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i brought cure #2 from butcher packers and it was white
and the other day i got some from a suppler of my gourmet items at work and it was pink do they add the color as a saftey messure or is it diffrent from my other cure #2.

They do colour it pink...but I thought that was for cure#1...maybe one of the others could help you out more on this.

They drop a dash of this in to make cure #1 pink:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erythrosine

But as John says it's supposed to be in cure #1, not cure #2. I would double check with your gourmet store exactly what they think they gave you.

Dave

I've had both arrive pink (although the cure#2 was a paler pink than the #1), I've had #2 arrive coloured a pale yellow AND I've had both arrive white, with no colouring at all.

I'd trust the label.

Ah... thanks Spuddy,

Dave

The "Pink" is required by law in the US to differentiate the cures from plain salt or sugar, therefore to limit the incidences of accidental ingestion.

oakley wrote:i brought cure #2 from butcher packers and it was white.

Looks like Butcher Packers broke the law then.

Probably a monday or friday batch

thaks for your responses. they both seem to be identical coulers but the cure #2 is slightly coarser
in my little goodie box also came some fermento which i have been waiting for so that i can make my pepperoni recipe properly, my question is can i use the fermento when a recipe calles for a starter cultuer or frm b52

Fermento is strictly a flavoring agent, to give products the tangy flavor that comes with certain dried, fermented sausages (think summer sausage). If your recipes calls for a starter culture, I am inclined to recommend that you use one.