So I had 3 full bellies and cut them in half and cured them using three different recipes varying slightly from 10.5's maple recipe (but using the same corresponding amount of cure and same amount of time curing) putting half a belly in each bag. 5 of the 6 bags are a nice pink colour while one is more brownish, the only varriance in my process was that the 5 pink bags were vac sealed and the 1 brownish bag was sealed but had excess air in it. The colour difference was apparent within a day of setting the cure. The meat has no odor. I am trying to get picutres to help but my effing computer froze while uploading them last night :(
Any input is appreciated as always.
Cheers
All the bacon I made was more brownish than pink when done curing. Wonder if the vac seal impacted the cure process? But I am probably wrong so I'll let the experts jump in.
I have done a lot of belly bacon and it has always been vac packed but there have been times there is a noticeable diff. in colour from red to brown. I just went ahead and finished them all the same and there was no diff intaste or anything that I could tell. Piker
Thanks for the input guys, I'm going straight ahead with it and will advise on my results and hopefully some pic's if i can get the techie in me to punch my computer through the wall lol.
Cheers
Some of the difference may be from oxidation (more air being in the sealable bag), but generally the outer layer of the meat will also pick up coloring from the ingredients you use, such as brown sugar, paprika etc. Letting us know what the variance's in the recipe may also help.
well i did 3 bellies, one following 10.5 maple recipe to a tee adding an ounce of maple whiskey in the bags, one instead of the maple and brown sugar I used some paprika, chillie flakes, rosemary, bay leaves and a few other spices that I can't remember since im at work and the third was basically a wing it move on everything other than the curing salt and kosher salt so i honestly couldn't tell you lol.
What I did was make each recipe according to weight, cut each belly in half and processed them together at the same time and put each half into its own bag. The bag that turned brown was 1/2 of the belly i processed using the 10.5 maple recipe while the other bag of the same recipe was pinkish.
The oxidization theory was my initial thought as well.....