How to make TQ..Have my own nitrite and nitrate


 
S

Steve W (Weave)

TVWBB Fan
Hey guys, I have pure sodium nitrite and nitrate from work. I also have flake and kosher salt and sugar.
I was wondering if anyone could tell me the ratios of salt to sugar to mix my own TQ for my first bacon cure?
I have everything ready to go and want to get my bellies cured tonight!
 
You've got to be careful in your use of nitrate and nitrite. Nitrite is used in typical cures for bacon and ham whereas nitRATE is used in bolognas, something that ages in a different way. DO NOT confuse the two and I think that you need to pursue further reading into the differences between the two chemicals.

EDIT: Here ya' go from another thread:

http://tvwbb.com/eve/forums/a/...8107116/m/5371044436

Prague Powder #1
Prague Powder #1 is a mix of sodium nitrite and salt. It is also known as InstaCure, Modern Cure or curing salt. The recommended amount is 1 tsp. for every 5 lbs of meat or 1 oz. for every 25 lbs of meat. Prague Powder #1 is used for meats that will not be frozen or refrigerated immediately, such as smoked or dehydrated meats.

Prague Powder #2
Prague Powder #2 is a mixture of salt, sodium nitrite and sodium nitrate. It is used for meats that will be dry-cured over a long period of time, like pepperoni or salami. The sodium nitrate breaks down during the curing process, first into sodium nitrite and then into nitric oxide. The recommended amount is the same as for Prague Powder #1--1 tsp. for every 5 lbs of meat or 1 oz. for every 25 lbs of meat.

Morton's Tender Quick
Morton's Tender Quick is a mix of salt, sugar, sodium nitrite and sodium nitrate. It is used in the dry- or pickle-curing of meat, fish and poultry. The recommended amount is 1 1/2 tsp. for every 1 lb of meat. Morton also makes a product called Sugar Cure, which can be substituted for Tender Quick, especially in ham or bacon.



Read more: Saltpeter Substitutes | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/list_72228...s.html#ixzz1vp2BhX18



Best,
-T
 
Steve- if you look at the details on the products prague powder 1 and 2 in the link I provided, you'll find the wanted % numbers. I understood that you have access to the ingredients.

I hope you have a scale you can trust. This stuff is quite dangerous if overdosed.

I'll paste in the numbers for you:

Prague Powder #1 aka Insta Cure #1, pink curing salt, or Sel Rose is composed of 6.75% Sodium Nitrite and 93.25% Sodium Chloride

Prague Powder #2 aka Insta Cure #2, pink curing salt, or Sel Rose is composed of 6.75% Sodium Nitrite, 4.00% Sodium Nitrate and 89.25% Sodium Chloride. It used in the curing process to prevent botulism poisoning and to provide the characteristic flavor and red color associated with curing. Prague Powder #2 is recommended for meats that require long (weeks to months) cures, like hard salami and country ham. Recommended usage for curing is 1.1g per 500g of meat.
 
Thanks for all the info guys.
I appreciate the insight on nitrite and nitrate. I fully understand how toxic these can be if used in greater amounts than allowed.
USDA allows 156ppm ingoing and in fact there is roughly 20ppm residual on dry sausages like salami, coppa and those with long aging/drying times.
I wasin a pinch this time...going forward I'm just going to use MTQ
 
Another real issue with trying to make TQ or prague powder (#1 or #2) from component ingredients is in uniformity of mixture.

If you mix by hand or machine the requisite amounts of nitrate/nitrite/salt/sugar etc there is the potential that either 1. your mix will not be uniform or 2. your mix will settle over time due to minute differences in particulate size.

Prague powder or MTQ are produced using industrial/commercial chemical procedures that ensure a homogenous and stable mixture. Adding the components by weight and stirring will not necessarily produce the same level of uniformity, and your meat products may suffer from that by either getting too much or too little of any ingredient compared to what one would expect from the commercial product.
 
With all respect to industrial procedures, are you really sure this is a problem?
Sure, it's not enough to add the ingredients, shake the container twice and think you have a mixture, but let's say you give your mix a spin in a blender?

I think that if you put some time and thought into the mixing process, that would be good enough, if you blend, shake, or choose another procedure that ensures a mix.

It might be making a problem of something that is not a problem at all.
 
Geir,

I understand what you're saying, and you're probably right. But when I'm dealing with countermeasures for c. botulinium I want to err on the side of caution.
 
Sure. I'm with you all the way.
Traditionally butchers have mixed these ingredients on their own for a long time period, locally, and you can not call that a controlled industrial environment.

But to sum up, the cost and so on involved makes it easy and safe to buy something that is guaranteed and tested. There is really no reason to mix your own.
 
Guys I never meant to start a war.
At work we use the pure forms daily of eruthorbate, ascorbate, nitrate, and nitrite.
Surely I agree it is easier and more uniform to use Prague or mtq....I was in a time crunch and had all of the ingredients at my disposal! Not to mention for free of course!
 
Unless your making a fairly substantial size batch, the margin for error is large and while mixing in a blender or food processor, by the time you have a uniform mix I really think your going to end up with powder. JMO.
 
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