Difference Between Sodium Nitrite, Nitrate & Pink Curing Salt

[@stagefodder]

Without a doubt one of the most intelligent and well-presented charcuterie videos I have seen on youtube! Grazie!!

[@rastafam1146]

I agree still in 2017. Thank You

[@zaidbaig8182]

Indeed!

[@danemmerich6775]

2 Guys and a Cooler does a very nice job as well.

[@JacobBurton]

There are some forms of ham, especially in Spain, that don't use sodium nitrate at all; just pure salt. Glad this video helped you understand the concept a little better.

[@marysmith1757]

Pure salt works just need to know the actual process

[@MoonberryJam93]

Thank you! It was shocking difficult to find an actual informational video about curing salt that isn't just speculating about health effects

[@JacobBurton]

Personally, I'm not worried. I don't make cured meats a large part of my diet, and my understanding is that in moderation, the amount of nitrites found in cured meat will not be enough to adversely effect your health. I would encourage anyone who is concerned to do their own research and use their best judgement, since I approach this topic from the perspective of a cook, not a medical researcher/practitioner. Plus, who wants to live life with out the occasional piece of bacon? ;-)

[@jeffreypalmer2321]

Sir, my understanding is that Saltpeter or Saltpetre as it is spelled is actually Potassium Nitrate not Sodium Nitrate as mentioned in your show. Could you comment?

[@josh2045]

@Jeffrey Palmer garden saltpeter is potassium nitrate. Curing salt is sodium (meaning salt). They are two different chemical compounds and sodium nitrate is often distinguished as "Chile saltpeter".

[@josh2045]

Don't go buying your saltpeter at a garden centre 🤣

[@marieindia8116]

No one needs any of these things to male bacon. The Amish never use it.

[@OptimusWombat]

Finally, a detailed but understandable explanation. Thank you!

[@JacobBurton]

Sodium Nitrate will oxidize into Nitrite over time. But for most curing applications (unless you plan on dry curing something for more then 6 months), Nitrite will work the best, and in the examples you give, is what you want to use. I buy pure sodium nitrite online which is a fine, white salt. When I make my own curing mix, I'll weigh kosher salt in grams and multiply by .002 (.2%) which will give me the amount of Nitrite I need to mix in. This is good for dry curing. Continued...

[@anthonystephens1627]

Sodium nitrite is NaNO2; sodium nitrate is NaNO3 so sodium nitrate cannot oxidise to sodium nitrite, it already had more oxygen atoms. So I am confused.

[@Conundric]

Glad you are making videos again! Your channel is by the far the best educational cooking channel here.

[@johnbladen4931]

Thank You, for your comprehensivedescription of the various Salts. Regards Johno

[@AskLovelyIgniteTheChange]

Finally‼️ A Real Human‼️ A Real Explanation‼️

[@hazelmaecasas9737]

I'm a food technology graduate and is about to start my job as part of the research and development team in a meat processing company. I'm currently trying to refresh my memories for some knowledge and this video helped me a lot. Thank you very much!

[@A-Aron118]

Will you please do the human race a favor and reject all forms of lab grown meat since you would be in a position to do so. Thank you!

[@pittsbyeplane]

Thank Jacob for not talking down to us, I got pissed when told to look a word up but those teachers knew how to teach.

[@norlure]

Jacob Burton....That was the answer, thank you very much. Beside the point...... what I hate the most on You Tube is the number of "Coffee shop expert" giving advice when they don't know sheet about the subject.Keep up the good work. Merci beaucoup.

[@GigaBoost]

Oh man, so unusual to see you in front of the camera Jacob, I like it! You're always so informative, it's great. You don't just explain the differences, but give us a nice brief history, explaining the background and explaining WHY, not just how.

[@adamsallur2067]

thankyou for this - an uncluttered description - really helpful. cheers.

[@jimbeaux1442]

Great video, very clear. The only problem that I saw was that you said that saltptre was sodium nitrite, while it is actually potassium nitrate.

[@jimbeaux1442]

sorry, you did say sodium nitate not nitrite, but it is, of course, still potassium nitrate.

[@mouldiepops1618]

I was about to post the same reply! I suspect even the experts get confused sometimes.

[@VideoNOLA]

He also says, "I multiply by point zero zero two percent" (which would be 0.00002) when he meant "multiply by 0.002".

[@JacobBurton]

Thanks GigaBoost. I think these Q&A segments will be a nice addition to this channel's recipe and technique videos which I will continue to produce. As this channel and the Stella Culinary website continues to grow, I get a lot of people asking me the same questions through various outlets. These video Q&As will allow me to quickly throw the camera on in my office and get questions answered. I'm also looking into buying a better web cam so we can do some live Q&A sessions as well. Cheers.

[@jonathangarzon2798]

So "curing salts" are more precise version as compared to coarse salt that could contain all sorts of trace minerals right?

[@Mspeterpiper123]

Very informative Jacob, thanks a lot.

[@A-Aron118]

Great job explaining. I'm getting ready to make some deer jerky and did not want to use celery powder/salt to cure as I would be paranoid about getting sick. But thank you for breaking it down, now I know I don't need "pink curing salt" that my sodium nitrite/w-salt packet will be just fine!

[@slewfootjr2658]

Found this while trying to find ways to use all the fresh venison I’ve been so fortunate to harvest so far this year. Very well done and explained video, you have a new sub a week before Thanksgiving 2019.

[@JacobBurton]

Glad you enjoyed the video. Thanks for the sub! If you enjoy this style of video, I think you'll really like my Culinary Boot Camp Lecture series found here: kzbin.info/aero/PLpkj3Cc40ZCoMAoVI9OkjzMpj0PZkq5zL Speaking of Thanksgiving, check out my Thanksgiving Playlist as well: kzbin.info/aero/PLpkj3Cc40ZCrCgP1xEO8I3OWNYrNR6qAK Hope you have a great Thanksgiving. Good luck with the venison!

[@GigaBoost]

I love it! This channel is immensely helpful, even for me as an amateur chef, and it's really interesting to see how things are done in a professional kitchen. You seem to have done a lot of research for this topic, I hope you keep that up, it's great.

[@JacobBurton]

Himalayan and some forms of Hawaiian Salt are pink because of the surrounding area they are removed from (the unrefined minerals in the salt are what turn it pink). Sodium Nitrite and Nitrate are white in their pure form, however they're commonly dyed pink so they don't get confused with regular salt. This form of salt will be labeled as "Pink Cure Salt" or something similar. So you have nothing to worry about.

[@StephenOwensTV]

What a great video. I have been using Saltpetre for many years in my home Charcuterie and you are spot on with it being a Nitrate. It is an area which confuses so many and this video will be a great reference. When the food industry discovered S Nitrite was a short cut to curing, it became the favorite way to speed up bacon and ham making. You needed so much less nitrite. Agh to short a text limit to discuss it but I would like to say well done ;) Steve

[@JacobBurton]

Thanks. It feels good to get back into the swing of things after a few really busy months. My New Years resolution is more videos, lots and lots of videos!

[@mannvsfood]

This was awesome Jacob thanks. Looking forward to talking to my daughter about this who actually went to Culinary School and looking forward to trying to make a Pancetta.

[@JacobBurton]

When making something like a pate or terrine, I will take the total weight of my meat, and multiply that by .002-.004 which will give me 0.2-0.4% sodium nitrite by weight. This is then mixed with kosher salt and other spices, and then added to the meat mix. This way, I can control the salt content of my terrines and pates, whereas the curing salt mix I talk about above, is good to dry curing items where the surface is salted such as pancetta, duck confit, etc.

[@Theophilus200]

Thanks for this clear explanation and for all the ratios etc., One of the best videos I've seen on the subject.

[@JacobBurton]

Glad you found it helpful! Thanks for watching and taking the time to comment!

[@nyanates]

You have a well-explained, if not incomplete, video on this subject. Should have addressed more of the potential short/long term adverse health impacts of using this stuff.

[@poleline111]

Thanks Chef for taking the time - great job too.

[@deanm3464]

thanks I'm raising pigs this year and want to try curing some cuts this was a great informational video

[@JKold]

just a brilliant explanation. thank you. theres tons of bad information out there. ive read up on this like crazy. You sir, nailed it down perfectly.

[@JacobBurton]

It's hard to say because charcuterie has always been a highly respected art form among chefs. I think the idea that people can attempt charcuterie in their home kitchen has largely caught on in the last decade due to some great books on the subject and the ability for people to trade tips, tricks and recipes through online forums. Something like prosciutto di parma would be impossible to duplicate at home, but there are other great projects like confit, pates and terrines that are achievable.

[@mannvsfood]

so I just looked into prosciutto di parma. I didnt find the price too crazy, about 270 for 16lbs. If one were to buy something like this, could you pre slice the whole thing and vacuum seal portions. If you didnt do that, once you cut into it, how long do you think it would last in a normal household fridge? Thanks, I know this is an old post but... still great info.

[@glensaussiebbq4823]

Mate, this video was so informative, I loved it!!!

[@seanmaggi1119]

Good info too, nice historical tidbits thrown in. Well put together.

[@JacobBurton]

Sean Maggi Thank you. Glad you enjoyed the video.

[@cbfreder]

Great to see you back. Got some questions: Has charcuterie been becoming much more popular in the last decade? or was it always popular, and I was just a student? Is a lot gained from making charcuterie yourself vs prosciutto di parma or things of that ilk?

[@rosswaters1520]

Very helpful videos - thank you. I have a smokehouse in the UK and I make bacon. One week cure before a 24hr cold smoke. Some of my customers don't like the use of refined sodium nitrite so I use celery salt (which of course I know is rich in sodium nitrite) as a substitute. Don’t you have any opinions on this?

[@bonsummers2657]

The celery powder has the 'healthy spectrum' of substances which the isolated sodium nitrate/nitrite doesn't, and which causes the celery powder to be vastly healthier for ones body.

[@PyroRob69]

Saltpeter is potassium nitrate, not sodium nitrate.

[@SierraSierraFoxtrot]

Yup.

[@markbrosius5528]

That's what I said too.

[@markbrosius5528]

Trivia anyone? Aqua Regia is used to dissolve pure gold. It is hcl hydrochloric acid and nitric acid however you can substitute nitric acid for any nitrate. Including sodium nitrates. Anyone? What is the chemical in our stomach that dissolves our food. Yes. Hydrochloric acid. Now add some of these meats like ham,hotdogs and such and it seems like this is why studies showed sodium nitrate is cancer causing .

[@dmitriy.boston.realtor]

Great video. Thank you. I have a question - how to reduce the risk of formation of nitrosamines? At high temperatures sodium nitrite has been shown to combine with amines and form toxic compounds known as nitrosamines. Thanks again!

[@derrickwms2000]

Thanks for sharing Jacob.....why do ignorant people exist? You share your knowledge and get attacked by idiots! We have a wealth of knowledge at our disposal, it's your responsibility as a consumer to educate yourself and not fall for the latest "scare tactic". " You can lead a horse to water but you can't make him think"

[@tidieu008]

Yay 👏

[@Forevertrue]

I remember which is which 1 or two by "two long". Instacure #2 is for ham and long term curing.

[@carlcisc1706]

Just found your site what a great job. I am looking to making my own bacon. Your site has so much great info

[@JacobBurton]

My pleasure. Thanks for the question.

[@eneography9067]

Hello Jacob, Awesome videos, you are a great teacher! I had a question: Last night I started an EQ cure on three meats with this configuration: Beef Brisket (1.5 inches thick) Weight: .926 Kg Salt: 32.5 (3.5%) Nitrites at 6.25%: .5 tsp (2.5g) Pork Butt (3.5 inches thick) Weight: .897 Kg Salt: 31.39 (3.5%) Nitrites at 6.25%: .5 tsp (2.5g) Beef Ribeye (2.5 inches thick) Weight: .773 Kg Salt: 27.05 (3.5%) Nitrites at 6.25%: .5 tsp (2.5g) The nitrite content was calculated based on the directions of 1/3 tsp per pound of meat. I basically used the smallest meat weight which was 1.7 lbs and it gave me a rough .5 tsp. I applied this to all meats and the meats are currently vacuum sealed in the fridge. I am worried about a couple things: 1. I may have used too much regular salt with 3.5%. I probably should have used 2.5% or so. Because of this, can I somehow compensate by cutting down my cure time? The reason it is unclear to me is the whole concept of equilibrium curing requires the meat to reach a salt penetration equilibrium. Usually this is at three weeks from what I have read. I was hoping to pull the meats at say.. 7-10 days, but will this leave the middle uncured? 2. I am hoping that the amount of pink salt I used is not toxic when used in equilibrium curing (Not cut with a bunch of regular salt). I keep hearing that 4 g is a toxic level and I believe this would equate to 2.5 g.. Which is weird because I followed the exact directions and used the lowest possible amount per weight ratio. Question RECAP: When should I pull each meat from the vacuum seal in order to spice and hang them. My goal is for them not to be overly salty but fully cured. Thank you in advance. :)

[@2guysandacooler]

How did your project turn out? Was it super salty? Looks like a lot of salt on the front end for eq cure. I generally stick to 2.5% and sometimes 2.75% on the high end with .25% cure. This generally means if I have 1000 grams of meat there's only .15 grams of actual nitrite give or take.. or 2.5 grams of pink salt. I don't think you entered into toxic territory. Can't wait to hear about what happened. Generally if you over salt your meat all you have to do is soak it in water and refreshing the water for a few hours. This greatly reduced the salty taste without compromising the cure....

[@Chef316]

My office when I was an Exec was in the dry storage room...yours is in the wine room!?!?!? sweet! hahaha Nice to see you back Chef!!!

[@pamelamyrie7658]

Thank you, very good presentation.

[@ThomasWill-ln3vk]

Have a couple cure #1 questions. When I cure meat for sausage I first cut it into 1” to 2” cubes weigh it then add the appropriate amount of cure and the salt the recipe calls for then cover with a towel and refrigerate for 2 days. Then grind, mix, stuff and smoke to ~ 155° F. I have noticed that some recipes such as kabanosy after smoking say to hang at room temp. for 20 days and others say to bloom for 2 hrs. then refrigerate and if not consumed within a few days to freeze. So my questions are how long can I safely hang sausage prepared as above to dry before smoking and how long after smoking? also does the cure penetrate the fat or just the meat? Thanks in advance Also I have read many cure related subjects and watched countless videos and found a lot of useful information on witch cure to use, when and how but nothing definitive on what the time limitation is at room temp

[@henningradasewski6172]

On the spot information , accurately presented. Thanks for sharing. From what drying time on would you recommend #2 over #1?

[@JacobBurton]

If I'm going to hang something for longer than a month, I'll consider using #2 (sodium nitrate) in my formulation as well.

[@henningradasewski6172]

Jacob Burton thanks again Chef.

[@garykentner7557]

Very informative explaining it simple thanks

[@howeswar]

Great video I'm very new to this and definitely want to start with the basics. I managed to purchase pink salt and instructions are 2 grams per kilogram finished product. How long would it take to cure 1 kilogram of ground beef ?

[@democracy.loveusa22]

Hi Jacob what is the difference between of #1 pink cure salt and #2 pink meat cure salt? When it required using #2 pink cure salt? Thanks

[@christopherbaas1774]

Very educational, thank you for the great video.

[@ggggggcaipad]

Very informative video. Thank you.

[@xxbananaclipp]

I am trying to make curing salt for pastrami meat . what is the measurements of salt and sodium nitrate that i should use?

[@pennymorrissey4462]

Did you ever find the recipe?

[@paulstovall3777]

Sir. My brother makes about the best schinken I've ever eaten. His baseline is simply 20 gm Pokelsalz per 500 gm meat (pork) along with whichever spices such as juniper berries, pepper, rosemary, all rubbed well into the meat. No additional salt, or sugar. It's then left to cure for two weeks in a close bag after which it is removed and well rinsed, dried then smoked and then hung to dry for another 3-4 weeks or such time as the right textureuntil and proper consistencies are reached. It comes out perfectly every time. It comes directly form an old German recipe and we been making eating it ever since. Any thoughts Sir? As I've had a urge to cure up a couple chunks of dead hog myself. Any input from you would be very well appreciated. Thank you.

[@BWaustinTX]

Thumbs up.. Recently just made my first bacon and pork butt ham at home with #1 prague, so been looking for more info. Will check out your other vids too.

[@luigigrottola2730]

when curing pork at home with just regular salt, what caused holes in the soppressatta?

[@MrJasperjoe]

I've seen some recipes for salami without the curing salt at all but instead just use regular sodium chloride, any thoughts?

[@christinavanherk4171]

Hello Jacob - great explanation. Question though - I have a bag of what is called 'Readycure' - it is a mixture of Salt, Sodium Nitrite & Sodium Bicarbonate. Can I use this for Corned Beef and if so, in what quantity? Do I still need Kosher Salt as well? Many thanks...

[@JacobBurton]

***** From my quick Google search, it seems like ready cure has 1% nitrite content. A lot of people recommend to use as is, but I think that's a little high. I would dilute by half, adding equal amounts of kosher salt. So for Corned Beef, I would make a 5% brine with enough water to completely cover the brisket. Say you needed 5,000g water to accomplish this, your math would be 5,000 X 0.05 = 250g Salt total. Add 125g kosher salt and 125g Readycure to reach the 250 total. Add corning spices to the brine, and brine brisket for about 7 days. Rinse and cook as normal. For a less salty brisket, you can blanch it first, by covering in cold water, bringing to a simmer, and then dumping the water off. This will remove some of the salt. The sodium bicarbonate in the mix will raise the pH, which has a tenderizing effect.

[@donaldjacobsen1504]

Very helpful video.

[@philippowell6594]

I am a total noob at this and I have found it to be extremely informative and helpful. Extremely informative. I do have a question I was hoping you could answer for me. Even though Cure #1 is recommended for meats curing and being eaten in under 30 days, can it still be used on other applications? Specifically, before I did enough homework, I cured a pork loin to do a Lonza, but I used Instacure #1 rather than #2. Should I throw it out and start over or can this work?

[@JacobBurton]

Hi Philip, generally it would be safe to eat if you followed all the appropriate procedures, but there's no way of me knowing that unless I was in your kitchen with you from start to finish. I would use your best judgement on this while keeping in mind that nature usually makes it pretty obvious when you shouldn't eat a piece of meat. When someone is new to charcuterie, I always recommend they follow established recipes exactly until the really develop a good understanding of the various techniques and ratios. Thanks for watching!

[@philippowell6594]

@@JacobBurton Thank you for the response and the advice. I greatly appreciated your video. Thank you!

[@brianheidel4550]

What do you think about potassium nitrate ?

[@9hundred67]

very useful information

[@aaronsilves1427]

At one point it looked like you had some hooks holding the front legs when you started lifting it up, can you elaborate on this?

[@Michael-tr4st]

Thanks for the great explanation. Some sources suggest #2 for cures longer than 4 weeks. Is that appropriate?

[@JamieReneeVonTeez]

If your using pink curing salt, does it have to be refrigerated during the cure process when fully emersded in the water salt sugar and pink salt?

[@TheGilberto50]

Thank you so much for this youtube series

[@drepalla]

great presentation, thank you!

[@JacobBurton]

Thanks breertobee, glad you found the info helpful. If you're just getting into charcuterie, I would try your hand at some duck confit. I have a video in the charcuterie playlist if you're interested.

[@JohnnyC10071959]

Great educational video. Thanks

[@RichK586]

Jacob, WOW... Excellent explanation, thank you. Your trollmanship is impeccable however, I believe you spent far too much time addressing the mentally undressed. I am your newest subscriber, thanks again.

[@jeffreykerutis3830]

Very informative video, on that note I am double checking. When making my curing salt with my 93.75 to 6.25 ratio, I do have to cut this anymore or am I good to go for wet curing?

[@JacobBurton]

Yes, you still have to cut it further. Add enough kosher salt to bring your total nitrite concentration down to around 0.4-0.2% based on the weight of the salt. The good news is, most charcuterie recipes call for mixing "pink" salt with kosher salt. Once you work your way through a few of these recipes, a pattern will form, and you can make an all purpose mix of curing salt that's already diluted.Or you can buy pure sodium nitrite, and dilute it yourself, by multiplying the weight of your kosher salt by .002 (.2%)Hope this answered your question.

[@jeffreykerutis3830]

Thank you

[@wrthrash]

Thanks Jacob, great info and clarification on what could easily become a poisonous use of nitrite to the uninformed. AAAA++++

[@johnmager9364]

please correct me if im wrong but I was under the impression that nitrites are oxidized into nitrates, not the other way around. That is in the circumstances of a fish tank at least where nitrifying bacteria "fix" ammonia (NH3) and ammonium (NH4+) into nitrite (NO2-) and from there a second similar type of bacteria oxidizes further into nitrate (NO3-). im not clear on this next part but the NO3- either functions on its own or bind binds with ammonium to produce NH4NO3 (which is literally garden fertlizer, which is why planted aquariums are more stable and require few to no water changes to prevent toxicity to fish, as the plants will consume all the converted waste products) im not sure quite what form the nitrate takes to be absorbed by plants but the outcome is the same. is this process reversed in aerobic conditions such as curing meats, opposed to the anaerobic systems that occur in fish tanks? of course, in a fish tank, ammonia is the starting point whereas curing starts directly with nitrites, so it could be an entirely different chemical process. p.s just realized this video is seven years old, but the information is of course still relevant today as it has been throughout centuries of curing. Thanks in advance for any insight on this.

[@onlineculinarycoach3771]

Thank you so much for the information! This is a great video!

[@adamdegraff]

Great video! Thank you for clearing all that up. One quick question: where do you get your pure sodium nitrite? I like the idea of making my own curing mixes and you are the first person who I've seen that does this. Very cool!

[@JacobBurton]

Adam DeGraff Amazon for the win! Here's the stuff I use at the restaurant. Full disclosure, the following link has my affiliate code in it, which means I'll get a small percent of the sale as a commission, but it won't cost you anything extra: www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00L74HO5M/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00L74HO5M&linkCode=as2&tag=freeculischoc-20&linkId=VBZG2BB42LJ3PQMGYou can easily bypass this affiliate link by going to Amazon.com and searching for "pure sodium nitrite." Let me know if you have any more questions, and best of luck in your upcoming charcuterie adventures.

[@EPBusinessTV]

nice info, Can you use premade bacon cure for turkey legs?

[@blokefromthebush]

Cheers for the video mate very informative and useful thanks

[@ferdinandpio9535]

How will I know the effectivity of the curing salt to the meat to determine the expiry dae of the meat product?

[@MegaDieyoung]

Thank you very much Jake.

[@marioperez.1795]

Regards. How long does it take in the curing process to degrade from Nitrates to Nitrites and in turn degrade these to Nitric Oxide? Thanks in advance for your reply.

[@adigilarmodigilarmo3874]

I just bought a 2 pound container of Prague #1. Can you tell me about it?

[@drmarine1771]

Thank you , well explained. i'm going to try a ham for Xmas. we'll see how it goes ?

[@mangosorbet8183]

Great information

[@cautilligab]

Chef. Which process would you recommend to insure game meat (boar) is safe to eat? Thank you.

[@JacobBurton]

Really depends on what you're trying to do, but wild boar meat is particularly at risk to have pathogens. If it isn't cured properly, then you can get people very sick. I would make sure you're following a trusted recipe your first few times. Sausage is much more forgiving because you can still cook it to 165F internal to make sure it's safe to eat. I wouldn't do any raw cured charcuterie such as pancetta or prosciutto though with wild boar.

[@juliarozannecabanban2277]

I made Tocino last night. 2kg pork and I put in 1/4cup prague powder.. After realizing the mistake, I washed the meat 3x.. Will it be good to eat??

[@JacobBurton]

Thanks Steve. I'm glad you enjoyed the video. I'm always down to geek out on charcuterie. Feel free to shoot me an e-mail if you ever want to discuss it with more than 500 characters.

[@interestinoldschool8080]

Very informative. ....Thank you Sir!

[@martintyler4962]

I understand that consumption of vitamin c helps to counteract the carcinogenic effects of the nitrites,is this true?

[@VirantRoss]

*I was told to use PRAGUE POWDER for my smoked turkey leg brine sometimes hard to find, wondering if how different the others are?*

[@bg-id1uo]

Great job/video!!

[@JacobBurton]

No. Everything in moderation. Nitrite is commonly found in nature, with a very common natural source being celery. If you eat a balanced diet, you should be fine unless your doctor tells you specifically to avoid nitrites. Michael Rhulman has a couple great articles covering this subject on his blog if you're interested.

[@hocussmokuskitchengrill113]

Thanks for a great informative video!

[@missreynolds3637]

If you're making homemade spam to can to preserve or make shelf stable is necessary to use tender quick when canning homemade spam a mixture of one pound ham and five pounds pork shoulder or pork butt?

[@NoahSpurrier]

Kosher salt means that it does not have additives such as potassium iodide or potassium iodate (to fortify with iodine), iron, and other nutrients.Table salt is commonly iodized for nutritional purposes. Iodized salt is not so good for cooking because the iodine can affect flavor, especially in brined and pickled foods where the iodine will not cook off. Canning and Pickling salt is also not iodized or fortified. [edit: actually, the term is used inconsistently, but in general, Kosher salt does not contain additives like iodine.]

[@alwayspositive999]

Great video - was wondering if you had a standard measure for 1 kg of meat - how much of salt and sodium nitrate would be needed for the cure ? Thanks

[@JacobBurton]

It really depends on what you're making, and how you're introducing the nitrite to the process. For example, if you're salting and then rinsing, like when making pancetta, then that would be one formulation. If you're making sausage, so the salt and nitrite will be combined in the recipe, that's another formulation. Then there's introducing the nitrite via brine, such as with pastrami, which is another formulation. However you slice it though, you want to make sure that your end product contains no more than 120 parts per million of sodium nitrite or nitrate. When making my own salt mix used for curing, I'll generally mix 1000g of kosher salt with 2 grams of sodium nitrite, and when making a wet curing brine, I'll use 5% salt, 3% sugar, and 0.2% pure sodium nitrite.

[@alwayspositive999]

@@JacobBurton thank you for your detailedresponse -love watching chacuterie recipes on your channel

[@danielbarbee7712]

Very good video. Thank you.

[@kazuwilliams5222]

great video! Can I use cucumber salt or powder to substitute for S. nitrate? I'm learning how to cure these days. Yum

[@junetatro5874]

Thanks Jacob. I wanted to experiment with about.75lb of pork belly to make bacon. So far I have only salted it with brown sugar. I haven't measured anything. How dangerous is it to age that much meat for 6 or 7 days with only salt and sugar. I intended to keep it in the oven at 200 for an hour before using it as bacon. Should I start over with a 5lb piece and measure everything exactly along with instacure #1? I dont want to kill myself having this much fun. I ran into botulism problems with pressure canning too but had to trust the process at some point.

[@granny933]

Is there anything in my household cupboard that contains sodium nitrate/nitrite? I make jerky and snack sticks from wild game at home.

[@marioperez.1795]

Greetings ... To use cure salt # 2 in a preparation such as Pastrami, Cooked Ham ... etc. there will be some way to make these preparations safe ... of course knowing that the ideal cure is # 1. Thanks in advance for your response.

[@vilijanac]

Thanks for explaining. So if I want cure smaller amounts, and smoke it. I don't need pink salt at all. As the curing is well bellow three months.

[@JacobBurton]

+Will Budic Not necessarily. If you are doing shorter cures, you'll want to use sodium nitrite; nitrate isn't necessary. You can also get away with just using kosher salt as well, but you won't have the rosy color and "hammy" flavor.

[@vilijanac]

Thanks.