Gone Hiking
Über Member
Thanks for the links. Yes, Pink Salt #1 / Prague Powder #1 evidently has 6.25% sodium nitrite for short-term cures from what I've read, while Pink Salt #2 / Prague Powder #2 has 6.25% sodium nitrite + 4% sodium nitrate for longer cures of things like salami, prosciutto, etc. Based on how little is used (looking at online calculators), that 1.5 pound container should last me for years. I'll be smoking my pork belly and cooking the bacon soon, so we'll see how this goes!Just an addition...
Saltpetre or potassium nitrate forms into potassium nitrite and the nitrite is what cures the meat.
For meat that cures for long times (like hams), a combination of potassium nitrate and nitrite is used.
Gone Hiking
Just make sure you double check the percentage you got against the one used in the recipe you follow.
Yours is most likely 6.25% nitrite, I can only get 8%, and most of Europe uses 0.6%
2 more good sites:
Making Homemade Sausage Len Poli's Formulations and Recipes
Meats and Sausages