# POLL:  Ooops!  Too much Prague #1 6.25% nitrite - emergency?



## webpoppy8 (Apr 9, 2017)

Just double-checked calcs on bacon I've been curing 3 days to make a cold smoke for Easter.  My cure has two tsp of Prague #1 6.25% nitrite powder (plus other salt and brown sugar etc.). 

My pork belly was 4-1/4 pounds.  This leaves me at double the nitrite suggested by the "1 tsp per 5 lb" guidelines I've seen in many places.

My plan was to cure maybe 9 days (until Holy Saturday) and then cold smoke 15 hours or so.

I think I'll rinse and do a fresh rub with 1/2 tsp P#1, assuming that 3 days in double-strength rub will pick up the difference.  Looking for opinions...

THANK YOU!

Andrew/WP8


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## wild west (Apr 9, 2017)

No worries. The level is high but nowhere near toxic. There are lots of bacon recipes in cookbooks that call for those levels of nitrite. Once you cook the bacon the nitrite levels will dissipate with the heat. I would suggest useing a cure calculator to get the correct ingredient weights in the future   www.diggingdogfarm.com/page2.html With this one you can change the % levels of salt and sugar to suit your taste


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## dirtsailor2003 (Apr 9, 2017)

I'd pull the meat from the cure on day 7. Rinse it, season it with whatever seasonings you want and then let it air dry uncovered in your fridge until your smoke day. After smoking (I go 18-24 hours) let it rest another five days in the fridge before slicing or packaging. 

As mentioned above use Martin's calculator as your base dry rub curing. You can add whatever spices you like to it.


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