Cure ?

[watchdog56]

I know I do not need cure when making fresh venison brat but is it ok to put it in just as a little protection?

[Habanero Smoker]

It's perfectly fine to add cure #1 to sausage, as long as you stay within the maximum amount which is 156 ppm; whether or not you are smoking it. The minimum amount that you will need to add is 40-50 ppm of nitrite for protection; so any range from 50 ppm to 156 ppm will provide the necessary protection. The closer you get to the 156 ppm the more you will have that "cured sausage" taste, and it will taste less like "fresh" sausage.

Sausage Calculator

To calculate the nitrite ppm in the American Cure Calculation section, add the amount of Meat Weight, and the Parts Per Million you wish to cure the sausage.

[watchdog56]

Thanks. I thought it would be ok. I usually add 1 tsp of cure #1 to 5lb of meat.

[Habanero Smoker]

That amount will bring you to around 156 ppm of nitrites, which will give you that cure like flavor. If you want it to taste more like fresh sausage you can go much lower.

I should have included the below link with my original post, but I couldn't find it this morning. If you don't have time to read the entire article, scroll down to "What Will Happen if Too Little or Too Much Cure is Added?". This site takes the information from the USDA and FDA sites. The only time I've seen them differ from the USDA is when they state you can hot smoke sausage without a cure safely at 180°F, while the USDA states the minimum low temperature is 225°F. When the USDA does not have a regulation/recommendation, such as a minimum amount of cure, they will use the standards recommended by experts and scientists in the field.

Curing

[watchdog56]

With the cure in the fresh sausage how long do you think it can stay in frig without cooking it up?

[Habanero Smoker]

I've seen various lengths of time from 7 days to a maximum length of time of no longer than 14 days. There have been a few times I've stored cured uncooked sausage for longer in my refrigerator, and I keep my refrigerator at 38°F, but I couldn't tell you how much longer.

[watchdog56]

Thanks