Choosing a "cure".

[souper]

Someone said I can ask stupid questions so here it is.  I see people talk about what cures they use.  I have something called Tender Quick.  Dont know anything about the other types mentioned.  Does it really matter what kind you use in Sausage?  Years ago, didnt they just use salt?  After it is smoked do people eat it cold or do they heat it again and kill anything anyway?

[Gafala]

I use Hi Mountain Sausage kits that way you have every thing in one box that you need. I have Tender Quick but have never used it. I do some other sausages with out the kits but I use another cure and my own spices. I just finished there Cracked Pepper & Garlic Summer Sausage, in the fridge will smoke in the morning with apple for 2hr's.

[Habanero Smoker]

I don't believe only salt cured sausage has been made for ages. Though you could, it would make the sausage almost inedible. Prior to the current quick cures that are sodium nitrite, people were using salt peter (potassium nitrate) to cure their sausage. You can use Morton Tender Quick, but it is not the best cure to use, since for sausage you have to add it at a rate of 1/2 tablespoons per pound of ground meat. If you don't make much sausage or don't plan to cure meat often, the kits that Gafala mentioned may be the way to go  After smoking your sausage so that it is fully cooked you can eat it cold. But you now have a quick brown sausage, and you best to reheat it.

It does matter what type of cure you use, and what purpose you are using it for. It is also important to know the amount of cure you need to add, to the amount of meat you are curing. When "quick" curing sausage and whole muscle Cure #1 needs to be used. Cure #1 goes by many names is salt and This is used at a rate of 1 teaspoon per pound of meat, with the additional salt your recipe calls for. Other names for Cure #1 are, Pink Salt (not to be confused with Himalaya pink salt); InstaCure #1, Tinted Cure Mix (TCM), Tinted Curing Powder (TCP); Prague powder #1; Modern cure; D.Q. powder; FLP, L.E.M. cure.

Cure #2 which also goes by many different brand names, is used  for fermented sausage (dry cured), and curing solid muscle meat over an extended period of time to make dry cured meats. Its formula is sodium nitrite; mixed at a rate of 89.75% salt, and 6.25% sodium nitrite, and 4% sodium nitrate (1 pound of salt, plus 1 ounce of sodium nitrite, plus .64 ounce of sodium nitrate). pound of salt, plus 1 ounce of sodium nitrite, plus .64 ounce of sodium nitrate). This is also used at a rate of 1 teaspoon per pound; with maybe a trace of another chemical to prevent caking.

[souper]

Thank you!