# potassium nitrate 99.9% food grade



## tx-joe-jerky (Mar 22, 2014)

I have some potassium nitrate but I am unsure how much to use, I brought it to cure beef jerky, I believe I need to add it to regular salt. While I'm experimenting I have been making it 1 pound batches, so how much should I be using, just a few grains I was thinking....if anyone can help that would be great :)


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## daveomak (Mar 22, 2014)

Joe......   Return that stuff.....  You don't make jerky using nitrate for one, and that concentration is not for amateurs.....    Reorder and get Cure #1 .....   it is 6.25% sodium nitrite.......


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## tx-joe-jerky (Mar 23, 2014)

Hi dave

I was just thinking that, after trying to find out how to actually use this stuff I was starting to think it was a Bad idea.

I have just brought cure 1 instead and I will use that. 

I asked the place where I got it from and they said 50g per pound of meat. Sounds really really wrong if it is what they said it was or maybe they just want to kill me!


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## DanMcG (Mar 23, 2014)

I'm glad you got the #1, that 50g per pound is way off.
Without doing the math, I'm thinking you could mix that 50g with 2 pounds of salt and then use 1 gram of the mix to a pound of meat.
throw it out!


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## daveomak (Mar 23, 2014)

If what you bought was sodium nitrite at 99%, the correct rate for a 150 Ppm final concentration would be about 6.8 grams per 100#'s meat...

It would be pretty difficult to get a homogenous mix.....


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## deansomers (Mar 23, 2014)

DaveOmak said:


> If what you bought was sodium nitrite at 99%, the correct rate for a 150 Ppm final concentration would be about 6.8 grams per 100#'s meat...
> 
> It would be pretty difficult to get a homogenous mix.....


I mite be missing something since I don't know a lot about curing but I thought op said he had potassium nitrate Is sodium nitrite the same thing? If it is im really confused???


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## daveomak (Mar 23, 2014)

DeanSomers said:


> DaveOmak said:
> 
> 
> > If what you bought was sodium nitrite at 99%, the correct rate for a 150 Ppm final concentration would be about 6.8 grams per 100#'s meat...
> ...




The two are not the same......  Sodium/Potassium nitrate is used for long term "Dry Curing" for meats that are not intended to be cooked.....   Italian Dry Salami as one example.....   
To cure products like bacon, sausage that is to be smoked etc. nitrite is to be used....  It is fast acting on bacteria and prevents botulism in low oxygen environments.....   
I used sodium nitrite as an example because I know the calculations to add to meats based on it's molecular weight......


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## wade (Mar 23, 2014)

Also in Europe the curing salt uses soduim nitrite - sometimes mixed with sodium nitrate, although this is more common in the US. Also using the potassium salt instead of sodium will affect all of the weight calculations.

It is good that you took Dave's advice and bought the correct cure mix. Be careful though that the potassium nitrate you purchased is not mixed up with other ingredients in your kitchen. If you are unable to return it I suggest that you relegate it to the garage for use as garden fertilizer.


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## wade (Mar 23, 2014)

I would also NOT recommend you using it to make gunpowder !


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## deansomers (Mar 23, 2014)

Thx people I have lots to learn.


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## jak youssef (Jun 12, 2014)

please  explain  to me how you calculator it because we here used different amount


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