Bacon Cure Check

[lambo]

Hi guys,

I am new to the forum and new to all things cured and aged. I have just attemted my first bacon cure using a 1kg pork loin in a vacuum bag. If anyone could tell me if the quantities ive used below are correct it would be much appreciated;

Cure #1 - 2-3g (scales do not have decimals)

Salt - 23g (saxa rock salt coarse)

Sugar - 100ml Maple syrup which equates to 12g sugar

Thanks,

Luke

[Icefever]

Hi & welcome.....your not far off..  #1 should be 2.4g....this needs to be weighed spot on....I use these..https://www.amazon.co.uk/Digital-Jewellery-Weighing-New-Horrizon/dp/B08813G3VS/ref=sr_1_3?crid=3DOZTNGFR25OJ&dchild=1&keywords=jewel+scales&qid=1597915548&sprefix=jewel+scales%2Caps%2C224&sr=8-3

Sugar is all down to taste...calculator reads 10g ....I don't like my bacon too sweet.

Salt...22.75g... so 23g is ok.

 

Keep us informed....good luck.

ps...how long are you leaving it in the vac-bag???

 

Ice.

Edited August 20, 2020 by Icefever

[lambo]

Thanks for your response and the link.

How vital it the cure #1 weight? If i am within 0.5g of 2.4g will this be ruined? With it being the first time ive done this i guess in just a bit paranoid or it being done properly.

I was aiming for 7 days turning once a day.

Cheers,

Luke

[Icefever]

As @Wade has posted on another bacon post, quote ...."during the curing process not all of the Nitrite will be absorbed and some will be broken down"

I do between 7 and 10 days, turning every day....

 

Ice.

[lambo]

Thanks for the advice Ice. Good to know i can leave this a few more days if needs be.

Luke

[Wade]

33 minutes ago, lambo said:

How vital it the cure #1 weight? If i am within 0.5g of 2.4g will this be ruined? With it being the first time ive done this i guess in just a bit paranoid or it being done properly.

We should always try avoid exceeding the maximum permitted commercial levels* of Nitrite, however the safety margins are quite large. It is best to weigh to the nearest 1/10th of a gram if you can however so long as you are above 2g and below 3g (closer to the 2g) it will be fine. Consider the commercial production of bacon - it is done in large quantities and they do not weigh to the 1/10th of a gram when they inject the cure. If you are using scales that only weigh to the nearest gram then ensure that the scale only just goes over the 2g. Approaching 3g will be getting you towards the 188 mg/Kg - and whilst the commercial maximum used to be ~170 mg/Kg it has since been reduced.

* Although the USA has a fixed maximum permitted of 150 mg/Kg this isn't the case in the EU as here there are regional cured meats that use well in excess of the 150 mg/kg. These have not been banned as being unsafe and exceptions have had to be made in the legislation to accommodate these "traditional" cured meats products.

If we compare the effect of using between 2.0 and 3.0 g of Cure #1 on the ingoing Nitrite levels...

		2.0g		2.5g		3.0g
Meat weight (Kg)		1		1		1
Cure#1 - 6.25% Nitrite (g)		2		2.5		3
Total Nitrite (g)		0.125		0.156		0.188
Total Nitrite (mg)		125		156		188
Ingoing Nitrite (mg/Kg)		125		156		188

 

You will see that 2.0 g of cure will give you 125 mg/Kg. Over 100 mg/Kg is fine

2.5 g of cure hits the sweet spot of ~150 mg/Kg

3.0 g of cure is above the previous commercial maximum. You would still need to eat a lot of the bacon for it to have adverse long term effects but these levels are best avoided.

I hope this helps

[lambo]

Thanks for the info Wade.

I have just ordered the scales recomended by Ice so future cures will be more accurate. Hopefully only this batch if it is slightly high wont be a total waste.

Cheers,

Luke