The idiot's guide

[saucisson]

Dib, Dib, Dave,

I think this is the badge for you...


http://www.scoutbase.org.uk/library/hqdocs/badges/beaver-activity-expe.htm

John, that one Phil posted is spot on

[saucisson]

Mike, now look what you've done

Dave

[johnfb]

I'd go with this one of Oddley's:

New English Brine


IMPORTANT, ONLY USE THESE RATIOS
2 Parts Meat
1 Part Brine

Brine Ingredients
84.79 % - Water
0.21 % - Saltpetre (700 mg/Kg)
10 % - Salt (10.5% Brine concentration)
5 % Sugar

Method:
You may add to this brine any insoluble herbs spices you like ie: whole coriander seeds, whole bay leaves, whole juniper berries. Bring the water to a simmer and add all ingredients, including the insoluble ones. Leave to cool to room temperature. Meanwhile, allow your meat to come to room temperature, and leave it there for about an hour to encourage the lactic acid flora to grow. Find a tight fitting container of food grade plastic, You will need a tight fitting container, because most importantly you are using the brine, 1 part too 2 parts meat. Submerge the meat below the surface and keep it there with a plate or weight, of some kind. Now put it on the top shelf of the fridge, 5 - 6 �C for 10 days per Kg of meat. Or at least 9 days. turning every other day.

Phil

Ok...now follows the stupid questions:

What does 2 parts meat 1 part brine mean???

700mg/Kg ???? (can I say 1 gram per kilo as my scales would not measure milligrams


Thanks
John

[wheels]

If meat is 2kg then use 1kg brine. You will need a close fitting container to do this.

For 1 Kg brine use:

Water 847.9gm
Salt 100gm
Sugar 50gm
Saltpetre 2.1gm

It is not advisable to use saltpetre without scales that will weigh to 1/10th of a gram. (IMO)

You could use 2gm (666 PPM Nitrate) if you are 100% sure that the scales you have can weigh this amount accurately - personally I wouldn't trust the average digital domestic scales for such small amounts.

Phil

[lemonD]

John

700mg/Kg ???? (can I say 1 gram per kilo as my scales would not measure milligrams

I'd be curious as to 700mg to a Kg of what? If you use 2.1gm then that must mean to 3kg of ?

Phil
I think your post should just read 2Kg meat to 1Kg brine not 1 litre

LD

[wheels]

John

700mg/Kg ???? (can I say 1 gram per kilo as my scales would not measure milligrams

I'd be curious as to 700mg to a Kg of what? If you use 2.1gm then that must mean to 3kg of ?

700mg/kg is the same as saying 700PPM. 2.1mg of saltpetre in the 1kg of brine will, in this non-pumped immersion cure, give this figure as long as the brine weight is half the meat weight.

Non-pumped cures for smaller pieces of meat cured to equilibrium are calculated differently from pumped cures. Oddley devised this (superb) method that saves having to calculate individual cures for each piece of meat. If you follow his instructions you'll be safe.

Phil
I think your post should just read 2Kg meat to 1Kg brine not 1 litre

I've edited it to avoid any confusion, basically the two are the same (ish). I was trying to be clever and preempt someone saying that liquids come in mls and litres!

Phil

[johnfb]

Thanks Phil.
I think I understand the thing now....I THINK.

Anyway when I weigh the leg in January.....I will post here again and make sure I have it right.

[wheels]

No problem John.

[captain wassname]

John I really would buy a set of scales accurate to 0.1gm. Even supposing that your present scales are accurate at 2gms. The best you can guarantee is that 2gms is more than1.5 and less than2.5gms. Scales are available on ebay for less than �10 inc post.A worthwhile purchase for someone who (as Im shure you will) be using them for years.
Jim

[wheels]

John

It's also a good idea to get the appropriate calibration weight.

Phil

[saucisson]

I got mine from ukcaleschina.com from their ebay shop. I got the DS-250, partly because it uses AAA batteries rather than expensive coin ones. Maybe time to start dropping hints to your nearest and dearest...

Dave

[johnfb]

If meat is 2kg then use 1kg brine. You will need a close fitting container to do this.

For 1 Kg brine use:

Water 847.9gm
Salt 100gm
Sugar 50gm
Saltpetre 2.1gm

It is not advisable to use saltpetre without scales that will weigh to 1/10th of a gram. (IMO)

You could use 2gm (666 PPM Nitrate) if you are 100% sure that the scales you have can weigh this amount accurately - personally I wouldn't trust the average digital domestic scales for such small amounts.

Phil

So my time is getting nearer to cure this back leg for a ham.
I dont have any saltpetre but do have some all purpose curing salts.
So if the recipe calls for 100grm of salt and 2 grm of saltpetre can I just add 102grm of curing salt?
Alternatively, can I add say 50grm of normal salt and 52grm of the curing salts?
Since the saltpetre is only used for colouring and not flavour I would be adding the curing salts for that reason only.

Any ideas guys??

John

[saucisson]

I would use 102g, because if you use only half as much you may end up with salt pork, not ham. In addition you do need to be curing that ham in the brine or it can start to go off, and while you can brine overnight with just salt, any longer and I like the reassurance of a good dose of nitrogenous compounds in there..

Dave

PS. I posted those collagens off on Wednesday

[johnfb]

I would use 102g, because if you use only half as much you may end up with salt pork, not ham. In addition you do need to be curing that ham in the brine or it can start to go off, and while you can brine overnight with just salt, any longer and I like the reassurance of a good dose of nitrogenous compounds in there..

Dave

PS. I posted those collagens off on Wednesday

Thanks Dave, and also for the casings
Cheers
John

[johnfb]

If meat is 2kg then use 1kg brine. You will need a close fitting container to do this.

For 1 Kg brine use:

Water 847.9gm
Salt 100gm
Sugar 50gm
Saltpetre 2.1gm

It is not advisable to use saltpetre without scales that will weigh to 1/10th of a gram. (IMO)

You could use 2gm (666 PPM Nitrate) if you are 100% sure that the scales you have can weigh this amount accurately - personally I wouldn't trust the average digital domestic scales for such small amounts.

Phil

So my time is getting nearer to cure this back leg for a ham.
I dont have any saltpetre but do have some all purpose curing salts.
So if the recipe calls for 100grm of salt and 2 grm of saltpetre can I just add 102grm of curing salt?
Alternatively, can I add say 50grm of normal salt and 52grm of the curing salts?
Since the saltpetre is only used for colouring and not flavour I would be adding the curing salts for that reason only.

Any ideas guys??

John

I am soon to make my hams.
I have, as I said, some curing salts. I always use this for dry curing prok loin for bacon rashers.
I got it from weschs. I rang them this week and asked them if their curing salts were able to be used as an all purpose curing salt. I was told it would be ok to use as this. I was told I could substitue the cure in place of the salt and saltpetre.
I checked paperwork that came with the salts.
Here it is:

Pack contains:Salt, preservitive Sodium Nitrite E250.

So is this correct, that I can substitute it for the salt petre and the salt in the above recipe???

Thanks