help needed with bacon cure

[captain wassname]

hello all. I have searched the forum for advice in particular

http://forum.sausagemaking.org/viewtopi ... 29&start=0

I have just (for now) 2 questions. 1: this site is selling all purpouse curing salt.If iuse this at 27gm.per kilo with 14gm of sweetener of choice would this work? or should I use anything else in addition

2: Ive forgotten. Cant be to important
many thanks for your indulgence. jim

[wheels]

Jim

My personal opinion only, but based on the instructions on the site owner's shop website, I'd use 20gm All Purpose Cure and 10gm sugar (or similar) per kg of meat. This is based on the figures I use for bacon, and from similar cure recipes on this site.

I would also add Sodium Ascorbate at 550 Parts Per Million, that's a personal choice - although mandatory for commercial bacon products in the US.

Phil

[captain wassname]

thanks a lot Phil. I take it that the sodium ascorbate is used as a preservative and has no effect on flavour. IthinkIll go and buy some more pork and make a start.
Jim

[wheels]

Jim

You're correct, it does have a preservative effect, but it's there primarily to 'reduce' the Nitrite so that any 'nasties' (nitrosamines) that could form don't.

Phil

[captain wassname]

Phil

thanks a lot.Where can I get some? Better safe than sorry especially when Im not shureof what and more importanley why I am doing things

Jim

[wheels]

Jim

My apologies, I didn't write about the ascorbate to scare you or to be clever - I was just saying what I would do. It wasn't my intention to put you off.

Leave the ascorbate for later (you need very accurate scales to weigh to PPM anyway). The site owner (Franco) would not sell you a product that would harm you (and it may already have ascorbate in it - I don't know!).

SO:

Get yourself a chunk of pork (loin or belly maybe), weigh it, calculate the cure and measure it out, massage it into the meat - 90% into the flesh, 10% into the skin. Shove it in a food grade plastic bag, let the bag cling to the meat, (or vac pack), and put it in the fridge - if it's a normal bacon thickness, put it in for about a week. Turn the bag over when you remember, maybe every day or so.

Don't worry about any liquid or stuff in the bag - there may be some; there may not.

After a week, rinse it, and chuck it back in the fridge for a few days to dry out a bit. Eat and enjoy.

I bet you cut some off and cook it as soon as you've rinsed it - there isn't a bloke on here who could wait when it was his first piece!

Most of all don't worry.

Phil

[lemonD]

hello all. I have searched the forum for advice in particular

http://forum.sausagemaking.org/viewtopi ... 29&start=0

I have just (for now) 2 questions. 1: this site is selling all purpouse curing salt.If iuse this at 27gm.per kilo with 14gm of sweetener of choice would this work? or should I use anything else in addition

2: Ive forgotten. Cant be to important
many thanks for your indulgence. jim

Jim,
You can add various ingredients to your basic cure i.e. spices, herbs, sugars, salt etc. as long as you always stick to the recommended usage rate for the cure.
For example I add 10g muscavado and 10g granulated sugars per Kg to my cure to make my kids favourite sweet cured bacon.
Bacon curing is not as daunting as some people think. From memory my first bacon had a shelf life of a Hour, your gonna love it

LD

[captain wassname]

Phil Thanks for the reassurance.Thinking about the cure Francos traditional cure is reccomended at 30gm per kilo which exactly what you said :20 gms allpurpose curing salt+10 gms sugar> Im waiting on the postman to bring my cure and will start work as soon as it arrives

LD as it happens it was my intention to use mucavado and see how it turns out. I am loath to experiment at the moment as last weeks experiments with pork pies resulted in my having to eat 3 family sized pies in 3 days. so now Im more one step at a time.

Thanks guys fr the advice and encouragement. will post back on here when project is completed

Jim

[wheels]

Jim

I feel guilty that you have to put your waistline in jeopardy by eating all those pies. As a special favour to you, I am prepared to eat them for you!

Let us know how it goes.

Phil

[saucisson]

I didn't have any ascorbate when I started so left it out. I now have some, but I still don't add it, there's logic for you

Dave

[captain wassname]

Hi Guys. Minor problem. All purpose curing salt has just arrived and it says use at 1.5%. it contains E251 (sodium nitrate) and E450 (sodium and potassium Phosates) all ok as far as i am concerned. Point is should I, as am inclined ,use sugar at half this rate. i.e. 15gms all purpose curing salt and 7.5 gms sugar,or keep the sugar at 10 gms.Probably wont make too much difference.


Jim

[wheels]

Jim

I'd go for the 7.5 gm sugar - assuming that the figures you quote are per Kg. Personally, I like it a bit more salty than this should give, so would probably either reduce the sugar further or add maybe 3-5 gm salt per Kg.

Phil

[captain wassname]

phil

thanks a lot.Sorry I wasnt a little clearer 7.5gms was a percentage and ill go with that for now and will asjust to taste in the future as I do need a starting point to work from.Must watch football and finish rest of beer before starting on bacon


Jim

[lemonD]

Jim,
I find that equal amounts of salt & sugar tend to neutralise each other so adjust "to taste".

LD

[captain wassname]

Unwrapped bacon tonighr rinsed and waiting for it to drip dry before returning to the fridge. I dont know what I wad expecting but it dont look too different from when it went in in.

I will slice some off on sunday morning and see how it tastes.Im unexpectedly excited Will post one way or another on Suday