Curing Salmon or Bacon with Xylitol

[meyer lemon]

A friend has asked me to cold smoke salmon and/or bacon using xylitol instead of sugar. Has anyone ever used xylitol in the curing process?  Seems nasty to me but we try to please!

[Habanero Smoker]

I have never used an artificial sweetener for curing, but any artificial sweetener that can be used for cooking and baking, you should be able to use when you are making bacon. Xylitol is an artificial sweetener that is not effected by high heat. Many artificial sweeteners have a bad after taste; I don't find that with xylitol, but many detect a bitter after taste.

[rajzer]

The primary reason for using sugar when curing meat or fish is to temper the high amount of the salt used in the process.  If you are concerned about sugar for health reasons, then Xylitol might be an option.  I've never used it but would be interested in hearing how it might turn out if you do use it.  I would also like to point out that sugar is not essential in curing bacon or fish and many don't use it.

[[email protected]]

Hi, I should register and give some quick input on this issue
a US company sells sausage and bacon with xylitol (I will not mention their name here, for fear of being accused of being an astroturfer for them)

xylitol is not an artifical sweetener, it comes from fruits, berries. corn cobs and the bark of trees (birch i think?) are the most common sources today. it is as artificial and processed as "white as the columbian cocaine crystals" sugar that we all know and use. i believe it is used today by toothpaste/candy companies who needed to either enhance flavor or replace the conventional cocaine-white sugar.

one of the few things out there that will (marginally..) increase tooth density, ward off ear infection (strange, since it never goes into the ear) and does not increase blood sugar levels. if you need somebody more authoritative on the matter, go ask on some diabetes message boards.