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[GrillinGlen]

maybe I've just been lucky, ive made it a few times and not had much trouble.  I used IPB boneless butts, the way the bone was removed they could be split in half and trimmed up and end up with 2 slabs that resembled very meaty bellies.  I did trim them up a bunch so they made sense on the slicer, the trimming would be ground for bacon bits or to blend with burger to make patties. If I remember i'll take some pics of some that's sliced in there vacuum bags. 

[Michael_NW]

I just ordered my scales this past week, one for measuring dry ingredients and a larger one for weighing meat. I'm looking forward to getting started.

[Bentley]

I just used the one I got on Amazon yesterday.  Made a Jimmy Dean knock off, sure was nice to use grams for everything, just like the recipes calls for.  Good sausage, but way light on fat.  It was supposed to be 5lbs. total.  1700g pork and 600g of pork fat.  About 3.5lbs and 1.5lbs respectively.  I just ground up the entire butt and assumed it would be about 25%, figured that would be close enough to 30% like the recipe calls for...I doubt it is 15%.  When you can cook three 1/4lb sausage patties and there is no grease in the pan afterwards, your sausage is to lean.   Other then that, tastes kind of like Jimmy Dean, I will invert the coriander and sage amounts on next mix.

I just ordered my scales this past week, one for measuring dry ingredients and a larger one for weighing meat. I'm looking forward to getting started.

[LowSlowJoe]

Once you get used to measuring with a,scale,  you'll wish all recipes included weights of the ingredients...

For many things you don't need the precise measurements,  but for cure it's very nice to have...  also very good for making dough... I can also see major advantage for fresh sausage making...

[Michael_NW]

Initially, I was just going to purchase the smaller scale. But then I thought it would also be good to have something larger to have an exact measurement on the meat for the cure calculation. I have not used scales before, but it is very nice to have for the cure, as you say.

[BMerrill]

Started last night doing a dry cure of 5 pounds of Smithfield Prime Reserve Center Cut skin off pork belly.
Using Morton's Sugar cure. I'll had the cure for several years, but there is no use by date on the package.
Any one know the shelf life of this product?

[Bentley]

My research always led me to conclude that Sodium Nitrate and Nitrite have no shelf life, meaning they do not denigrate over time...sugar and salt, I have no idea...I got a bag from 2011 I am still using!

[SparkyLB]

Question please.  I'm making my own bacon for the first time, and have all the necessary materials.  I received my Prauge Powder #1 yesterday, and having never set eyes on this product before, I have a concern. 

It looks like it's wet (not dripping), let's say MOIST; but I envisioned this to flow like kosher salt and have a similar consistency and appearance of being "dry," if that makes sense.  I find it looks to be a bit caked, and I wonder if this is exactly the way it should be, or if my product might be compromised. 

I only ask because any moisture present that's not supposed to be; will significantly throw off the ratios since we're going by weigh here, and water isn't an ingredient.  I realize if I err in this fashion, it will be not enough curing salt used, so not a toxicity issue, just a concern.   

It sticks together only very slightly, perhaps a 10th of what brown sugar would do. 

Am I ok? 

Thank you all.  I have 1830 grams and I'm using the following recipe from the calculator in this thread.  (desired salt: 2.7%, sugar: 1.5%, ppm nitrite: 156)
Cure #1: 4.57 g
Salt: 45.13 grams
Sugar: 27.25 grams

Thank you all.  Great thread.  Would straight oak be appropriate?  My Pitts and Spitts came with 40 lbs, no blend, straight oak. 

[bregent]

Hmmm, sounds suspicious. I've had the same bag of #1 for about 20 years, and it doesn't clump at all and there is no sign of moisture. Where did you get it?

[SparkyLB]

Thanks for the reply.  Amazon, from a company called Hoosier Hill Farm.  2.5 lbs, in a sealed plastic clear jar, and the foil top is intact, and makes a bulge if I squeeze it, so it was that way when it was packaged. 

If this is unusual, I suppose I could let it sit out and dry, but I don't know if it's hygroscopic.  If it is, that'd make matters worse. 

[Bentley]

Pictures worth a 1000 Words.  A Video is a novel.

Does it look like this?

It looks like it's wet (not dripping) but I envisioned this to flow like kosher salt and have a similar consistency and appearance of being "dry," if that makes sense.  I find it looks to be a bit caked, and I wonder if this is exactly the way it should be, or if my product might be compromised. 

Cure#1 Video

[yorkdude]

I have had 2 jars over the years, not used all of it as I have given some away. The jars (both of them) would be to me as you describe.
Almost the appearance of mild condensation? Sound about right?
I have NEVER had a problem using them this way, in fact I am getting ready to do some more bacon this weekend if my order comes in.
Hope this helps you,
Brian

[yorkdude]

Pictures worth a 1000 Words.  A Video is a novel.

Does it look like this?

It looks like it's wet (not dripping) but I envisioned this to flow like kosher salt and have a similar consistency and appearance of being "dry," if that makes sense.  I find it looks to be a bit caked, and I wonder if this is exactly the way it should be, or if my product might be compromised. 

Cure#1 Video

Spot On. That is exactly what mine looks like.

[SparkyLB]

Thank you Bentley and Brian.  Not quite as bad as what's in the video you posted (MUCH appreciated!!).

Here's my best description.  If it's shaken, grains stick to the sides of the container (same container as in the video) in the 4 or so inches that's unoccupied by product.  It's not nearly as moist as the video depicts; but if slowly turned on its side, the product doesn't flow like sands in an hourglass, rather it calves like the sheer side of an iceberg.  After it falls, it does become granular, though. 

Finally, I realize that products sold by weight rarely are spot on; but what's supposed to be 40 ounces without the container, is 42.25 ounces on my scale WITH the container.  I can see the container weighing a couple or a few ounces, but this may or may not be significant due to varying amounts of product dispensed from lot to lot at the factory. 

I'm thinking I'm "probably" alright?? 

[SparkyLB]

Sorry, Brian, to reply to your direct question, YES.  That sounds EXACTLY right.  VERY mild condensation.  If dry goods had viscosity, if brown sugar was a 10, this is maybe a 2.