Main Photo courtesy of Egor Myznik.
TYPES OF CURING
“Dry curing” is to cure meat or fish with salt rather than a liquid (like a brine). The cure involves salt (and other optional seasonings) to extract water in the meat or fish and create an environment inhospitable for bad bacteria to grow or thrive. The salt removes the water from the cells through osmosis.
“Wet curing”, or “brining”, or “pickling” is when the product is cured in a water solution or brine. This is used primarily for adding texture and flavour to foods and is the reverse of the above in that the water will travel into the meat. So when you place meat or fish in a brine or flavourful solution, the liquid will travel into the meat to equalise the salt levels – increasing the water content of the meat or fish. When it comes to meat, the salt in the brine actually starts to break down the meat proteins, making it more tender.
“Wet curing”, or “brining”, or “pickling” is when the product is cured in a water solution or brine. This is used primarily for adding texture and flavour to foods and is the reverse of the above in that the water will travel into the meat. So when you place meat or fish in a brine or flavourful solution, the liquid will travel into the meat to equalise the salt levels – increasing the water content of the meat or fish. When it comes to meat, the salt in the brine actually starts to break down the meat proteins, making it more tender.
WHY DO WE CURE FOOD?
Before refrigeration was invented our ancestors needed ways to store meat and fish for their own survival and so nothing was wasted. The practice of curing foods can be traced back more than 7000 years. It just wasn’t feasible to eat an entire animal before it went bad, so they learnt to salt, dry, and smoke food. These days we use these methods to impart further flavours, change the textures of the meat, and pay homage to traditional methods and recipes. What we once did to keep us alive in the winter months is now used as a reflection of creativity, craftmanship, and pure love to deliver delicious bounties to our palates.
The art of curing involves how we handle the world of microbes – these exist all around us – and some are good, and some are bad. The simple truth is you can never control these fully unless you live in sterilised bubble, which is impossible, so all we can do is promote the good microbes and inhibit or kill the bad ones. Who knew the battle of good vs evil was going on all around us!
Good bacteria, like Lactobacillus, eats sugars and generates lactic acid. This lactic acid makes it hard for the bad guys to grow. Bad mould is very unlikely to grow where there is amount of good mould.
Other factors such as temperature and humidity can also influence the battle of power between the moulds and the speed at which they grow.
When making any cured salami or meats it is important to start with the whole muscle or meat cut and NOT to use any minced meat or pre-ground product. This is because when the whole meat cut is used any bad microbes on the outside of the meat can be inhibited or killed off during the curing with salt, and acid through the addition of wine. When you use pre-ground or minced meat the bad bacteria are on the inside of the meat from the time of grinding and will have had time to spread and so can only really cooked off through cooking.
So, it is important when making charcuterie and the recipe calls for ground meat that you do it yourself, through either using a meat grinder or knife work, if you choose to work without additional chemicals.
The art of curing involves how we handle the world of microbes – these exist all around us – and some are good, and some are bad. The simple truth is you can never control these fully unless you live in sterilised bubble, which is impossible, so all we can do is promote the good microbes and inhibit or kill the bad ones. Who knew the battle of good vs evil was going on all around us!
Good bacteria, like Lactobacillus, eats sugars and generates lactic acid. This lactic acid makes it hard for the bad guys to grow. Bad mould is very unlikely to grow where there is amount of good mould.
Other factors such as temperature and humidity can also influence the battle of power between the moulds and the speed at which they grow.
When making any cured salami or meats it is important to start with the whole muscle or meat cut and NOT to use any minced meat or pre-ground product. This is because when the whole meat cut is used any bad microbes on the outside of the meat can be inhibited or killed off during the curing with salt, and acid through the addition of wine. When you use pre-ground or minced meat the bad bacteria are on the inside of the meat from the time of grinding and will have had time to spread and so can only really cooked off through cooking.
So, it is important when making charcuterie and the recipe calls for ground meat that you do it yourself, through either using a meat grinder or knife work, if you choose to work without additional chemicals.
WHAT ARE THE COMPONENTS OF A CURE?
Salt, is essential, and should always be used by weight not volume. We recommend using kosher salt, cooking salt, sea salt but avoid table salt as it has anticaking agents and/or potassium iodide in – which can lead to a very salty result when used.
Curing salts (sodium nitrite and sodium nitrate) are optional (see below)
The salt, through osmosis, draws water out inhibiting the growth of bacteria.
Sugar, in the form of white or brown cane sugar, or honey, or syrups, or treacle add additional flavour profiles and reduce the harness of the salt. The sugar doesn’t penetrate the meat or fish much adding flavour mostly to the surface area. These tend to be used on bacons or fish, or cooked meats. When we use sugar in our BACON CURE it adds a lovely caramelised flavour profile to the bacon when cooked so it sweet and salty! Sugar also acts as a nutrient source for flavour producing good bacteria.
Herbs and Spices, can be added as desired, or following traditional combinations. These can be very effective when used in small % (by weight) in salami and open a world of near endless combinations and creativity.
Smoke can also be used to improve flavour, but it also works to inhibit oxidation and prevents the growth of bacteria. The smoke helps seal the outside of the food making it harder for bacteria to enter.
Curing salts (sodium nitrite and sodium nitrate) are optional (see below)
The salt, through osmosis, draws water out inhibiting the growth of bacteria.
Sugar, in the form of white or brown cane sugar, or honey, or syrups, or treacle add additional flavour profiles and reduce the harness of the salt. The sugar doesn’t penetrate the meat or fish much adding flavour mostly to the surface area. These tend to be used on bacons or fish, or cooked meats. When we use sugar in our BACON CURE it adds a lovely caramelised flavour profile to the bacon when cooked so it sweet and salty! Sugar also acts as a nutrient source for flavour producing good bacteria.
Herbs and Spices, can be added as desired, or following traditional combinations. These can be very effective when used in small % (by weight) in salami and open a world of near endless combinations and creativity.
Smoke can also be used to improve flavour, but it also works to inhibit oxidation and prevents the growth of bacteria. The smoke helps seal the outside of the food making it harder for bacteria to enter.
SODIUM NITRITE AND SODIUM NITRATE / PINK SALTS
You will read recipes asking for a small % of sodium nitrate or sodium nitrite (pink salts – purposely dyed pink so you don’t get it confused with normal salt and potentially harm yourself!) (About a teaspoon could kill you!)
The practice of adding these is to protect the meat from botulism, and a practice used for commercial operations, but these really are not essential if you are using clean equipment, or using meat near its ‘sell by date’. We have used just salt and seasonings for hundreds of years. The methods we use are practiced heavily on Italy and other parts of the world – we choose to use the traditional methods of salt and acidity (through wine) during our curing.
If you wish to add sodium nitrate or sodium nitrite then add just 0.25% of the weight in meat.
These can be sold under a number of names from “Pink Salt” to “Prague Powder #1, #2….
Pink salt contains 6.25% nitrite.
Anything with #2 in title (Pink salt #2, Prague Powder#2) contains around 5.6% nitrite and 3.6% nitrate. Due to this mix #2 is only used for long term dry curing of salamis/sausages.
In short the nitrates slowly convert into nitrites like a slow release giving a longer opportunity to battle and kill the bacterium that can cause botulism.
Then there is saltpeter, which has also been used in the past (potassium nitrate) but is inconsistent.
These chemical additions also make the meat look pink when cooked. Have you ever thought why the pork meat (sausage, chop, loin, belly, roast pork etc) goes grey when cooked, yet bacon goes pink when cooked? This is due to the presence of these additional chemical nitrites and nitrates.
I appreciate reading all the above might start putting the spooks up you, especially when reading the word botulism. Botulism is very rare. Clostridium botulinum bacteria are actually found in the soil and river/sea sediments – the same ground your vegetable grow in – as well as tinned foods.
It is because the natural presence of botulism, for example, that you don’t give honey to babies and infants.
The practice of adding these is to protect the meat from botulism, and a practice used for commercial operations, but these really are not essential if you are using clean equipment, or using meat near its ‘sell by date’. We have used just salt and seasonings for hundreds of years. The methods we use are practiced heavily on Italy and other parts of the world – we choose to use the traditional methods of salt and acidity (through wine) during our curing.
If you wish to add sodium nitrate or sodium nitrite then add just 0.25% of the weight in meat.
These can be sold under a number of names from “Pink Salt” to “Prague Powder #1, #2….
Pink salt contains 6.25% nitrite.
Anything with #2 in title (Pink salt #2, Prague Powder#2) contains around 5.6% nitrite and 3.6% nitrate. Due to this mix #2 is only used for long term dry curing of salamis/sausages.
In short the nitrates slowly convert into nitrites like a slow release giving a longer opportunity to battle and kill the bacterium that can cause botulism.
Then there is saltpeter, which has also been used in the past (potassium nitrate) but is inconsistent.
These chemical additions also make the meat look pink when cooked. Have you ever thought why the pork meat (sausage, chop, loin, belly, roast pork etc) goes grey when cooked, yet bacon goes pink when cooked? This is due to the presence of these additional chemical nitrites and nitrates.
I appreciate reading all the above might start putting the spooks up you, especially when reading the word botulism. Botulism is very rare. Clostridium botulinum bacteria are actually found in the soil and river/sea sediments – the same ground your vegetable grow in – as well as tinned foods.
It is because the natural presence of botulism, for example, that you don’t give honey to babies and infants.
ImPORTANT FACTORS #1 - TEMPERATURE
TEMPERATURE is important during the stages of curing. Luckily most houses and fridges have temperature bands we can work with. Our ancestors soon worked out that the warmer it is the quicker bacteria and mould can grow, and the cooler it is the longer food lasted.
We refer to 3 areas/locations in a typical house when entering the world of charcuterie at home. Later on you may invest in temperature regulating equipment and developing a more long term universal meat curing chamber.
A standard room temperature is around 18C (you may have cooler areas in the house as well) Your main fridge is 3-5C (a wine fridge maybe 10-14C)
A lot of the time we are looking for 10C-15C for the main bulk of the curing. It is generally easier to cool an area for curing rather than heat it.
Anything below 10C and the curing process slows down enormously, and will also depend on what is being cured and the meat/fat ratio. It is all about process of reducing the water content to minus 30-35% of the target weight as a standard. (Some recipes may call for >35%)
We refer to 3 areas/locations in a typical house when entering the world of charcuterie at home. Later on you may invest in temperature regulating equipment and developing a more long term universal meat curing chamber.
A standard room temperature is around 18C (you may have cooler areas in the house as well) Your main fridge is 3-5C (a wine fridge maybe 10-14C)
A lot of the time we are looking for 10C-15C for the main bulk of the curing. It is generally easier to cool an area for curing rather than heat it.
Anything below 10C and the curing process slows down enormously, and will also depend on what is being cured and the meat/fat ratio. It is all about process of reducing the water content to minus 30-35% of the target weight as a standard. (Some recipes may call for >35%)
IMPORTANT FACTORS #2 - AIRFLOW
Airflow is an essential factor and often ignored. It is essential in pulling moisture away from the meat, but also helps prevent bad moulds from taking hold since there is no stagnant or stale air constantly around the meat. Fridges are good is they are fan assisted, or simply by opening the door every day. Rigging up gentle fans, opening a window or , just natural airflows in houses are enough to do the work here.
IMPORTANT FACTORS #3 - HUMIDITY
Humidity plays a role in how quickly your meat dries. When there is casing (in the case of a salume) then you don't want it drying to too fast as the outside skin can harden too quick trapping any moisture still inside. I am pretty sure that there are not many households that even have a humidity monitor (certainly not here in the UK).
A lot of this is common sense. A hot , dry room is no good. A cold damp room is no good. Sounds a bit like Goldilocks and the three bears...you *could* shell out for a temperature gauge and humidity sensor....but I find as you go down this route aiming for perfection of 75% that you then spend more money on sensors and equipment : humidifier, dehumidifier... and then possible automatic sensors like the Inkbird range to turn these tools on and off automatically.
This is where I struggle to accept all the added technology and monitoring and is akin to the equivalent levels of cooking for Michelin stars. I am pretty sure the hunters in the mountains of northern Italy didn't have the ability to monitor the exact humidity when making Cacciatorini salami.
Generally a fridge is fine, it will be cool and will just be slower to reduce in weight. If you have a wine fridge you can add a small bowl of water to the bottom (with a touch of salt to prevent and mould) and change the water every couple of days. Here in the UK an area near a back door, out of sunlight, or an area away from a radiator will be fine.
Once you find your spots you wont worry too much about this, much like the ancestors who created these traditional recipes.
As long as you read our Library and are check our TIPS - you will be fully armed when finding a good location to hang your salami.
A lot of this is common sense. A hot , dry room is no good. A cold damp room is no good. Sounds a bit like Goldilocks and the three bears...you *could* shell out for a temperature gauge and humidity sensor....but I find as you go down this route aiming for perfection of 75% that you then spend more money on sensors and equipment : humidifier, dehumidifier... and then possible automatic sensors like the Inkbird range to turn these tools on and off automatically.
This is where I struggle to accept all the added technology and monitoring and is akin to the equivalent levels of cooking for Michelin stars. I am pretty sure the hunters in the mountains of northern Italy didn't have the ability to monitor the exact humidity when making Cacciatorini salami.
Generally a fridge is fine, it will be cool and will just be slower to reduce in weight. If you have a wine fridge you can add a small bowl of water to the bottom (with a touch of salt to prevent and mould) and change the water every couple of days. Here in the UK an area near a back door, out of sunlight, or an area away from a radiator will be fine.
Once you find your spots you wont worry too much about this, much like the ancestors who created these traditional recipes.
As long as you read our Library and are check our TIPS - you will be fully armed when finding a good location to hang your salami.
The use of Nitrates during curing - your choice
To use or not to use Nitrates (Pink Salts, Instacures)?
Traditional recipes never called on the use of additional nitrates (pink salts). I presume primarily due to charcuterie makers using their own livestock, fresh pork, and trust in their own food to plate food chain etc. Perhaps indicative of more cavalier times or unknown of the potential risks, such additives are very much a modern addition.
Unfortunately, we now live in modern times, with heavy commercialisation, and a litigious society populated with ambulance chasers, makers with poor hygiene, improper handling, and cost cutting manufacturers, so any omission now is not a trivial matter.
Added Nitrates have been ever present in any cured and preserved foods for years. These also occur naturally in many vegetables. With cured meat production it imparts a distinct flavour, controls lipid oxidation, and operates as an antimicrobial.
What Do These Additives Actually Do?
These additives do two things – Firstly they are added to provide an extra level of defence against botulism (Clostridium botulinum). The additional nitrates slowly convert into nitrites like a slow release, giving a longer opportunity to battle and kill any bad bacterium that can cause botulism.
The second thing is they actually aid the colouring of the meat – ever wondered why commercial bacon stays pink when you cook it whilst roast pork or other pork cuts turns grey when cooked?
So Are These Safe to Consume?
Firstly, don’t suddenly get alarmed. Nitrates are a natural part of any diet. However research does link high levels with colorectal cancer (3rd biggest cancer killer in the USA),
and other diseases such as leukaemia, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, heart disease, and ovarian, stomach, oesophageal, pancreatic and thyroid cancers, neurological conditions, neurological conditions, like Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s disease. All are linked to excessive consumption of sodium nitrate.
The additives added to prevent meat from spoiling are the very same chemicals that combine to form carcinogens and increase the risk for colorectal cancer and mortality due to cancer. It is reported that the increased use of these nitrates may interfere with the body’s utilisation of sugar, leading to the development of diabetes. Sodium nitrate may cause hard arterial walls and narrow arteries, resulting in atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease.
This is an ongoing topic across medical journals and studies.
But Don’t Panic!
The amounts to be added during home production are small (typically 0.25% the weight of the meat mix) but these are highly toxic chemical additives where too much can and will kill you. This is why ‘Pink salt’ is “Pink” so you don’t accidentally mistake it for salt during cooking!
The use of pink salts / Instacures / Prague powders is now very much an accepted and recognised modern practice and ultimately the decision is yours to make. Omission would be in line with support for organic foods, and acceptance of additives.
Reducing the Risk for Non Use of Additional Nitrates
If you use clean equipment, fresh meat, use correct salt quantities, and grind the meat yourself then the risk is akin to getting it from a fresh vegetable from the ground (as this is the primary source of the bacteria). This is the main reason we recommend you NEVER use pre-ground meat in any of our recipes. If any bad bacteria were present on the outside of the meat before grinding it would now be inside and would have had time to spread internally. When using whole cuts for bacon the amount of salt on the outside will kill any bad bacteria and so is not required.
I Said Don’t Panic
I appreciate reading all the above might start putting the spooks up you, especially when reading the word botulism. Botulism is very rare but still potentially fatal. Clostridium botulinum bacteria are actually found in the soil and river/sea sediments – the same ground your vegetables grow in – as well as being present in tinned foods. It is because the natural presence of botulism, for example, that you don’t give honey to babies and infants.
For home production it is entirely your decision to include or omit these additional chemical additives. We provide values for both processes. There is increasing medical proof that these are bad for you if consumed regularly though – but the problem now being that they are now added to so many other foods that you may be completely unaware of their presence without checking the ingredients of every you consume with a religious vigour.
It Is Your Choice
In short, the choice is yours to add and use. I don’t add to my recipes and have never done through personal choice.
We use the magic number of 3 (3% weight of meat in salt) and other acidity additions like wine to kill bad bacteria and promote good bacteria. You can swap this amount to 2.5% in salt and 0.25% in sodium nitrate if you choose to use these additional additives in your curing and charcuterie journey.
Traditional recipes never called on the use of additional nitrates (pink salts). I presume primarily due to charcuterie makers using their own livestock, fresh pork, and trust in their own food to plate food chain etc. Perhaps indicative of more cavalier times or unknown of the potential risks, such additives are very much a modern addition.
Unfortunately, we now live in modern times, with heavy commercialisation, and a litigious society populated with ambulance chasers, makers with poor hygiene, improper handling, and cost cutting manufacturers, so any omission now is not a trivial matter.
Added Nitrates have been ever present in any cured and preserved foods for years. These also occur naturally in many vegetables. With cured meat production it imparts a distinct flavour, controls lipid oxidation, and operates as an antimicrobial.
What Do These Additives Actually Do?
These additives do two things – Firstly they are added to provide an extra level of defence against botulism (Clostridium botulinum). The additional nitrates slowly convert into nitrites like a slow release, giving a longer opportunity to battle and kill any bad bacterium that can cause botulism.
The second thing is they actually aid the colouring of the meat – ever wondered why commercial bacon stays pink when you cook it whilst roast pork or other pork cuts turns grey when cooked?
So Are These Safe to Consume?
Firstly, don’t suddenly get alarmed. Nitrates are a natural part of any diet. However research does link high levels with colorectal cancer (3rd biggest cancer killer in the USA),
and other diseases such as leukaemia, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, heart disease, and ovarian, stomach, oesophageal, pancreatic and thyroid cancers, neurological conditions, neurological conditions, like Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s disease. All are linked to excessive consumption of sodium nitrate.
The additives added to prevent meat from spoiling are the very same chemicals that combine to form carcinogens and increase the risk for colorectal cancer and mortality due to cancer. It is reported that the increased use of these nitrates may interfere with the body’s utilisation of sugar, leading to the development of diabetes. Sodium nitrate may cause hard arterial walls and narrow arteries, resulting in atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease.
This is an ongoing topic across medical journals and studies.
But Don’t Panic!
The amounts to be added during home production are small (typically 0.25% the weight of the meat mix) but these are highly toxic chemical additives where too much can and will kill you. This is why ‘Pink salt’ is “Pink” so you don’t accidentally mistake it for salt during cooking!
The use of pink salts / Instacures / Prague powders is now very much an accepted and recognised modern practice and ultimately the decision is yours to make. Omission would be in line with support for organic foods, and acceptance of additives.
Reducing the Risk for Non Use of Additional Nitrates
If you use clean equipment, fresh meat, use correct salt quantities, and grind the meat yourself then the risk is akin to getting it from a fresh vegetable from the ground (as this is the primary source of the bacteria). This is the main reason we recommend you NEVER use pre-ground meat in any of our recipes. If any bad bacteria were present on the outside of the meat before grinding it would now be inside and would have had time to spread internally. When using whole cuts for bacon the amount of salt on the outside will kill any bad bacteria and so is not required.
I Said Don’t Panic
I appreciate reading all the above might start putting the spooks up you, especially when reading the word botulism. Botulism is very rare but still potentially fatal. Clostridium botulinum bacteria are actually found in the soil and river/sea sediments – the same ground your vegetables grow in – as well as being present in tinned foods. It is because the natural presence of botulism, for example, that you don’t give honey to babies and infants.
For home production it is entirely your decision to include or omit these additional chemical additives. We provide values for both processes. There is increasing medical proof that these are bad for you if consumed regularly though – but the problem now being that they are now added to so many other foods that you may be completely unaware of their presence without checking the ingredients of every you consume with a religious vigour.
It Is Your Choice
In short, the choice is yours to add and use. I don’t add to my recipes and have never done through personal choice.
We use the magic number of 3 (3% weight of meat in salt) and other acidity additions like wine to kill bad bacteria and promote good bacteria. You can swap this amount to 2.5% in salt and 0.25% in sodium nitrate if you choose to use these additional additives in your curing and charcuterie journey.