Equipment and Supplies

Equipment and Supplies

Curing Salts

Cure #1, also known as Prague Powder - This cure contains Sodium Nitrite mixed with salt. It acts very quickly to protect the meat, unlike Saltpetre which has to convert from a Nitrate salt to a Nitrite, by reacting with bacteria in the meat, before it starts it's job. Sodium nitrite is often coloured pink so that it is not mistaken for anything else.

The cure from Sausagemaking.org is not coloured, you need to check on the label for the nitrite content. It may be 5.88% (UK) or 6.25% (US). The British and EU rules on curing levels restrict the amounts of nitrites to 150 parts per million in most products. The USA rules include details of how the levels of nitrites can be calculated.

Cure #2, also known as Prague Powder II - This is a cure containing both Sodium Nitrite and Sodium Nitrate it is used in long term curing of air dried products.

Saltpetre - Saltpetre is Potassium Nitrate and is used in traditional curing. Modern curers still use it in products that are cured or matured for long periods.


Always the correct type of cure and amount that is called for in the recipe. Do not substitute one for the other.

All of these cures are available from Sausagemaking.org

Smokers

ProQ CSG - An ingenious Cold Smoke Generator that takes all of the hassle out of cold smoking. One of my favourite pieces of equipment. To buy, or for details of the product, and stockists.

Smoke Wood Dust - For use in the ProQ CSG

Another good resource is hotsmoked.co.uk