cure.....

[Boar]

whats anyones thought on this stuffff. is it equivelent to the pink stufffc.

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[ThunderLund78]

Check me on this one, RH1 or any of you other pros. But it appears to say salt and 6.25% Nitrite, but I see no mention on "Nitrate" until the end when it says it was checked to ensure there was none.   So that would tell me it's Cure #1.  Plus 1 oz to 25# would be consistent with mixing tables for Cure #1 in a "Comminuted" sausage.  Which basically means ground and mixed.

This information gleaned form "Home Production of Quality Meats and Sausages" by Stanley and Adam Marianski.

Not sure wha the Tenderquick ratio would be (which is white) but I know it's not the same as Cure #1 and they're not interchangeable.  So my vote is that IT IS CURE #1

Strange that it's not pink, though.  The pink in normal Cure #1 is an additive for safety to tell it apart from normal table salt, but I'm not sure it legally has to have it

[Reinhard]

It appears to be cure 1.  Thunder had good information.  Cure 1 is used only with products that do require ccooking after smoking.  Cure 1 is 6.25 % sodium nitrite mixed with 93.75 % salt.    As the meat temps rise, the sodium nitrite breaks down into nitric oxide and begins to dissipate at about 130 deg.  When the smoking/cooking process is finished, only about 10 to 20 percent of the nitrite remains.  When the product is reheated and cooked, the remaining nitrite continues to dissipate.  the one ounce per 25 pounds of ground sausage mix is correct as well, or 1 tsp per 5 pounds if y ou make small batches like I do once in awhile.   Spices you can adjust to your taste, but cure should be used as stated and it should never be adjusted.  good luck.

[ThunderLund78]

Thanks RH! You'd think with how much everything else in this world is regulated, they would put some sort of guidance on naming of this stuff, or at least say "Equates to cure #1" on the label.  I've only been doing this home made sausage thing for a year now and have run into a BUNCH of different names for this stuff.  Cure #2 is also pink and you would not want to use one for the other.

[LPS]

Great info.  Thanks. 

[ThunderLund78]

In looking closer at the pic... Boar, are you driving down the road while taking a picture of a bag of cure?

[Reinhard]

I've seen the cure 1 or pink salt fade in color if it's been around for awhile and not stored in a sealed container.  That may be why the color change but it doesn't affect the cure.  I see the cure is in a plastic bag.  good luck.