BlackLab

When do you use cure? The recipes posted earlier have no cure.

TY in advance

Robert L E

I know that a lot of people do not use a cure. I think that that is ok if the product is well smoked, as the smoke acts as a cure.

My older boy and I use commercial cures. He was a meat cutter for three years and is pretty fastidious about cleanliness when we butcher deer. Stuff can be growing in there. If I were to make a large amount of jerky or sausage I might make my own cures or smoke the meat to cure it, but I would make sure that I was following trusted directions.

Some sausage, that you always fully cook (like breakfast sausage) before eating, of course, needs no cure at all. Remember that the cure is separate from the spices and that you can use a commercial cure AND spice it the way you like it.

I've sent care packages to my brother in law, nephew, and younger son while they were deployed and have never had any trouble with jerky except them asking for more. My son, who I am going to send a package to today, says that our jerky arrives just fine but that another Marine got jerky with "parameciums" growing all over it.

My older boy who helps make the jerky said that he found a baggie of jerky in his glove box that had been there over a year. It looked ok so he ate it and had no ill effects and that it tasted good.

I would use a cure on jerky or any other meat that is not cooked.

Bob

jerseyhunter

cures are use to prevent botulism and to add flavorwhen the meat is smoked for a long period of time under140 degrees.

BlackLab

Thanks guys

Here's another dumb ?

If you use cure #1 to your product, do you still need salt for flavor. Most of my sausage and pepper sticks will be smoked. I just don't want a20lb salt lick [:'(]. lol
I'm guesseing you don't but I don't know.

Thanks again

Big Guy01

If you add cure deduct the same amount of salt from the recipe. depending on what cure you use, Cure#1 is usually approx 7% nitrate/nitrite the rest is salt. If you use "tenderquick " it is approx 0.6% nitrate/nitrite anf 80% salt the remainder sugar. So you may want to also adjust your sugar if using the tenderquick cure. "VERY IMPORTANT"Follow the manufactures instructions for that specific cureas to how much cure /lb of meat!!!

BlackLab

Thanks Big Guy01

I purchesed 5 pounds of cure # 1 from sausage maker. Should be here in the next couple days. From what I read, if I remember correctly it's 1 tsp for every 5 lbs of meat. I don't know how many teaspoons are in a ounce, but I think I have enough for a while . Thanks again people.

MIKECC

I GENERALLY DONT USE CURE TO OFTEN BUT I WILL FREEZE JERKY AND SUAS WHEN I MAKE LARGE BATCHES. THEN JUST TAKE WHAT I WANT TO EAT. NOTE THAT I AM NOT SHIPPING IT ANYWHERE, BUT IT DOSENT HAVE ANY AFFECT OF THE FLAVOR AND YOU CAN KEEP IT FOR A LONG TIME. JUST ANOTHER OPT.
GOOD LUCK

jerseyhunter

I never deduct from the amount of salt/vs cure. That's already taken into consideration in recipes. But I don't use tenderquick.
5lbs of cure, mmm starting a bussiness?jk It doesn't go bad.
You should get the sausage and smoking book from TSM it's the bible.

BlackLab

lol no bussiness, I just don't want to run out, like you said it won't go bad I did ordered a book by Rytek Kutas should be here in a few days. Getting pretty excited to start my first batch.The plan is to know enough to process my own animals this fall. I've butcherd b4, but never made sausage and such. It's gonna be fun and I'm gonna get fatter

Thanks to all for the info. I'll most likely pick your brain more later [8D]

jerseyhunter

You will gain alot from the book. The only thing I usualluy alter in his recipes is the amount of fat. His recipes may be more healthy, but I find by adding a little more fat . they are more juicy and flavorfull. In the first chapters he explains that most commercial products contain up to 30% fat. Most of his call for 20%. So I add slightly more, depending on past experiances. You'll do wise to keep notes of sucess' and failures. Times and temps. Enjoy and have fun.

That's the truth.