# Too much salt soprrssata



## kdawger (Jan 27, 2016)

I'm a bit worried I overdid the salt on my sopressata.  I was told to use 2%   but I used almost all curing salt with a mix of pickling salt    it's not the pink cure   it was like a fine ground white salt   but was purchased from the deli .  Looking back that seems to be like 5 times what I should have used of cure    
Is this going to ruin it?


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## atomicsmoke (Jan 27, 2016)

Cure#2 looks like a ground white salt. Find out what exactly that "curing salt" is. If it's cure #2 you used 8x more (0.25% is the correct dosage).


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## kdawger (Jan 27, 2016)

Yeah it's a number 2    she gonna he garbage than right    don't know what I was thinking at time


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## atomicsmoke (Jan 27, 2016)

Unfortunately yes.


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## kdawger (Jan 27, 2016)

Total bummer   they looked so pretty lol    good luck it was only 30 pounds   better luck next year


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## kdawger (Jan 27, 2016)

Dumb question maybe   but would it "wash" out if I cut them open and soaked in water to at least salvage meat for something  ?  I stuffed them on Saturday


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## atomicsmoke (Jan 27, 2016)

I wouldn't do that. You have no way of knowing how much cure is removed. Also some of the cure has already started to react with the meat.

One other option is mix meat well, freeze it in say 5lbs packages and make 40lbs batches: 35lbs new meat, 5 lbs too-much-cure meat. This is based on 2% cure#2 number you provided. You mentioned there was some picvkling salt. How much?


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## daveomak (Jan 27, 2016)

There is no way to get the cure out of the ground meat...  except for hanging for maybe a year or two so the cure can break down, like it is supposed to during a long hanging curing process....  

Marianski recommends 2.5 grams cure #2 per 1000 grams, (same as Atomic) and 2.8% salt... (I have heard 2.5% is the absolute minimum from reputable Charcuterie folks)

May I suggest you get a reputable "recipe" book when attempting stuff like this...  a grams scale is also a must...  0-100 grams range works perfect....

I have "Home production of quality meats and sausages" (Marianski) $8 Kindle, $20 paperback...

I would pitch the meat....  

Dave


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## atomicsmoke (Jan 27, 2016)

"2.5 grams cure #2 per 100 grams,"

I think you had a typo (it should be 1000g instead of 100g, or 0.25g instead of 2.5g))


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## kdawger (Jan 27, 2016)

It was 300 grams cure and 4 teaspoons of pickling  per 34 pounds 
We had a recipe which Was all in teaspoon, was 1 top per 10 pounds cure   1 tsp per pound pickling.  Pepper hot pepper and paprika was basically by eye   
Like I said just Dicked up and pretty much went opposite 
I used 2% cure for whatever reason  .   Prolly gonna scrap and do over this weekend  .  


And you guys are awesome   can't understand why I would use that much   I've done pepperoni and tons of Jerky before    complete Bone head


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## daveomak (Jan 27, 2016)

atomicsmoke said:


> "2.5 grams cure #2 per 100 grams,"
> 
> I think you had a typo (it should be 1000g instead of 100g, or 0.25g instead of 2.5g))


Thanks.... I hate typos....  I think it's from eating while typing and stuff gets in the keyboard...   _*GOOD CATCH !!!!*_


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## kdawger (Jan 27, 2016)

Got to thinking   might just try to freeze   I can add small amounts when I do pepperoni or any ground pork I use  if I keep it at a small percentage that should be OK?  That way I still get to use it   doing a new batch this weekend and all by scale :)


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## atomicsmoke (Jan 27, 2016)

From the numbers you posted your meat has now 7.774 times the recommended cure level. This means you have to add 6.774lbs of uncured meat to every pound of meat you "overdosed". Let me know if you need help figuring out the salt numbers.

Having said that keep in mind curing is a chemical process not a biological one. I know it slows with cold temps, but does it completely stop in frozen meat? Hope someone with food chemistry knowledge chimes in.


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## daveomak (Jan 27, 2016)

Like Atomic said, you could pull out 1# blobs of meat and add to 7#'s of new, if you were sure of the 8 times too much cure #2...    Try a one pound + 7#'s for a test...

2% / 0.25% = 8...    7# + 1# / 1# = 8...  or what ever floats your boat...   wrap the meat tight in saran and vac pack into known weight blobs.... for later use.... 

Good idea Atomic....  this could very well save his sausage...


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## kdawger (Jan 27, 2016)

Atomic yiur awesome but means I need to do 150 more pounds  .  Do you think freezing and slowly adding it will be OK    I appreciate all yiur info   you guys are great


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## atomicsmoke (Jan 27, 2016)

Do as much as you can now freeze the rest. In the meanwhile bump this up periodically - I am sure someone can clarify the "nitrite level vs time in frozen meat" by the time you do the next batch.


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## kdawger (Jan 27, 2016)

Perfect you guys rock  gonna do another 30 pounds anyways   than freeze


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## atomicsmoke (Jan 27, 2016)

I would remix the meat after breaking it out of the sausage.


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## kdawger (Feb 5, 2016)

Starting from scratch   gonna ask first this time   I got 21.25 pounds of pork  make sopressata    I use. 25 cure and 2.5 course yes?   Any suggestion on paprika and pepper as well ? I plan on going by eye/taste with that and hot peppers but will weigh as well


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## daveomak (Feb 5, 2016)

.25 cure ???   You mean 0.25% cure#2...   and 2.5 course yes?... is that 2.5 % salt ??  Marianski calls for 2.8% salt + what's in the cure...   Kosher or pickling salt is fine... maybe even sea salt or Himalayan.... 

Find a recipe from a reputable charcuterie person...   Marianski, Ruhlman, Poli.... and follow that recipe UNLESS there is a glaring error...


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## kdawger (Feb 5, 2016)

Yes the would be. 25% and 2.5 for 2.75   pretty close   the rest I'm OK with


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## kdawger (Feb 5, 2016)

And  Thanks


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## atomicsmoke (Feb 5, 2016)

I followed len poli's for my sopresata. It might not be too authentic but it tastes good. Look it up for pepper, paprika %.


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## atomicsmoke (Feb 5, 2016)

If you like more colour go crazy on paprika (red pepper powder). On other cured sausages I went as much as 4%. Just make sure is mixed well. Paprika tends to clump.


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## chef jimmyj (Feb 5, 2016)

Some info on Low Curing Temps and inactivation...JJ
[h3]Curing Temperatures[/h3]
The curing temperature should be between 36-40° F (2-5° C) which falls within the range of a common refrigerator. Lower than 36° F (2° C) temperature may slow down the curing process or even halt it. Commercial producers can cure at lower temperatures because they add chemicals for that purpose. There is a temperature that can not be crossed when curing and this is when meat freezes at about 28° F (-2° C). Higher than normal temperatures speed up the curing process but increase the possibility of spoilage. This is a balancing act where we walk a line between the cure and the bacteria that want to spoil meat. The temperature of 50° F (10° C) is the point that separates two forces: below that temperature we keep bacteria in check, above 50° F (10° C) bacteria forces win and start spoiling the meat.

From Wedliny Domowe Meatsandsausages.com


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## atomicsmoke (Feb 5, 2016)

Chef JJ,

What's your opinion on freezing meat mixed with cure? When thawed will the curing process pick from where it left off?


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## kdawger (Feb 5, 2016)

Yes good to knos cause I'm gonna freeze 15 pounds  rest I left to hang just to see what comes of it


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## chef jimmyj (Feb 6, 2016)

atomicsmoke said:


> Chef JJ,
> 
> What's your opinion on freezing meat mixed with cure? When thawed will the curing process pick from where it left off?


It's my understanding that temps below 36 stop the process and once defrosted becomes active. It is not the Cure that is temp sensitive, at low temps the water in the meat is too bound up for the cure to spread...JJ


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