Curing meat allows it to be edible for a much longer amount of time than it would be if it were fresh. Meat is generally cured using a mixture that consists of non-iodized salt and curing agents, such as sodium nitrate. This enables the meat to stay edible without being stored in a refrigerator or freezer. Meat can either be dry or liquid cured, but with either method the amount of curing salt is the same.
Things You'll Need
- 8 pounds non-iodized salt
- 3 pounds sugar
- 2 ounces sodium nitrate
- 1/2 ounce sodium nitrate
- Plastic container
- Digital scale
Make a batch of curing salt by mixing together 8 pounds of non-iodized salt, 3 pounds sugar, 2 ounces of sodium nitrate and 1/2 ounce of sodium nitrate. Keep in a plastic container until ready to be used, or for storage once some of it has been used.
Weigh your meat on your digital scale to find out how many pounds you have.
Use 1 ounce of curing salt mixture for each pound of meat. Weigh the curing salt on your digital scale to measure the appropriate amount. If your meat does not weigh a whole number, then use the equivalent number of ounces. For example, 2 3/8 pounds would be 2 3/8 ounces.