Can't find tender quick and I don't have pink salt...


 
Best Price online for Prague Powder #1 (for bacon) is at Allied Kenco, at least that I have found. Morton TQ is nice but pricey, I would reserve it for stuff I do in a brine. Canning salt, powdered sugar, and Prague Powder, you are pretty darn close to MTQ, in my estimation, except yours will not have any sodium nitrate in it, which you actually do not want when curing bacon.

A traditional cured bacon without using a curing agent such as sodium nitrite will not have quite the same flavor, but will still be good, particularly if you smoke it.
 
If a recipe calls for salt and prague powder for example and I have MTQ I would just use the same amount as the salt, correct?
 
If a recipe calls for salt and prague powder for example and I have MTQ I would just use the same amount as the salt, correct?

I hope someone else can chime in, but I'd say no. MTQ has salt and sugar as well as nitrate and nitrite, and the concentrations are not the same. I've seen recipes to make MTQ online, so you could probably find one and determine the equivalent.
 
It's not the same (TQ v Pink Salt) as far as a straight up replacement.

Here's a good article as reference for a good way to translate.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/28/dining/home-cured-bacon-recipe.html?_r=0

Basically a straight up 1:1 substitute of TW:pink Salt is not correct. TQ has other stuff in it (Sugar for one)

Best yet go to Page 9/Post #87 in this thread (the post ID for each reply in a thread is in the blue bar o the far right)

http://tvwbb.com/showthread.php?13312-Bacon-made-easy/page9

From Martin in the response above:

Here's my MTQ alternative:

All-Purpose Cure Mix

17.5 oz canning/pickling salt

5.5 oz granulated sugar

2 oz cure #1

This can be used at the same rate as Morton's Tender Quick, 1 tablespoon (14 grams) of mix per pound of whole cuts.
It's essential to use pickling salt so that the salt, sugar and cure particle size are all nearly the same.
The above mix provides 156ppm and 2.4% salt compared to MTQ' 3%
Mix well before using.
 
Last edited:
Rob,
You're so lucky to be living within driving distance of the best charcuterie supplier in Canada - Stuffers Supply Company at 22958 Fraser Highway, in Langley. Call them at 604-534-7374 and they'll probably be glad to help you with your query about ratios of salt and MTQ or Prague Powder in a recipe. Better yet, drive out there and see what they offer for yourself.
They have a new store and it's stocked with virtually everything you'll need to make whatever sausages you want. I've used their products for several years and have been very happy with the selection, prices and quality of their products. I rely on them for casings, Prague powder, spices and other supplies. Most recently, I used their "gluten free mix" to make some Kielbasa that several Polish friends raved about.
 

 

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