Hi Platypus
Glad to hear the bacon went down reasonably well. Did you get that porky taste or was it more or less looking and tasting like the bought stuff?
Mine's ready in a couple of days now. If it is still too salty then I may well purchase some cure #1 and mix my own as you and Oddley have suggested. However, regarding Saltpetre, I bought some from a company on the internet (Hyder Business Services) based in London, but am a little dubious as to its origin and content. For a start it is white and not coloured pink. Secondly, I have tried repeatedly without success to contact the company to ask advice. They show a mobile telephone number, nobody on the other end though. Does this sound dodgy? Where do you purchase Saltpetre from, and Sodium Ascorbate come to that? I do realise that the former is a controlled substance now and may not be available to the likes of me.
Regards