Cure #2

[Bear1968]

With Con Yeager now 15 minutes away I decided to make some Calabrian Dried Sausage for one of my projects.
I called my local Butcher and ordered up the meat for a Dbl Batch and headed to Con Yeager to pick some cure #2.
When I got there the clerk had no idea what I was asking for so she called in one of the fellas from Sales and Service to help me out. A real nice guy :D He was not sure of what I was looking for until I explained Cure #1 starts curing the instant it contacts the meat and is used for meats that are cooked like the Bologna kits you sell, Cure #2 is for dried meats that are NOT cooked like salami and it is almost like a time release cure. They are also refereed to Prague #1 and #2 if that helps.
I saw the light bulb come on and he went to the back.
About 15 minutes he came back out and said that after consulting with the people in the back and looking it up on the internet he felt that their cure was just what I wanted but i would have to adjust the salt.
OK well I bought a pound of their cure and thought about it the whole way to the Butcher shop.
The people at Con Yeager were very nice and friendly but I do not feel comfortable substituting #2 with their cure I am assuming is more like #1.
If anyone knows anything for sure about this let me know.
I have 10 pounds of meat that I will hold off til tomorrow with and if the use of Con Yeager's Cure is not a confirmed replacement for #2 I will just make 2 different 5lb batches of raw stuffed Italian Sausage instead of the dried.

I did order some #2 tonight on-line and do not expect it for a week or two.;

[KyNola]

If their Cure is more akin to Cure #1, don't even think about doing it.

[squirtthecat]

If their Cure is more akin to Cure #1, don't even think about doing it.

DITTO

[OU812]

If their Cure is more akin to Cure #1, don't even think about doing it.

DITTO

What they said

[devo]

The only thing they have listed on there web site is cure #1  6.25% sodium nitrite (Curing Salt, Tinted #813) and Quick Cure Salt (  Morton® Tender Quick ) although the ratio of cure in it is a bit higher than Tender Quick neither one can be used for cure #2.
Cure #1 contains sodium nitrite only, Cure #2 has the same curing and food preservative properties as sodium nitrite, and the extended curing time of sodium nitrate.

[Bear1968]

Thanks all  :)
That's kinda what I was figuring you all would say. I will take the 10 pounds of pork and try 2 new batches of raw ... after the #2 gets here I will resume what I started.  ;)
I almost feel compelled to talk to that fellow from Con Yeager again and tell him that their cure can NOT be used in the place of #2. maybe they will start to carry it :D
They pretty much are like LeM and cater to the Hunters and Game Processors and their cure is GREAT for that application.... not for non-cooked sausage making.

[KyNola]

You know Bear, going back and telling them might be a good idea.  It could prevent someone in the future from getting really sick(or worse) and prevent the store, the company and the "real nice guy from Sales and Service" from getting the pants sued off of all of them.

[Bear1968]

Yeah I agree ... It is a GREAT local company and I wanna see them do as well as they can.  :)

[NePaSmoKer]

CURES - Cures are used in sausage products for color and flavor development as well as retarding the development of bacteria in
the low temperature environment of smoked meats.
Salt and sugar both cure meat by osmosis. In addition to drawing the water from the food, they dehydrate and kill the bacteria that make food spoil. In general, though, use of the word "cure" refers to processing the meat with either sodium nitrite or sodium nitrate.

The primary and most important reason to use cures is to prevent BOTULISM POISONING (Food poisoning). It is very important that any kind of meat or sausage that will be cooked and smoked at low temperature be cured. To trigger botulism poisoning, the requirements are quite simple - lack of oxygen, the presence of moisture, and temperatures in range of 40-140° F. When smoking meats, the heat and smoke eliminates the oxygen. The meats have moisture and are traditionally smoked and cooked in the low ranges of 90 to 185° F. As you can see, these are ideal conditions for food poisoning if you don't use cures. There are two types of commercially used cures.


Prague Powder #1
Also called Insta-Cure and Modern Cure. Cures are used to prevent meats from spoiling when being cooked or smoked at low temperatures (under 200 degrees F). This cure is 1 part sodium nitrite (6.25%) and 16 parts salt (93.75%) and are combined and crystallized to assure even distribution. As the meat temperate rises during processing, the sodium nitrite changes to nitric oxide and starts to 'gas out' at about 130 degrees F. After the smoking /cooking process is complete only about 10-20% of the original nitrite remains. As the product is stored and later reheated for consumption, the decline of nitrite continues. 4 ounces of Prague powder #1 is required to cure 100 lbs of meat. A more typical measurement for home use is 1 level tsp per 5 lbs of meat. Mix with cold water, then mix into meat like you would mix seasonings into meat.


Prague Powder #2
Used to dry-cure products. Prague powder #2 is a mixture of 1 part sodium nitrite, .64 parts sodium nitrate and 16 parts salt. (1 oz. of sodium nitrite with .64 oz. of sodium nitrate to each lb. of salt.)
It is primarily used in dry-curing Use with products that do not require cooking, smoking, or refrigeration. This cure, which is sodium nitrate, acts like a time release, slowly breaking down into sodium nitrite, then into nitric oxide. This allows you to dry cure products that take much longer to cure. A cure with sodium nitrite would dissipate too quickly.
Use 1 oz. of cure for 25 lbs. of meat or 1 level teaspoon of cure for 5 lbs. of meat when mixing with meat.