Curing Salts - Reminder on Usage

[Swine Spectator]

2 Guys and a Cooler is one of my favorite sausage-making YouTube channels.

There have been a proliferation of YouTubers getting into sausage-making, but not all of them understand how and when to use curing salts.

This video is a good refresher, even for people who have been making sausage for a while:

https://youtu.be/GLTxz5wiC7c

 

[sudsandswine]

Great video, thanks for sharing. I didn't realize people were using curing salts and then immediately cooking sausage before the cure was done frequently enough to warrant a video addressing it, but I'm not surprised either. I've always let my stuffed sausages rest uncovered in the fridge for 24 hours to set the casing as a standard practice, but the need to let the cure occur if applicable is another great reason.

 

[blackdogbbq21]

Eric does great videos. I've learned alot from him. I've honestly made the mistake of tasting a bit of a test patty with curing salt before i knew any better. Luckily not often or in amounts to lose sleep over.



Another common thing i see is pastrami brine methods that call for amounts of curing salt that don't follow any proven methods I'm aware of.

 

[Jason TQ]

Just watched it. Thanks for sharing.

 

[ModelMaker]

Good.
Ed

 

[BBQBrew65]

I use Walton's Smoked Meat Stabilizer so I don't have to cure over night and can go right to smoker after stuffing my Summer Sausages. Smoked meat stabilizer converts Nitrites into Nitric Oxide so fast that bacteria is destroyed faster than it can multiply.

 

[Dustin Dorsey]

What he suggests is either letting it curing overnight or using a cure accelerator like sodium erythorbate. I usually put the cure and seasoning on the meat the night before I grind. I don't know if that's good enough or not. I bought some sodium erythorbate and used it on my last batch and I probably will use it going forward.

 

[thirdeye]

There have been a proliferation of YouTubers getting into sausage-making, but not all of them understand how and when to use curing salts.

That is a very polite way of saying "just because you saw it on the internet, it must be correct". Home curing and pressure canning are two (of many subjects) where people break the food safety rules, then imply that it's okay. :doh:

I've honestly made the mistake of tasting a bit of a test patty with curing salt before i knew any better.

Actually, when you pan fry a sample of your sausage to test for seasoning and saltiness.... you are NOT in the danger zone more than a few minutes. Meaning, food safety wise, everything is cool. Your sausage is freshly ground, mixed and cold, and you fry it to 165° (because like the video points out, the nitrites are not providing any protection at this point) so you need 165° internal.

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Slightly off topic, but here is a recent video from the same Chef discussing an alternate to nitrites and nitrates in your curing adventures. This is cutting edge science at it's finest, but be forewarned.... it comes with a price.

https://youtu.be/eu7B46UD6Eo