How much cure to use?

[chiroken]

Hello everyone, still learning the ins and outs...

I've had someone give me some cure so I can start with some jerky hopefully this Friday. He was unsure what brand it was, he works at a butcher's shop and they get it in 1 gallon buckets or something. He just scooped some for me. He said it was just nitrite. It's white and granular, it doesn't have the pink tint to it. He figures they use 2 volumetric ounces of it for about 25lbs of meat.

Any help on how much of this to use per 1 or 5 lbs of meat? By the teaspoon or tablespoon would be great as I don't have a kitchen scale to measure grams etc.

Thanks in advance,

Ken

[KyNola]

Ken,
You need to know exactly what you've got there before you start trying to cure something with it.  I'm not an expert but Habanero Smoker is and will be along to help you.

You have to be careful with cure.  Too much or the wrong kind can cause some problems.

[NePaSmoKer]

Hello everyone, still learning the ins and outs...

I've had someone give me some cure so I can start with some jerky hopefully this Friday. He was unsure what brand it was, he works at a butcher's shop and they get it in 1 gallon buckets or something. He just scooped some for me. He said it was just nitrite. It's white and granular, it doesn't have the pink tint to it. He figures they use 2 volumetric ounces of it for about 25lbs of meat.

Any help on how much of this to use per 1 or 5 lbs of meat? By the teaspoon or tablespoon would be great as I don't have a kitchen scale to measure grams etc.

Thanks in advance,

Ken

Its more than likely good to use. Cure #1 is salt and sodium nitrite (6.25%). Use 1 level teaspoon per 5 lbs of meat.

The pink is added to differentiate it from regular table salt.

[KyNola]

Rick,
What if that is 100% pure nitrite with no salt in it?  Would that make a difference?

Sorry, didn't mean to slight you when I mentioned Habs earlier.  How could I have forgotten you? :D

[Habanero Smoker]

I'm with KyNola. You need to know exactly what you are using.

I'm not familiar with the term "volumetric ounces" that you are using. Cure #1, you would use 1 ounce by weight (two level tablespoons by volume) per 25 pounds. If it is pure nitrite then you would use 0.25 ounce for 100 pounds.

What he gave you could be a blend of salt and sodium nitrite that uses a different ratio then the standard ratio in Cure #1, that is why you need to know what you are using, and its specific directions. Or if 2 volumetric ounces converts to 1 ounce U.S., then it is Cure #1.

[BuyLowSellHigh]

volumetric ounce = fluid ounce  (measure of volume)

[ArnieM]

Ken, please ask your friend to read the label on the bucket.  Too little won't cure and too much can kill ya.  Yeah, I'm serious.  Straight nitrite is very potent stuff.

[NePaSmoKer]

Rick,
What if that is 100% pure nitrite with no salt in it?  Would that make a difference?

Sorry, didn't mean to slight you when I mentioned Habs earlier.  How could I have forgotten you? :D

No worries mate  ;D.................................  (Crocodile Dundee)

[chiroken]

Sounds like I need to take a look at the label. Not sure if it's possible, my friend works Thursday so I *might* be able to take a look. Might depend on if the boss is around  ;)

I think it might be straight nitrite but that is not for sure.

One reply made reference to the pink colour, this is not pink, just plain old white.

2 Volumetric ounces is the volume of 2 liquid ounces (ie. 2 shot glasses of the cure for you hard liquor enthusiasts!)

Thank you all for the quick replies.

[ArnieM]

It's likely sodium nitrite though possibly potassium nitrite.  My main point was not to use it when you don't know what you're using.  If not pink, as you said, maybe it's a commercial version.  Sodium nitrate also comes through uncolored but it's meant for long term curing.  If you can't be sure, don't use it.

The usual pink salt, cure #1, Prague cure #1 and DQ is 6.25% nitrite and the rest is usually salt - maybe a bit of flavoring.  If you have the straight stuff, it has to be mixed and homogenized, not easily or accurately done at home.

Please take care.

[Habanero Smoker]

It unlikely it is pure sodium nitrite or its chemical equivalent potassium nitrite. But like we all been saying, you need to find out what you are using, and as you stated you are going back where you got the cure.

I just need to follow up on some points. If your friend gave you accurate guidelines as to how they use it in their butcher shop; then it is not even close to the amount for pure sodium nitrite. If it was pure you would use .0625 ounces by weight for 25 pounds of meat, which is to minute to measure either by volume or on a kitchen digital scale. Especially if you are making a 5 pound batch.

As I mentioned above Cure #1, you will use 2 level tablespoons in volume. That is 1/8 of a cup, or one ounce by weight in U.S. measure. So that does not equal the measurement your friend gave you. Just clarify the actual measurement with him.  I believe you have a commercial cure blend that has added ingredients (additional salt, sugar and other), or one with a lower ratio of sodium nitrite than Cure #1; either one would require higher amount to be used.

As for the color pink it is added to cure mixes in the U.S. for Cure #1 and Cure #2 only. I believe this is a voluntary action and agreement among U.S. suppliers. If you are in another country, which I'm assuming you are - your cure may not have the added color. In the U.S. the color is added by the manufacturer to help chefs and home users to identify it from sugar or salt; so the user doesn't accidentally mistaken the cure of salt or sugar. Also if the sodium nitrite is mixed as another cure other than Cure #1 or #2; in blends such as Morton Tender Quick, Sausage Maker's Maple Ham Cure or a variety of commercial cures on the market; it does not have that pink dye.

Here is a link to a page I've taken off line because the links do not work properly. Just scroll through the document, and don't click on any links. The information on curing salts is at the bottom of the document.

Sausage Ingredients

By this afternoon I will add a post with the description and details of some of the most common curing salts. It will be located in the Curing section of the recipe site.

[VI_Smoker]

I can confirm what Habs said about the pink dye being a U.S standard, I have some Cure #1 bought in Canada and it is white.

[OU812]

Did someone say "shots"?  :o




I have seen cure #1 at a locker and it was white.

Had a label on it sayin what it was along with a skull and cross bones.

[chiroken]

I posted this info as a new thread but perhaps I should have just continued here? Apologies for doubling up.

The cure I got from the butcher shop was Sure Cure by Stuffers. The bag instructions are 30g Sure Cure, 70g salt, 1 liter of water. Now that I'm home I'm embarrassed to say I'm not sure what this means???

I googled "sure cure" and found a rate of 1/4tsp/1lb or 1tsp/5lbs. It was from a different website than the manufacturer (Stuffers) so I am unsure if it's actually the same product or another company using the same name.

Can't say I'm any further ahead than I was yesterday. Meat is cut into strips (I followed the advise of freezing the round roast pieces for 3 hours to firm it up. Well, they were frozen alright, sat for an hour to thaw before i could get a knife through!), marinade is made, DBS has been seasoned, ready to go 1st thing tomorrow morning (hopefully).

[Habanero Smoker]

No reason to be embarrassed. Cures are difficult to understand when you first start out, but as you learn you will see how easy it will become. Sure Cure is the same as Cure #1, and it is generally dyed pink; but since you got it from a butcher they probably get theirs for commercial use that is undyed. Looking at the verbal instructions the butcher gave your, it seem it was for a wet brine for about .5 gallons, not for a dry cure.

How to use it depends on what you want to use it for. For example, the instructions you read on the container is for what is called a wet brine or pickle. For every liter (≈1 quart) of water you add 30g (≈1 ounce) of cure and 70g (≈2.5 ounces) of salt; then you will brine cure the meat for a certain period of time until it is fully cured. It a little higher then I use, but it is within safe limits. I use about 3 ounce for 1 gallon (3.8 liters)

The 1/4tsp/1lb or 1tsp/5lbs measurement is used for both sausage and to as a dry cure or dry brine.