# Cure #1 and Cold/Cool Smoking



## chef jimmyj

A Crash Course on why we use Cure #1 to Cold and Cool Smoke Meat...

In general, any meat you wish to smoke below 225 to 180°F requires the addition of Cure #1 to your mix of 1 to 3% Salt and any other spices or sweeteners you like.
This low temp smoking is typically divided, for simple, easy to remember numbers, into COLD SMOKE, 40° to 100°F.
And COOL SMOKE, 100° to 180°F.
Which temp range you use depends on what you are making. Meat items that are Cured, Smoked and left Raw to be cooked later, ex. Belly Bacon, is Cold smoked at the Ambient temp. Depending on your area, Spring and Fall are good times to Cold Smoke as the temps are 50 to 70°F, which is optimal, though 20°F one way or another is fine as well. Again, this meat is Raw and needs to be Cooked.
In contrast COOL SMOKE, adds smoke flavor and color, along with Cooking the meat to the point that it is Ready to Eat, no further cooking required. Well, unless you want to heat it. Ex. Kielbasa, Hot Dogs, Canadian Bacon, Buck Board (shoulder) Bacon and Ham. These all use a similar recipe to Belly Bacon of Cure #1, Salt, Flavoring and Sweetener. The Smoking temp, lets go with Kielbasa. Start at 130°F for an hour, no smoke, to dry the casing. Next bump the temp 10°F each hour to no higher than 170°F and smoke until the Internal Temp is 150 to 155°F and Fully Cooked. The other meats listed, also need to be smoked to an IT in the 150's.

A little bit on what Cure #1, Salt and Sugar do to make Cold/Cool Smoking Safe...
Clostridium Botulinum is a very common Bacteria that, as it reproduces, gives off one of the most Deadly Toxins known and causes BOTULISM. CB is found in Dirt, Plants the grow in dirt and in Animal Feces. CB comes in two forms. Active Bacteria, that makes Toxin, and Dormant Spores. Spores form when conditions are going bad for the active Bacteria. Getting too Hot, too Cold, too Dry or Food running out. The Spores are resistant to temps as high as 250°F and they can't be killed by Freezing. Think Spores as a Cocoon, protecting the Bacteria inside. When conditions return to favorable, above 40°F, there is Food and Water...AND...There is a Very Low or No Oxygen Environment, the Spores reactivate and become Live Bacteria. They begin multiplying and making TOXIN!

So...Where do we find Favorable conditions to activate Spores? YEP...COLD OR COOL SMOKING MEAT and SAUSAGE! We add Cure #1 with it's 6.25% Sodium Nitrite, Not because it Kills Spores, but because it Disables their ability to Activate in our Smoker. In addition Cure #1, inhibits multiplication of Live CB, Salmonella, E-Coli and Listeria, all common harmful Bacteria that can be found on meat. Cure #1 also, gives Red Meat, that Pink Color, when cooked, helps keep Fat from going Rancid and when combined with Smoke, produces the Hammy/Bacon Flavor associated with Cured Smoked Meats and Sausage.

Both Salt and Sugar are added for Flavor but they also are Hygroscopic, they BIND Water so it is unavailable for rapid Bacteria Growth. Salt can kill some Bacteria by Dehydrating them.

When Cure #1 is added to Meat at a rate of 0.25% of the meats weight. It gives the desired protection to COLD Smoked meat, ( 40 to 100°F), like Belly Bacon, for about 30 days. For this reason you can SAFELY COLD Smoke Bacon for Hours, Days or with 8 hours in Smoke, followed by at least and 8 Hour Refer Rest, you can Cold Smoke for a couple of Weeks, with Complete SAFETY.
Using Cure #1 to Cure Meat and Sausage that will be COOL Smoked, offers the Same Protection from the Bacteria Nitrite inhibits while the Meats Internal Temp, is below 130 to 140°F. Beyond 140°F, no Living harmful Bacteria will grow and most are Killed...BUT...Not the CB Spores! Hence the reason, Bacon, Ham, Smoked Sausage, ect. That is COOL Smoked and Ready to Eat, or COLD Smoked and still Raw, MUST BE REFRIGERATED.
I hope this somewhat lengthy explanation gives you an understanding of Why We Cure Meat. And the confidence to give it a shot. Post the Recipe you wish to use and how you plan to Smoke it and we will Review your plan for a flavorful and Safe result...JJ


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## Bearcarver

Great Info Jimmy!!
But then we have another one, that I use, and I've always called it "Warm Smoking".
I cure it, and Smoke it with Smoker Temp between 100° & 130° for about 11 hours, or until my AMNPS is completely burned out.
I get Great color & Flavor this way, but it still needs to be cooked before eating, because it never gets to 145°, nor do I try to get it there.
I don't know what most of them end up at, because I never really cared, but I know I measured one, and it was at 119° IT.

Bear


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## HowlingDog

Thank you for taking the time to post this great information!!!    It really explains not only how cure #1 protects us, but how long it can last during the cool/cold smoking process.

If I may, I do have a question about smoking temps a bit higher than the cool/cold smokes.     If you maintain cooking temps of about 170-180 ish consistently,  as I tend to, can you still smoke for extended periods, such as 6 - 8+  hours and maintain the same safety that the cure #1 provides at the lower temps (ambient to 140)?


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## jcam222

Great stuff Jimmy!! Should be a sticky.


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## Fueling Around

I hope the hesitant read this post.
Great information.


chef jimmyj said:


> ...
> In addition Cure #1, inhibits multiplication of Live CB, Salmonella and Listeria, all common harmful Bacteria that can be found on meat.
> ...
> JJ


You covered most of the common food poisoning bacteria.
What about E. Coli that occurs in not only meat, but also improperly handled fresh vegetables?


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## pushok2018

Thank you for the very informative post, chef!


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## chef jimmyj

HowlingDog said:


> If I may, I do have a question about smoking temps a bit higher than the cool/cold smokes. If you maintain cooking temps of about 170-180 ish consistently, as I tend to, can you still smoke for extended periods, such as 6 - 8+ hours and maintain the same safety that the cure #1 provides at the lower temps (ambient to 140)?


*WHILE YOU MAY DO AS YOU WISH,* *SMF MANAGEMENT SUGGESTS YOU FOLLOW THESE GUIDELINES...
THE USDA FACT SHEET ON SMOKING UNCURED MEAT, RECOMMENDS SMOKING BETWEEN 225°F AND 300°F...*



Fueling Around said:


> I hope the hesitant read this post.
> Great information.
> You covered most of the common food poisoning bacteria.
> What about E. Coli that occurs in not only meat, but also improperly handled fresh vegetables?



Yeah, I forgot about E. Coli and edited my post to add it. Thanks for jogging my memory...JJ


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## HowlingDog

Thank You chef jimmyj and I have to apologize as I failed to include  important information:  when smoking at 170-180, I ALWAYS do use cure #1.   I was curious if smoking at those temps AND using cure #1, can you do extended smoking times, 7 - 8 hours, just like at cool smoking?

I am SOOOO sorry I left out that info as I really appreciate everyone's help and I do not want to give the wrong impression to others that are starting out, like me.  

Safety First:  Use Cure #1 !!!!!


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## SmokinAl

Thanks JJ!
Good info!
Al


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## chef jimmyj

HowlingDog said:


> Thank You chef jimmyj and I have to apologize as I failed to include  important information:  when smoking at 170-180, I ALWAYS do use cure #1.   I was curious if smoking at those temps AND using cure #1, can you do extended smoking times, 7 - 8 hours, just like at cool smoking?
> 
> I am SOOOO sorry I left out that info as I really appreciate everyone's help and I do not want to give the wrong impression to others that are starting out, like me.
> 
> Safety First:  Use Cure #1 !!!!!



Yes...You can smoke at 170-180 to  speed things along. The only issue, Pork Fat in Sausages can melt and separate at these higher temp, aka Fat Out. For solid meats, Bacon, Ham, etc, there is no issue...JJ


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## Oceantoad

As a Newbie to curing meat, is there a significant difference in where the Cure#1 product comes from?  Which company mean.  Looking into purchasing some to start and have no idea of which brand is better over the other.  Thanks in advance for your info.


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## kilo charlie

Oceantoad
 - Since the OP is no longer with us, the answer is this... Cure #1 is also known as Instacure #1 or Prague #1 but they should all be the same exact thing regardless of manufacturer and contain  6.25% sodium nitrite and 93.75% salt.


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## Oceantoad

Thanks Kilo.  I didn't know if there was a big difference in the quality of the product with many companies putting it out.


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## kilo charlie

Well... salt is salt.. so there's no producing that part of it.. I have seen different colors of dye being used from a lighter pink to a more red color. As long as it contains 6.25% sodium nitrite and 93.75% salt it's going to be all the same. 

Never be afraid to ask questions though! Food safety should always be a priority for all of us.


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## SmokinEdge

Charlie has you covered.
cure #1 can come by a few different names but it’s always #1 or #2 so it may be Prague powder, DQ or even just Cure, but it will always have a #1 or #2. The #2 contains both nitrite and nitrate for products in cure longer than 30-40 days (salami).

The process to make a #1 or #2 cure is a industry standardized process that bonds the sodium nitrite/nitrate to the sodium chloride on a molecular level so they cannot separate or classify away from each other. This process is standard at 6.25% sodium nitrite and 93.75% sodium chloride. The pink die is added to differentiate it from regular salt. In Europe their cure salt is usually called Peklosol and only contains 0.6% nitrite, it is not died and can be used in place of regular salt. In short if the cure salt is labeled as #1 cure salt it is standardized regardless of maker. Commercial meat companies buy sodium nitrite in pure form, it is white like regular salt, they mix it into their recipes on an industrial scale, if used incorrectly it can be fatal hence the reason to formulate cure #1 for home use, it is safe if used in the proper amounts and is easy to calculate for the small producer or home chef. So wherever you buy #1 cure salt in the US it will always be the same. I buy mine from places like The Sausage Maker, or Butcher & Packer on line along with other supplies for meat curing. I buy mine in 5# containers because it’s more convenient for my usage.


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## Oceantoad

SmokinEdge, Thanks for the detailed reply.  When asking questions on here I feel that you guys will probably forget more things then I will ever remember. On a side note, do you have any pics of your wooden 3x3x7 smokehouse?


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## thirdeye

Oceantoad said:


> As a Newbie to curing meat, is there a significant difference in where the Cure#1 product comes from? Which company mean. Looking into purchasing some to start and have no idea of which brand is better over the other. Thanks in advance for your info.





kilo charlie said:


> Since the OP is no longer with us, the answer is this... Cure #1 is also known as Instacure #1 or Prague #1 but they should all be the same exact thing regardless of manufacturer and contain 6.25% sodium nitrite and 93.75% salt.





SmokinEdge said:


> So wherever you buy #1 cure salt in the US it will always be the same. I buy mine from places like The Sausage Maker, or Butcher & Packer on line along with other supplies for meat curing. I buy mine in 5# containers because it’s more convenient for my usage.



Just a couple of tid-bits on Cure #1 - The ratio of salt and sodium nitrite is always constant.   The particle/form is not always the same.  The Cure #1 from Hoosier Hill Farm for example is sort of a flake, whereas the Cure #1 from Sausage Maker, or Butcher Packer resembles table salt.  And the amount used is determined my each country *and is not always standard*. Poland and possibly some other European countries allow more than the US amount of 0.25%.


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## kilo charlie

thirdeye said:


> Just a couple of tid-bits on Cure #1 - The ratio of salt and sodium nitrite is always constant.   The particle/form is not always the same.  The Cure #1 from Hoosier Hill Farm for example is sort of a flake, whereas the Cure #1 from Sausage Maker, or Butcher Packer resembles table salt.  And the amount used is determined my each country *and is not always standard*. Poland and possibly some other European countries allow more than the US amount of 0.25%.
> View attachment 527144



As always, Thank you for the follow up !


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## SmokinEdge

thirdeye said:


> And the amount used is determined my each country *and is not always standard*. Poland and possibly some other European countries allow more than the US amount of 0.25%.


This is just not the case. In the United States, cure #1 and #2 are standardized on the nitrite levels at 6.25% the cure #2 is not on the nitrate levels. I’ve seen nitrate anywhere from 1% to 4% but nitrite is always 6.25%.
As to European countries, some allow our cure #1 like the UK, but most do not and they all limit nitrite to just .6% none of the European countries have a higher concentration of nitrite than does the US.
This from Marianski:


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## indaswamp

Yep. 
When I started making salami and really started using cure #2 a lot, I was made aware of the various percentages of nitrate in cure #2. The one I use is 4%...
Anthony's Cure #2


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## SmokinEdge

This is how European cure is applied. Much different than in the US.


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## SmokinEdge

thirdeye said:


> Poland and possibly some other European countries allow more than the US amount of 0.25%.


To go farther, the 0.25% we use on these forums is imparting 156ppm, this is maximum allowed in commuted meats not dried, by the USDA. On whole muscle meats dry rubbed or brined, this would be bellies, loins or buckboard style bacon, the upper limit in the US is 200ppm, or 0.32% of cure #1 applied. In pumped bacon the USDA limit is 120ppm. Lots of rules and regulations, and if we go into longer processed dry cured meats the allowable nitrite per USDA is 625ppm.

No European country allows anywhere close to these levels of nitrite. Fact.


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## thirdeye

SmokinEdge said:


> This is how European cure is applied. Much different than in the US.
> View attachment 527152





SmokinEdge said:


> To go farther, the 0.25% we use on these forums is imparting 156ppm, this is maximum allowed in commuted meats not dried, by the USDA. On whole muscle meats dry rubbed or brined, this would be bellies, loins or buckboard style bacon, the upper limit in the US is 200ppm, or 0.32% of cure #1 applied. In pumped bacon the USDA limit is 120ppm. Lots of rules and regulations, and if we go into longer processed dry cured meats the allowable nitrite per USDA is 625ppm.
> 
> *No European country allows anywhere close to these levels of nitrite. Fact.*


I stand corrected, THIS was the calculator I was thinking of, which supports your figures.   

_Never try to quote the book unless it's in your hand.   _


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## SmokinEdge

thirdeye said:


> I stand corrected, THIS was the calculator I was thinking of, which supports your figures.
> 
> _Never try to quote the book unless it's in your hand.  _



Actually I think I took you wrong thirdey, your statement that European countries use more than the US 0.25% is actually 100% correct. This is because their cure salt only contains 0.6% nitrite, vs our 6.25% so they would need to use much more than 0.25% of their salt to effectively cure. You are correct and I think I just read your post wrong, either way some good information was posted as a result. Always appreciate your input 

 thirdeye
, and you are rarely, if ever wrong. You post good information.


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## thirdeye

SmokinEdge said:


> Actually I think I took you wrong thirdey, your statement that European countries use more than the US 0.25% is actually 100% correct. This is because their cure salt only contains 0.6% nitrite, vs our 6.25% so they would need to use much more than 0.25% of their salt to effectively cure. You are correct and I think I just read your post wrong, either way some good information was posted as a result. Always appreciate your input
> 
> thirdeye
> , and you are rarely, if ever wrong. You post good information.


I see your angle on this...., but I actually did think that Poland and  Czechoslovakia allowed for using more Cure #1, which as we know was called Prague Powder for a reason.  This article on the HISTORY of Prague powder is fascinating.  Once science got involved to replace salt only, then later experiments determined how (potassium and sodium) nitrate produced nitrites, which did the real work.


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## indaswamp

Fascinating read thirdeye!!!! Thank you for posting!! I'm now wondering if Morton's Tender Quick is a copy cat recipe off the original Czech. Praganda!!!!


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## indaswamp

It also explains to me WHY there is nitrate in Morton's tenderquick....it being observed in equilibrium with nitrite in the Dutch pickle brine.....


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## thirdeye

indaswamp said:


> Fascinating read thirdeye!!!! Thank you for posting!! I'm now wondering if Morton's Tender Quick is a copy cat recipe off the original Czech. Praganda!!!!





indaswamp said:


> It also explains to me WHY there is nitrate in Morton's tenderquick....it being observed in equilibrium with nitrite in the Dutch pickle brine.....



I've wondered the same thing, or at least it inspired the Morton engineers...

I hope you noticed the link to the .pdf and "Bacon and the art of living" link that appear just below the byline.  Also the header is full of links to the "untold stories of food science"  A real gem is the Salt Bridge.


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