Did I Screw up my cure?

[meatloaf]

Oh boy this is a real newbie question.
So first time doing smoked sausage.... Mixed up a bowl of spices and cure..... Put the fresh garlic right on top of the cure.... Then went to grind my meat and clean the grinder before mixing the spices in.
So the wet garlic sat on top of the cure for a good 30-45 minutes..... Did I render that cure unusable by it getting moisture from the garlic? Will my meat still be safe to smoke or should I just cook these up like fresh sausages and start over? Im probably being paranoid but I do not want to make anyone sick!!
Thank you!

 

[SmokinEdge]

I don’t believe that you have a problem. Fresh garlic has a ph of 5.3-6.3
Pork fresh ranges from 5.6-5.9 Ph.

The real question is how much cure #1 did you use, and for how much meat?

 

[meatloaf]

I don’t believe that you have a problem. Fresh garlic has a ph of 5.3-6.3
Pork fresh ranges from 5.6-5.9 Ph.

The real question is how much cure #1 did you use, and for how much meat?

ok.... i used 3g cure for 1kg meat (including fat)

 

[SmokinEdge]

ok.... i used 3g cure for 1kg meat (including fat)

2.5g is the maximum per Kg In ground meat, 3g is maximum for whole muscle.

I think you are fine and should proceed as you were.

 

[meatloaf]

2.5g is the maximum per Kg In ground meat, 3g is maximum for whole muscle.

I think you are fine and should proceed as you were.

The instructions on the package say 3g per 1kg. it is 6.25% sodium nitrite. The owner of the store said use 3g for sausage.

I have another bag from another store that says use 3.8g per kg .... that is 5% sodium nitrite.

I wonder if yours is a higher percentage of nitrite?

 

[DougE]

For cure#1 containing 6.25% nitrite, 2.5 g per kg is the max for sausage. As noted, 3g/kg for solid muscle is the top limit, but the standard for solid muscle is also 2.5g/kg to allow some wiggle room, and what most of us do.

 

[Astralogics]

The instructions on the package say 3g per 1kg. it is 6.25% sodium nitrite. The owner of the store said use 3g for sausage.

I have another bag from another store that says use 3.8g per kg .... that is 5% sodium nitrite.

I wonder if yours is a higher percentage of nitrite?

The 2.5g per 1kg max is the maximum in going cure for comminuted meat products set by the USDA. The calculations are for cure #1, so it is for 6.25% sodium nitrite at 156ppm. I trust SmokinEdge's advice.

 

[DougE]

Measure the weight of the meat in grams, multiply that by .0025 to get the correct amount of cure#1

1000g x .0025=2.5g for example.

1560g of meat x .0025=3.9g cure#1. It's just basic math.

 

[meatloaf]

The 2.5g per 1kg max is the maximum in going cure for comminuted meat products set by the USDA. The calculations are for cure #1, so it is for 6.25% sodium nitrite at 156ppm. I trust SmokinEdge's advice.

ok thanks very much guys.... Did I do harm by adding 3g?

 

[DougE]

ok thanks very much guys.... Did I do harm by adding 3g?

I'd just go on with it as is since you haven't completely left the ballpark. Even though you are above USDA standards for cure#1 in comminuted meat, I would just go on with it.

 

[Astralogics]

Agree with Doug, you'll be fine. If you wanna be safe, you could add 200g of meat to bring it back down to the 156ppm limit.

 

[DougE]

Agree with Doug, you'll be fine. If you wanna be safe, you could add 200g of meat to bring it back down to the 156ppm limit.

Adding some sodium erythorbate or citric acid prolly wouldn't hurt, either, if you have them on hand.

 

[SmokinEdge]

The instructions on the package say 3g per 1kg. it is 6.25% sodium nitrite. The owner of the store said use 3g for sausage.

I have another bag from another store that says use 3.8g per kg .... that is 5% sodium nitrite.

I wonder if yours is a higher percentage of nitrite?

Adding 2.5g/Kg of cure #1 (6.25% sodium nitrite as standard) will yield 156 parts per million of nitrite to the meat.

Adding 3g/Kg of cure #1 will yield or impart, 200 ppm nitrite. The math doesn’t lie.

So the package you have is listing 3g/Kg for whole muscle curing. Weather it states that or not.

Lower sodium nitrite concentration ( less than 6.25% nitrite) will require slightly more grams, again it’s the math.

Like I said to begin with, if I were you, I would just carry on as you were. You really are still safe. Those levels of nitrite set by the USDA are safe at those levels to consume. Nitrite though, dissipates quickly over time. Plus the thermal process of cooking the sausage further reduces the nitrite. You really have no worries from the fresh garlic nor any worries about the nitrite you used.

I will be happy to explain any part of this in specifics if you have more questions, just ask.

 

[Fueling Around]

All good replies on the correct amount of 6.25% nitrite cure #1 to use in ground versus intact muscle meat.

...
So the wet garlic sat on top of the cure for a good 30-45 minutes..... Did I render that cure unusable by it getting moisture from the garlic?
...

Directly answering the concern in your question. You actually did yourself good by wetting the cure. The slightly acidic bath may have converted some of the nitrites.
Before others chime in the wet doesn't contain citric acid (sodium erythorbate), I had cure that went bad by simply picking up moisture.

 

[dr k]

It's nice to stick with cure #1 6.25% nitrite whereby your batch of whatever proteins, fats and liquids that the cure can dissolve into is included with the weight and multiply by .25% (.0025) With different % of nitrite cure #1, then the math variables need to be put into the equation to figure ppm and quantities of cure #1. So this link may be helpful to keep handy. Differnt countries have different packaging. Just scroll down to the two equations figuring ppm or reverse the math based on cure #1 added at the nitrite % for safety.

Curing Notes and some Math

bignyjew kosher dosher kosher dosher food lloyd a cupiccia

kosherdosher.blogspot.com

 

[meatloaf]

Adding 2.5g/Kg of cure #1 (6.25% sodium nitrite as standard) will yield 156 parts per million of nitrite to the meat.

Adding 3g/Kg of cure #1 will yield or impart, 200 ppm nitrite. The math doesn’t lie.

So the package you have is listing 3g/Kg for whole muscle curing. Weather it states that or not.

Lower sodium nitrite concentration ( less than 6.25% nitrite) will require slightly more grams, again it’s the math.

Like I said to begin with, if I were you, I would just carry on as you were. You really are still safe. Those levels of nitrite set by the USDA are safe at those levels to consume. Nitrite though, dissipates quickly over time. Plus the thermal process of cooking the sausage further reduces the nitrite. You really have no worries from the fresh garlic nor any worries about the nitrite you used.

I will be happy to explain any part of this in specifics if you have more questions, just ask.

Hi,
It has taken forever for me to get back to you on this! I carried on with the sausage and it was all good! However I was curious about the nitrite.... as I said the instructions were for 3g cure per 1kg meat. Everyone else seems to do 2.5 in order to have only 156ppm. So I looked up both USDA and Canadian regulations for nitrite in ground meat products and it was 200ppm.

So now I am wondering where the different information is coming from because at both sausage supply stores in town they recommend 200ppm for ground meat but everyone on this website recommends 156. Ideally I would like to use as little as possible so it dissipates completely but I would like to be 100% sure of the safety of the meat as my kids eat it too.

Thanks for all the help and information, I do appreciate it!

 

[meatloaf]

It's nice to stick with cure #1 6.25% nitrite whereby your batch of whatever proteins, fats and liquids that the cure can dissolve into is included with the weight and multiply by .25% (.0025) With different % of nitrite cure #1, then the math variables need to be put into the equation to figure ppm and quantities of cure #1. So this link may be helpful to keep handy. Differnt countries have different packaging. Just scroll down to the two equations figuring ppm or reverse the math based on cure #1 added at the nitrite % for safety.

Curing Notes and some Math

bignyjew kosher dosher kosher dosher food lloyd a cupiccia

kosherdosher.blogspot.com

thanks!

 

[SmokinEdge]

USDA in going nitrite for commuted meats (ground) is 156ppm, for whole muscle meats in going is 200ppm. For pumped bacon it’s 120ppm. Theses are maximum in going. No minimum is established.

Here on this site we use 156ppm for everything. Cure #1 (6.25% nitrite) goes in at 0.25% to meat weight. This is 156ppm and is simple to calculate and is both safe and effective for all types of curing.

 

[Astralogics]

Eric's got you. But if you'd like to read up on the topic, here's the resource that we refer to from the USDA:

https://www.fsis.usda.gov/sites/default/files/media_file/2020-07/7620.3.pdf

 

[meatloaf]

USDA in going nitrite for commuted meats (ground) is 156ppm, for whole muscle meats in going is 200ppm. For pumped bacon it’s 120ppm. Theses are maximum in going. No minimum is established.

Here on this site we use 156ppm for everything. Cure #1 (6.25% nitrite) goes in at 0.25% to meat weight. This is 156ppm and is simple to calculate and is both safe and effective for all types of curing.

thank you