Hello all,
Can anyone direct me to a post that describes what Cure #1 is made of? I live in Toronto area and I am trying to find an equivalent.
I seen one post saying that Highland Farms carry Cure #1 but when I called they said they do not.
Thanks in advance,
JJ
Keeping it Stoked
It consists of 93.75% table salt and 6.25% sodium nitrate.
I live 500km north of T.O. and I have my cure shipped form Malabar Spice (they are located in burlington). They are exceptionally fast and helpful. They have a chemist on hand that will ensure you get things done safely.
http://malabarsuperspice.com/s_cures.htm
Thanks guys.
I have an email request into Malabar as that is how they advised me to proceed when I called them.
I am going to Delaware for the weekend so I want to have the product on Monday when I return.
Unless someone can advise me of a common place (Cabela's?) I can find Cure #1 down in Rehoboth Delaware?
Thanks,
James
Cure #1 goes by many brand names Malabar's Sure Cure is just one, the their Total Sure Cure is not.
Here are some other common names for Cure #1: Pink Salt; InstaCure #1; Prague powder #1; L.E.M. cure; Tinted Cure Mix (TCM); Tinted Curing Powder (TCP); Modern cure; D.Q. powder; FLP; Sure Cure; Fast Cure. All have the same formula (those some may have extra ingredients to prevent caking or to keep the mixture from separating), but different brand names.
Here is a link to common curing salts that are used in the U.S.A.
Curing Salts (http://www.susanminor.org/forums/showthread.php?736-Curing-Salts)
Thank you very much Habanero. Any suggestions on where I could find it in Delaware? Would Cabela's carry it?
JJ
I have only purchased Cure #1 through mail order. I'm not familiar with Cabela's. I would give them a try, sometime the local stores may carry a product that is not carried on-line. You can try talking with some of the places that make sausage, and see if they will sell you some.
Here is a list of some vendors - Sausage Maker, LEM, and Butcher & Packer are sources for cures:
Vendors (http://www.susanminor.org/forums/showthread.php?110-Vendors&p=126#post126)
Will do. Thanks for the support.
There is a Gander Mountain in Salisbury, Delaware.. Not sure how close you'll be to it.
Our local Gander Mountain carries LEM Cure (Cure #1) and all kinds of other smoking/stuffing/curing goodies. Might be worth a phone call and a drive if you are close enough..
Link (http://gander.distanthorizon.com/storelocator/storedetail.asp_Q_store_id_E_120) to store.
Cool!! Thanks STC I will look into it.
Saw this a little late, Cure#1 is sodium nitrite, Cure#2 is sodium nitrate.
Can't understand why it is so hard to find up North. Every butcher supply down South has it. I purchase mine in five to ten pound bags, and is as cheap as salt. LEM, Gander Mountain, and the rest, charge an inflated price for the same product.
Just to clarify, the D.Q. Curing Salt (pink version) is actually cure #1, correct? Only assuming this because there's a #2 down a bit further.
If I can't get the flavors I was looking for without using nitrites, I'm thinkin' I should just keep some of it on hand for sausage or whatever, unless I just buy the cure for the sausage.
QuoteJust to clarify, the D.Q. Curing Salt (pink version) is actually cure #1, correct?
That is correct.
Quote from: chooch on October 27, 2010, 02:43:50 PM
If I can't get the flavors I was looking for without using nitrites, I'm thinkin' I should just keep some of it on hand for sausage or whatever, unless I just buy the cure for the sausage.
A little goes a long ways, and these cures have almost an indefinite shelf life; as long as you keep them in an air tight container, and in a dark cabinet. Cure #1 can also be used to cure other meats; such as pork loins for Canadian bacon, or brisket flats or other cuts of beef to make corned beef or beef pastrami, or cure ribs to make Bacon on a Stick.
When I purchase a whole slab; depending on it size I generally can cut it into 3 pieces. Then I use a variation of flavors in each batch of cure to make three different types of bacon. So if you can get bellies fairly easy, sometimes it is fun to experiment. You may want to cure one without a nitrite, to see how you like it. If the flavor is not to your liking for frying, you can always use in baked beans, stews etc.
If I get a pound I should be good for a while. I too cut my belly up in thirds with differing recipes in mind. I think I'm gonna try the buckboard kit on one, even tho it seems made for thicker cuts of meat, then one recipe without nitrites and one with the cure#1.
Shooting for that Oscar Meyerish flavor with some maple thrown in ;)
Jigger
I am west of Toronto and found that buying cure was a serious challenge
Lucky for me, I had a business colleague who lived in Buffalo and I had him bring me in a dozen bags of Mortons Tender Quick
First thing I did was vacum seal a bunch of them
Everytime I cross the border, I head for a grocery store and buy some more
I think I should now have enough cure to last the rest of my days... LOL
I have used the Bradley flavored cures for bacon and they work great and are easy to get
You might want to contemplate that
Thanks OS. I made a purchase from Malabar Super Spice in Burlington. I used their Sure Cure on bacon this past weekend. The end result was fantastic. It was approx. $7 kg.
Sounds like you are hooked for the next while but in a pinch this company is pretty close to you.
Take Care,
JJ
Jigger
I actually went to Malabar one day last summer in search of cure
I felt like I was buying illegal drugs. I was standing in their lobby trying to negotiate a purchase and actually gave up
They were probably trying to make sure I was not going to make a mistake but the experience was so overbearing, I just walked
I was pretty new to this curing and smoking thing back then. Maybe I should try another visit now that I am more "mature"
I must have cured a 100 pounds of bacon since then
Quote from: oakville smoker on November 10, 2010, 04:20:33 AM
Jigger
I actually went to Malabar one day last summer in search of cure
I felt like I was buying illegal drugs. I was standing in their lobby trying to negotiate a purchase and actually gave up
They were probably trying to make sure I was not going to make a mistake but the experience was so overbearing, I just walked
I was pretty new to this curing and smoking thing back then. Maybe I should try another visit now that I am more "mature"
I must have cured a 100 pounds of bacon since then
That's pretty funny my first contact with Malabar got off on the wrong foot as well. I initially thought that they did not want to deal with a piddly little order like mine. I did however push through what seemed to far too many questions. Eventually I figured out their issue was my safety. They had their chemist give me a call personally to ensure I would not kill myself trying to cure bacon. Overall I am very pleased with their service they offer a good product at a decent price and get it to my door in record time.
They still tend to ask allot of questions but I now know why.....
I too had an initial hiccup with Malabar. I called to inquire about their version of a cure no#1 and no matter what I said I was told I had to initially inquire via email only. I did follow their instruction but in my opinion it made the process at least twice as long. Maybe they need some kind of documentation on file.
Although like punch says, I got my product the day I requested and the price was easy to digest.
That seems to be the Malabar experience
Thats why I pick my stuff up in the US when I am there or order from a Halfords in Alberta
No PST portion of the HST and I place anorder when a guy that works for me is heading to Toronto, and he becomes my freight charge
That reminds me, he is coming into town in a couple of weeks and I should probably be stocking up for winter
For the Canadians interested in any of the Morton curing products (Tenderquick, etc.) believe you can order them online from the Windsor Salt Company (http://windsorsalt.elsstore.com/view/category/5011-meat-curing/).
BLSH that is great to know. Thanks!!
I have a stupid question, Is Tenderquick the same as cure #1?
Quote from: kinyo on November 11, 2010, 06:25:05 AM
I have a stupid question, Is Tenderquick the same as cure #1?
No it is not. Tenderquick contains cure #1, along with other ingredients. You can use them to do (some of) the same jobs, but they are measured differently.
Quote from: FLBentRider on November 11, 2010, 06:40:19 AM
Quote from: kinyo on November 11, 2010, 06:25:05 AM
I have a stupid question, Is Tenderquick the same as cure #1?
No it is not. Tenderquick contains cure #1, along with other ingredients. You can use them to do (some of) the same jobs, but they are measured differently.
You say "some of" the same jobs. What are the jobs that can't be done with Tenderquick. Living in Canada, I would be really happy to be able to make Bacon with Tenderquick instead of cure #1. Like you know cure #1 is really hard to get here.
Quote from: kinyo on November 11, 2010, 08:22:51 AM
Quote from: FLBentRider on November 11, 2010, 06:40:19 AM
Quote from: kinyo on November 11, 2010, 06:25:05 AM
I have a stupid question, Is Tenderquick the same as cure #1?
No it is not. Tenderquick contains cure #1, along with other ingredients. You can use them to do (some of) the same jobs, but they are measured differently.
You say "some of" the same jobs. What are the jobs that can't be done with Tenderquick. Living in Canada, I would be really happy to be able to make Bacon with Tenderquick instead of cure #1. Like you know cure #1 is really hard to get here.
You can cure bacon, and such, but with sausage you would have to adjust your other ingredients.
Take a look at this link
http://www.susanminor.org/forums/showthread.php?736-Curing-Salts
Just about any curing that is typically done using Cure #1 can be done using Morton's Tender Quick or Sugar Cure. Off the top of m head, I can't think of anyting that can't be done with a TQ or SQ premixed product. That said, there are a few key differences you need to note. One , Morton's TQ and Sugar Cure contain both sodium nitrIte and sodium nitrAte at 0.5% levels, where Cure #1 is 6.25% sodium nitrite alone. Because of the much lower levels in the Morton products you have to use considerably more of them on a per pound basis (0.23 oz per pound for Morton vs. 0.04 oz per pound for Cure #1). That means in any formulation or recipe you will have to accommodate and adjust for the amount of additional salt that comes with TQ and then both salt and sugar in SQ. It's not usually a problem, just have to do the math in converting, starting with the same amount of nitrate/nitrate in the final curing mix and make sure the salt comes out right.
There are some excellent references on the recipe site.
Here is one on Curing Salts (http://www.susanminor.org/forums/showthread.php?736-Curing-Salts) from Habanero Smoker
Another great one is this write-up on Curing and Brining (http://www.susanminor.org/forums/showthread.php?14-CURING-and-BRINING-From-JJC) by JJC