is ~1.1 grams per pound of meat....
Salt's generally acceptable level is ~ 8 grams per pound of meat for a 1.7% level....

Do yourself a favor and add grey salt to  the meat along with cure#1.....


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