Just wondering how long I can keep my sausage spice mix with cure #1 on the shelf. I have acouple mixes a year old now that were mixed with cure #1, I have asked two different butchers there opinions and both are different. I have some good results from the mixes and hate to throw them out. On the other hand better safe than sorry, just wondering if anyone came across this.
are they commercial mixes? If so I would call the manufacturer.
Are you saying that the spices are mixed with the cure?
If so they should not be. I have never seen a commercial spice kit that does not supply the spice blend and the cure in separate packages. You should only combine the spices and cure in the sausage. Your cure should be dissolved in water and added to the sausage with the spices. I do not know of a shelf life for the cure but I think it is OK as long as it is sealed up well. Spices lose their quality if they are allowed to be open to the air so they should be kept sealed tightly and they should be a fresh as possible.
KC
If you mixed this blend yourself throw it out. If it is a commercial blend, the expiration date should be somewhere on the package. Some spices and additives react to nitrites and nitrates and make them ineffective. When the cure is mixed with spices you should use them within a few days. I have not been able to locate a list of what ingredients react to nitrites and nitrates.
As for Cure #1 or #2 that has not been blended; I've found the shelf life is almost indefinite, as long as you keep it in a cool location, and in an airtight container protected from air and moisture. I have some Cure #1 that is about five years old and still good. A cool location doesn't have to be a refrigerator. As some reassurance, occasionally I will test my cure, by mixing a small batch and cure a pork chop or two; to see if it is still good.
Thanks everybody for your feed back, I will probably throw it out. It was mixed from a butcher shop last fall and he said he didn't know that it should be seperate. I only smoke in the fall and winter months so thats why I had some left over.