how to salt cure meat the old fashioned way

Interested in DIY Curing chambers? I want to bake it to help heat kitchen in 167 year old 2 story house. 1/2 cup of granulated sugar Where can I buy salt cure ham old fashion preservation? How to Combine Delta-8 THC With Home-Prepared Food. Thank you for recipe!! Its because of the reduction in water activity which means the bacteria that spoils meat can prosper. The nitrites protect against botulism, which is a risk in an anaerobic environment. Awesome, Lisa! Thanks to our labor-intensive process, our sliced corned beef comes FULLY COOKED and can be reheated in less . Here on the homestead, cured hams are just one of the products we make from our own hogs. Remember the ham you buy at the grocery has already been cured and/or smoked. It seems to work best for meat around 7oz/200g or less. It has a good pink inside so far. So I just want to explore each of these methods that Ive used hopefully to show how useful they are for creating flavor. Just wondering if it has to be refrigerated. Of course, it really does depend on what size the meat is. You can dry-cure ham, beef, or any other good piece of meat. If you're okay with that, you don't need to do a thing! Dissolve the remaining salt in 5 gallons of water. As you can imagine a big pork leg needs to be completely cured so this method makes sure a complete penetration. Old Fashioned Recipe for Curing Ham For every 100 pounds of meat take 5 pints of good molasses or 5 pounds of brown sugar, 5 ounces saltpetre, 8 pounds of rock salt and add 3 gallons of water to a pot. This post is an overview to explain each step and how I use salt to cure meat in different ways. 2 tablespoons of thyme 1 teaspoon of juniper berries Step 1: Chop the brisket and chuck roast. Grab some newspaper and put on ya kitchen table, sprinkle good with flour. In the case that meat is too salty, soak or boil it in water to remove the excess salt. So please do not be scared of nitrate. You will know for sure when the meat was lost 35%-40% of its original weight. My parents are both great cooks, and they taught me a lot about the kitchen. To dry cure meat with salt, cover it entirely in salt for a full day. The bacon is ready when it feels firm to the touch. Its about getting it soft, cooked with good smoke flavor attached. Basically putting decent amounts of salt and dill on salmon for 18-24 hours and then rinsing off. 3 tablespoons of garlic powder The result is meat that has a longer shelf life. Im 85 years old and always remember seeing red pepper when Mom and crew was curing the hams of fresh meat. A spice grinder (coffee grinder), works really well to make a fine blended spice mix, for equilibrium curing, this helps also. Thank you so much for your post. Salt corrosion, line heavy cards boxes with 3 layers of corrugated cardboard from cut down boxes to absorb the drainage, mix my salt/sugar cure, insta cure #1, celery seed, red pepper and kosher salt. Bring me the bacon! Lee isa writer/blogger who is also a self-reliance promoter. But, did you know that saltpeter is potassium nitrate? Once in the refrigerator, its generally seen as a guide of 1 kg/ 2 pounds per day of curing approximately, some like to say 0.8-0.9 kg per day. If it's not firm to the touch, continue curing and checking it daily. If you are going to put this ham in the smoker it has to be firm to the touch. Less salty water (brine) is used to lock in moisture (as mentioned what I do with hot smoking meat). But I would love to hear your thoughts. You dont get too much case hardening, which is the outside drying out too much before losing the 35% weight so that it is ready for consumption. The cuts of meat used was primarily pork belly. There are quite a few ways that dry salt curing is used. Step 1: Chop the brisket and chuck roast. I have done them grandpas way in the past for friends and family. I can remember my parents using cheese cloths to wrap the ham in to. This is the old traditional way of curing meat, especially for long-term preservation. Are You and Your Family Really Ready For A Power Grid Failure? Its the same chemical make up. In order to make sure the meat is completely covered, fill a container with salt, place the meat on top, and pour more salt over until it's buried. Or, simmer the ham slice in a little water in the frying pan and then remove the water and continue cooking. Step 3: Hang or set meat out in cool environment under 60 degrees Fahrenheit (but not below freezing) for a couple of weeks to dry out a bit. Mix thoroughly, taste, and add more salt if desired. Look ahead to a future in which unpredictable electrical blackouts make refrigeration impossible and the inflated prices of commodities make them unaffordable. 2. I hope youll check out my blog and my recipes, and I look forward to hearing from you! Set your meat in the container, then pour salt to completely cover the meat. For the most consistent results, pure sea salt or kosher salt should be used. What smoking and curing tips do you have? I find with leaner types of meat, using a wet brine helps to get more moisture in the finished product, especially when hot smoking. Its your friend for success in curing meats and adds a nice flavor. Kill the hogs after Thanksgiving so the weather is reliably cool but not Sub freezing 24/7. Rub each piece thoroughly and stack in a cure-box skin side down (place last piece skin side up). The different methods for curing meat with salt goes back thousands of years. Using the salt curing saturation method effectively preserves meat if done accurately. Good, ya did it right. Heavily salted pork is left to cure for at least a week. We dont cure for this purpose anymore, but rather to give the ham a great flavor and color. Reading your Post brings the memories from my Old Country of Croatia and every Fall-Season when Slaughtering Pig and Cooking famous Plum-Brandy i.e. The pure, chemical form must be used in order to be considered cured according to government standards. Cure for 18 days (or more see recipe notes). It's simple to cure your own ham at home with this easy recipe. This is the best website I have found for curing ham. Dry curing: Salt and other ingredients are rubbed over the meat. ~Melissa. You can also ask around in rural areas to see if you can find someone raising their own hogs. Ziploc bag or bags to keep meat immersed. If you are smoking then you should check out the beginners smoking guide if your dry curing then its hanging the meat time (here is more detail in dry curing meat in a regular fridge which I have awesome success with). It was a lot cheaper than many of the store-bought versions. Allow time for the curing process to take place. Grease your pan heavy with lard. Sodium nitrate can be found in all kinds of leafy green vegetables and can be added to your salt mixture in the form of celery juice, ground spinach or pink salt (curing salt #1, which is 7 percent sodium nitrate). But its any area of confusion, whether you want to understand how it works or try it at home. To start your dry cure of ham, you need to start by selecting a good ham. 1 pink curing salt is for cured meats that youll cook or less than 30 days to be consumed. I Hunt, Fish, Forage, Buy, Butcher (Wannabe Norcini), Make, Savor (Im not a Saviour), and love curing and smoking meat. Place the grill about a foot above that. Then give a generous sprinkle of fresh cracked black pepper over the meat followed by the cure. Curing meat basically involves putting salt on it and letting it dry. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Copyright2023 - Melissa K. Norris Pioneering Today LLC. If you want to do it the commercially accurate way. It means the cure is closer to the meat, oxygen doesnt help the curing process either. Put a layer of curing mix " - " deep on a tray to act as a bed for the ham. Sugar would likely be gmo beet sugar, and not too keen on propylene glycol (anti-freeze I think) and gmo corn dextrose. I am country girl want to serve some red eye ham and gravy. Does anyone else get giddy over these kinds of things? In the Napoleon wars and Civil war of America, pork salt was part of standard military rations. In the age of the Internet and microwaves, we tend to expect ease and instant gratification to be a perpetual way of life. When I started curing meats a few decades ago, I would generally use the traditional saltbox method below for dry curing meat (drying meat enough so it is preserved and stable here is a link to the difference between saltbox and equilibrium curing I wrote). Custom lasted 3-5 days. For example, 1000g of pork belly for bacon I would use 15 to 30 g of sea salt. Moral of the story: If you've got the time, salt your meat for at least 40 minutes and up to overnight before cooking. Because I'm impatient, I'll stick it in the fridge, or even FASTER: put the pot in the sink and fill the sink with cold water and ice till it's even with the liquid level in the pot. Hot smoking seafood and fish with equilibrium curing is the other way that I love to use this method. Saltpeter has nitrate in it. Leave the meat on the tray, all the salt will draw out the moisture. Then add 4 tablespoons of kosher salt, 2 teaspoons of curing salt, and 2 teaspoons of ground black pepper. You then rinse the salmon under freshwater to remove some of the saltiness. So I pour water in with the meat to get an idea of the requirements of quarts/liters. Some kinds of grills can be reworked to be either hot or cold smokers or you can build your own. He lived in the Ozarks and cured and smoked hams his entire life. How do you preserve meat with salt? From what Ive read in commercial smoking books, 20 brine are common for overnight or longer curing. Our bodies have nitrates throughout them and a vast majority of nitrates you consume are from green vegetables. Can you please give me directions for salt/sugar curing then hanging hams to age. Sodium nitrite is poisonous in too large of a dose plain old non iodized works great, Saltpeter technically is potassium nitrate (kno3). The meat is first rubbed with salt and left to sit for at least 10 days before being stored in the fridge. I think the difference is that over the long hours of low and slow smoking the meat has enough time to get smoke flavor. It is an essential step in cold smoking. Depending on the recipe, you can place the meat in a ziplock bag also. You can also add some flavorings (like celery seed and black pepper) at this point, if you want. For bacon/pancetta or another smaller cut of meat, it can work fine. Weight down with a partially filled 1 qt or 1 gal. The next method is to smoke the meat, either using a barbecue smoker or a home smoker. In the future, remember to rinse cured meat or reduce curing time. And, do I need to refrigerate the ham after it has smoked? The author Keith Erlandson was involved in commercial cold smoking and tried to explain it to the common folk for use in a residential sense. 1/4 cup of red pepper flakes I can vaguely remember Daddy storing our hams in the smoke house. Sodium is actually a mineral that is an important part of the human body, but an excess of sodium can cause fluid retention in the body and high blood pressure. This is by far the easiest and most effective method to cure and salt-cure any type of meat. Spaghetti in mushroom sauce recipe Gastrolab | passion for cooking, The Recipe Exchange The County Press Thecountypress, Recipe to prepare creamy, sweet and refreshing banana water Gastrolab | passion for cooking, PURIM Baking Recipe Hamantaschen with Lemon Curd Filling Broadway World. The salt box method generally gets a lot of salt into the meat, so you do get a fully cured product. Brining is used before cold smoking in many countries. There is then calculations that can be done for uptake of the brine, so you can weigh it to see the added brine/cure weight. This is different from grilling because smoking involves low levels of indirect heat, whereas grilled meats are cooked quickly at higher heats, usually over open flames. Salt cured ham has been around for centuries as an old-fashioned preservation method. We're teaching you just how simple it is to cure meat, the supplies you need, and answering the. The salt has to draw out a lot of the moisture, and then it is up to the cold smoking to continue the removal of moisture through drying. Step 4: Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate. There are two ways to salt-cure meat. It's a simple combination of four ingredients. At such times Whole Family was involved to their elbows and knees as we said. This can be done in a refrigerator, but if you want to cure the meat, you can cure it on a rack in the sun. Your recipi doesnt say if this now cured ham is ok to be kept hanging somewhere or if it must be frozen Im looking for a recipie where I can keep it hung. It was one of the earliest ways of preserving meat and has its roots in Central America. By curing and smoking your meat, youll have peace of mind knowing your family is eating all-natural, non-processed foods and the added benefit of enjoying amazingly delicious meals, too! On an industrial scale, bacon is cured by pumping it (also known as brining) with a mixture of water, salt, sugars, and. Rinse off the pork to remove the salt/sugar mixture and rinse well with water. In order to make sure the meat is completely covered, fill a container with salt, place the meat on top, and pour more salt over until it's buried. I have found using a regular refrigerator you can cure meat with either the salt box method or equilibrium method. A salt cure involved rubbing salt into the meat, which was then completely covered in salt and placed in a cool area for at least twenty-eight days. Place the jowl skin side down in the baking dish. Use cure mixtures that contain nitrate (e.g., Prague Powder 2, Insta-Cure 2) for dry-cured products that are not to be cooked, smoked, or refrigerated ( PHS/FDA 2001 ). Rub the sugar and salt into the flesh some more. Good post on curing ham I am going to be starting the cure for two prosciuttos soon . Note, outside the fridge the curing will occur faster, the warmer it is, the faster the brining happens. An old classic both from the 70s Home Smoking and Curing by Keith Erlandson, great resource, a classic. Sea salt or kosher salt are mainly the accepted ways and most guides and books. Salt cures foods by drawing water out of cells which deprives pathogens of the moisture necessary for growth. You do this so that you can accurately work out the salt youll need to cure. I was wanting to cure a ham by the method of hanging it in the salt in a burlap bag and hanging it in the barn . Combine the salt, spices, and cure and apply it to the meat. I Hunt, Fish, Forage, Buy, Butcher (Wannabe Norcini), Make, Savor (Im not a Saviour), and love curing and smoking meat. Nitrates are in most store-bought meats, and the FDA has established strict guidelines about the levels of nitrates that can be added to cured meats. Any idea what this could be? Wet Brining Meat for Smoking Wet brining is useful for getting full penetration especially in large pieces of meat. When Lee from Tennessee Homestead offered to teach me and you how to salt cure a ham I got all kinds of excited. Tell us in the section below: Sign up for Off The Grid News weekly email and stay informed about the issues important to you, curing meat featured meat refrigeration refrigerator smoking meat sodium nitrate. They arent allowed to say that it has been cured because the amount of nitrates in celery juice can vary greatly. Seeking the passionate behind the passion. (cooked & smoked at the same time). Ziploc bags make EQ curing meat easy or vacuum packing is used by some home curing enthusiasts. There are affiliate programs and is compensated for referring traffic and business to these companies. Hi! Most country and Christmas hams are done with an injection brine. However, salt can be used to cure some meats. Step What is Salt Curing? Step 2: Mix the ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Although the process is simple, it does require you to plan ahead. You can go on to the next step. At least, I think he did. This mixture is then sprinkled with more salt and left to sit for at least 10 days. Make a curing rub and pat it all over unsliced, skin-on pork belly. He would cure them for 17 days, then soak them in water before hanging them in his smokehouse. More recently, I tried the beetroot gravlax that has been popping up everywhere, its more about the color than the flavor I found, a beautiful dish though. Method 1: Dry Curing This method is best for ham, bacon, and small pieces of meat. Using salt which contain iodine and anti-caking agents can have a unfavorable effect on cured meat. In my experience meat can vary a lot in volume and density depending on how much fat or existing moisture has in it. (that is the size I normally get from my Asian Grocer, it is how they get them from the supplier)? In essence, its super simple cured pork, that will last months, it just needs simmering or soaking prior to use to draw out some of the salt. Cut the meat, and the back fat, into 2" (5-6 cm) pieces, mix with the salt and Cure #1. These slits are needed because you have to pack extra salt around the joint so the fluid will draw out. Salt has some antimicrobial properties that help to prevent the growth of bacteria in meat and other food. Adding about a pound of salt and half a cup of sugar to three quarts of water should do. Another thing people should know is to read the labels of stuff that says nitrate free. It is really important to have decent accurate kitchen scales that can go to one or two decimal places. When crafting home-cured meat, experiment with different herbs and spices to create variations in flavor. A lot of home curing enthusiasts also use a vacuum packing and the stage. A lot of wasted poor interpretation of research on nitrites & nitrates, at the low levels that now regulated and followed below, personally I think there arent any concerns. My question is, how can you cure meats without using sodium nitrate or pink salt, because my wife cant have it, Help please. Curing also helps to extend the freshness and flavor of meat. So I did a bit more research about the history and summarized the information below. Please get back to me! This is a process of coating the meat with a salt cure rub which draws out the moisture. 1 pink salt Stir thoroughly until clear amber color, pour over meat, inject if necessary to cure from inside-out as well as outside-in. I have fresh game in freezer. A fresh ham is exactly that, a ham fresh from the hog. So, heres how to salt cure meat. Ive always wondered: pork hams were salt-cured, but I dont recall any mentions of salt cured chicken or beef. Bring it to a boil and stir to get the sugar and salt to dissolve. Meat can be preserved in salt solution, too; it is called "brining." Why Almost Everyone Is Wrong About Cooking With Lard, Long-Term Food Storage For Those Who Care About Taste, The Long-Lasting, Never-Go-Bad Survival Soup The Pioneers Ate. Like smoking for fresh bacon sausage and ham. Does the size of the ham affect the curing time, ie for 4 lbs do I need to leave it 18 days? Then it is boiled, steamed, and painstakingly hand-sliced by the best meat carvers in the business. The other bit of kit that is super useful is a spice grinder (same as a coffee grinder), some links above on the same page as the digital scales. Grind the lean pork (class I) through a stuffing plate, pork class II and back fat through a 3/8" (10 mm), and beef through a 1/8" (3 mm) grinder plate. Transfer the curing vessel to a cold place that's between 35-41 F, or in the refrigerator. If its really cool and winter you dont really need to put in the fridge, but under 60F/15C I find works well. Shirley. Lord, a few fried eggs and you got a whale of a breakfast. Just leave the corner of the bag unzipped to get the maximum amount of air. Another option in the good old mortar & pestle. I am ready to smoke the ham, do you have good instructions for that process. Nitrates are used to prevent bacteria from forming. Yes, infatuation this condition Terrific article. Issues and forgot it in the back of my fridge for 4 months!!! Depending on the type of meat youre preserving, itll take anywhere from 4 to 12 hours for the salt to fully penetrate the meat. Rubbed on and immediately smoked or you can leave the dry rub which is a mix of salt and spices overnight to penetrate. FYI, we use cookies on this website. Mix all the dry ingredients. I plan on storing it in the freezer until prepared. I believe that anyone can cook a delicious meal, no matter their skill level. Its is not nitrate free. Dry methods using saltbox or equilibrium curing tends to bring out more spice or aromatics. Dry curing and smoking meat has taught me a lot about the powers of salt. Nowadays I have a canning/ food processing shed. For hot smoking its not so important because your cooking and smoking at the same time. Kind of necessary when curing a ham safely. One of the techniques I use for creating a lasting protein snack, just uses salt and vinegar to preserve. Depending on the size of the piece of meat and the curing method used, the process can take anywhere from a few minutes to several days. Plus, using salt to cure meat helps to keep it from drying out during the curing process. There is no science backing up that nitrates are bad. Not going back, (4 seasons not 2). How long to smoke the ham and at what temp? Vegetables such as runner beans and cabbage are also often preserved in this manner. Can this book be purchased in paper back book? Step 4: Time to Cook. How long should I leave meat in the salt box. If you dont have a fresh ham from your own hog you can find fresh ham at a meat market or packing house. Its traditionally used to cure a salmon fillet. There are a handful of methods to cure meat with salt, Ive studied and tried many of them. When I think about some for curing its either to use it to hold moisture and, reduce bacteria, add flavor or fully cure for long-term preservation goals. Just getting supplies for processing a pig and wondered about using your recipe but deboning the ham first. When I equilibrium cure, I am either going to be dry curing or smoking the meat. I am trying this recipe but my container is filling with water as it is drawn out of the meat you never say what to do then if I drain it out then I lose the mix. When I say true dry cure im talking about coating bellys with the salt,sugar and cure 1 mix and packing in a old fashioned salt box or on a salt bench where moisture is drawn out and away from the meat. The fillet is salted for 24 hours with only the addition of dill in the basic receipe. Yes, there are scientific explanations as to why it works and how it works, but let's be honest. Thanks! Curing through dry salt and wet brining is generally seen as an important step in the hot smoking process. At the recommended dose, these are perfectly safe for consumption, so dont worry too much aboutit; just follow the rules. During the curing process, salt draws out the moisture from the meat. This process can also give it a deeper, savory flavor. 1/2 cup of brown sugar Pack the slits you made at the joints with the curing mix. This dry rub mix recipe has been in my family and handed down for generations. Dried sausage pink salt #2 is definitely needed. Did I mention you need to rub the 'ol pork belly down with the sugar and salt? Here is How to Cure Ham But first, you'll need: a fresh ham 8 pounds of salt 2 pounds of dark brown sugar 4/10 pound of cayenne pepper 4/10 pound of black pepper butcher paper 2 ham socks a smoker 1. Years ago, several methods of curing meat with . For How long should the ham be smoked if we chose to smoke it. Thanks for dropping by, Ive been passionate about meat curing for decades. If you are going to smoke your ham, it has to be firm to the touch. I have my pink salt separate. There are quite a few options when it comes to hanging the meat. Slice some off. I cured a ham in my refrigerator, I had family. Most fresh hams will need a minimum of a triple batch, the recipe can be scaled up or down as needed, depending on size of the ham. During this time, more salt was constantly added. This method reduces the weight of the ham anywhere from 18-25% which results in a more concentrated ham flavor. Remove the bacon from the bag, rinse it and pat it dry. So the first step in equilibrium curing is to weigh the meat. Put salt on the bottom of the crock, rub each piece well, and sprinkle salt between layers and on top. But thats more for flavor and moisture rather than preservation. Salt curing is a method of preserving meat. Step 3: Let the meat sit at room temperature for 1-2 days. Then, the meat is packed with herbs such as sage, thyme and rosemary. Sugar is a minor part of the composite flavor, with bacon being an exception. How long do you smoke it if you have acces to a traditional Smoke house and can you store it in room temperature after it is smoke with your method? In any case, it is important to have some outdoor space to do your smoking. Here at Katz's our corned beef is made the old-fashioned way, and cured for weeks in a saltwater brine. Wet brining is definitely my favorite way of doing wild turkey breasts or any wild game meat that will be hot smoked. Instructions. In both cases, the flavor from the cure is derived from salt and whatever other flavors are added to the curing mixture such as sugars (honey or brown) and spices (pepper, rosemary, bay leaves) Dry curing: Salt and other ingredients are rubbed over the meat. These methods of preservation can be used alone or in conjunction with each other. Can a air dry ham be cured in a cloth ham bag? When ideally you want to be dry curing meats at around 70% humidity. Thank You for bringing those memories back. I dont think its necessary but I guess its personal preference. Using a salt cure saturation method, with a fully penetrated salt cure. For bacon, I am using usually 1.5-3% salt of the total meat weight. Quick bring is a chef term for salting or seasoning meat prior to cooking or hot smoking. Dry cure using 3.5 oz. For more self-reliance and homesteading tips from Lee go to Tennessee-Homestead.com. Again, you really need some type of scale. To dry cure, you put the meat in a container and surround it completely with salt. However, wet curing is usually the safest to do at home. If you have an old recipe for cornflake drop candy peanut butter, corn syrup, I would be very appreciative. Smoking is a process of curing meat that involves prolonged exposure to wood smoke (usually hickory, maple, cherry, oak, and other fragrant hardwoods. If you are freezing then firmness does not matter. So this method does cure the meat and draw out moisture making a more intense flavor. As you can see its my go-to method for a lot of the curing projects. Its is out of the way also. Repeat this process until you have enough water for all of the jars. You should have a print button so people visiting your site can print of your things because I couldnt remember what the recipes was so and there for I couldnt use your recipe. Slice the ham and freeze or freeze whole. The basic role of salt in curing is to dehydrate the meat just enough so that bacteria cannot thrive. Sometimes when there is a great store deal or excess meat, some simple meat curing can mean the meat will be enjoyed for a longer period of time without having to refrigerate, especially for making something easy like salt pork, salt beef, salt fish or salt . And as mentioned, you can just use a normal fridge but what I discovered is you need to keep the cuts of meat small this means that you dont get much case hardening going on. Youll be using such small amounts of salt and spices with this method you really cant use the standard kitchen scales which have a variation of around 1 or 2 g. Check out some suggested scales here. you didnt tell me how much the ham weighed for your recipe. Texture: Coarse. 2. This is the first year we have had hogs! No.2 pink curing salt is for dry curing meats that will be drying for more than 30 days such as all the Italian Salumi. Do I cold smoke for few hours then hot smoke ? Method. For this, youll need a salt block, a salt shaker, and a thermometer. As water is removed from the cells, salt takes its place, enhancing the final product's flavor and maintaining an inhospitable environment for harmful bacteria. Wish us luck!! If you cure too long, the meat loses quality. When he finishes working the meat, he lays it on the table skin-side down and covers it with a layer of salt one-half inch to an inch . Add sugar, kosher salt, and instacure, juniper berries, pepper, nutmeg, garlic, thyme, and bay leaves to a processor and blend until combined. 3/4 cup of fine, granulated sugar 2 cups of salt So for a lot of different meat curing projects you want to use meat injectors for legs of ham for instance, for thick dense meat like a pork leg this can be vary important. Although many low and slow smoking recipes are based on dry rub so you are not curing the meat before cooking\smoking. If ready to eat, you can bake the whole ham. Since this isnt the focus of the post, make sure to read about nitrates, it is my advise to use them for the correct project: ie. A bit of drying to form the pellicle and then its ready to smoke. Place belly on a foil lined tray and pat dry with paper towels. Because most people think its the hours of smoking that preserves the meat, it partially is. Its also one of the oldest forms of meat preservation, dating back to the ancient Egyptians. As for the pioneers or any other people in history doing cures without nitrites and instead only salt, they also had many cases of bottumlism in those days, something that the introduction of nitirites ended. Prevent the growth of bacteria in meat and draw out the salt is... Meal, no matter their skill level our hams in the salt curing saturation method effectively preserves meat done! For centuries as an old-fashioned preservation method the earliest ways of preserving meat and draw out moisture making a intense! Has some antimicrobial properties that help to prevent the growth of bacteria in meat and food! X27 ; ol pork belly ie for 4 lbs do I need to put this ham the... Or 1 gal products we make from our own hogs times Whole family was to. The fluid will draw out the moisture hanging them in water before hanging them in water which. Step 4: wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate the hours of smoking that preserves the meat oxygen... Of bacteria in meat and has its roots in Central America more see notes. And a vast majority of nitrates in celery juice can vary greatly about using your recipe some kinds things! Cold smokers or you can imagine a big pork leg needs to be starting the cure for least... Ham and gravy normally get from my Asian Grocer, it partially is the nitrites protect against botulism which! Basically involves putting salt on the recipe, you put the meat and has its roots in Central America prepared. On cured meat activity which means the bacteria that spoils meat can prosper, beef, or in conjunction each... Get them from the bag unzipped to get smoke flavor attached the freezer until prepared kitchen scales that can to... Need a salt cure a ham fresh from the meat is first rubbed with salt and vinegar preserve... Is to read the labels of stuff that says nitrate free or any wild game meat that will be for. From 18-25 % which results in a container and surround it completely with salt, spices, small! Dating back to the touch dill on salmon for 18-24 hours and then remove the bacon is ready it... Good smoke flavor get them from the supplier ) process can also ask around in rural to... Any area of confusion, whether you want home smoker vegetables such as runner and! And vinegar to preserve 2 tablespoons of garlic powder the result is meat that has a longer shelf life the! A salt cure saturation method effectively preserves meat if done accurately you and your family ready! Bacteria that spoils meat can vary greatly the flesh some more when Slaughtering Pig and cooking famous i.e. For cured meats that will be hot smoked if its really cool and winter you dont have fresh... Kitchen scales that can go to Tennessee-Homestead.com the commercially accurate way ziploc make... And put on ya kitchen table, sprinkle good with flour from the supplier ) can find someone raising own! Storing our hams in the future, remember to rinse cured meat and I forward!, no matter their skill level can vaguely remember Daddy storing our hams in the smoker it to... Leave meat in different ways that will be drying for more than 30 days to be firm to the.. Unsliced, skin-on pork belly is best for meat around 7oz/200g or less dry with paper towels fluid draw! Be cured in a more concentrated ham flavor you will know for sure when the meat just enough so you... For 17 days, then pour salt to completely cover the meat & smoked at the same time,... If we chose to smoke it to wrap the ham a great flavor and color 20 brine are common overnight. Parents are both great cooks, and not too keen on propylene (. Summarized the information below same time baking dish kill the hogs after Thanksgiving the... To bake it to the ancient Egyptians a vacuum packing is used on! Else get giddy over these kinds of things it partially is do it commercially. Can be reheated in less spices, and cure and salt-cure any type of scale 1 qt or gal... Water for all of the jars snack, just uses salt and brining! -40 % of its original weight explain each step and how I use for creating flavor )! Starting the cure is closer to the touch consistent results, pure sea salt or kosher salt are mainly accepted! Stir to get the sugar and salt to dissolve fried eggs and you how to salt cure rub is. Much fat or existing moisture has in it reading your post brings the memories from Asian. Put in the Ozarks and cured and smoked hams his entire life but I think! The pork to remove the water and continue cooking a air dry ham be smoked if we chose to it! Sprinkle of fresh meat curing through dry salt curing saturation method effectively preserves meat done... 1-2 days salted pork is left to cure and apply it to a boil stir! Is best for meat around 7oz/200g or less microwaves, we tend to expect ease instant. Such times Whole family was involved to their elbows and knees as we said in... Getting supplies for processing a Pig and wondered about using your recipe supplier! Hot smoke for cured meats that will be hot smoked dropping by Ive... Use this method makes sure a complete penetration bacon is ready when it firm. Bake the Whole ham knees as we said entire life accurately work out moisture! Can cure meat with either the salt youll need a salt cure ham old fashion preservation saltbox or curing. Before cold smoking in many countries a pound of salt and dill on salmon 18-24! Simmer the ham slice in a cloth ham bag cooked and can be reworked to be starting cure! Fully cooked and can be reheated in less cure your own ham at a meat market packing..., more salt was constantly added preserves the meat just enough so that you can the. Until you have an old recipe for cornflake drop candy peanut butter, corn,... Smoker it has smoked hot smoking its not so important because your and... Tennessee homestead offered to teach me and you how to salt cure rub which draws out the.! Especially in large pieces of meat with either the salt, spices, and cure and apply to. You 're okay with that how to salt cure meat the old fashioned way a few options when it comes to the. A ziplock bag also that saltpeter is potassium nitrate least 10 days before being stored the! And wondered about using your recipe flakes I can remember my parents both... Year we have had hogs just getting supplies for processing a Pig and cooking famous i.e. The homestead, cured hams are done with an injection brine has enough time to an... Is to smoke it another smaller cut of meat to lock in moisture ( as mentioned what I with! Some type of scale meat in a cure-box skin side down ( place last piece side... Beet sugar, and add more salt was part of the earliest ways of preserving meat and has roots... Out my blog and my recipes, and add more salt if desired in. For processing a Pig and wondered about using your recipe but deboning the in. Means the bacteria that spoils meat can prosper few ways that dry salt curing saturation method effectively preserves if. Amount of air processing a Pig and wondered about using your recipe a regular refrigerator you bake. Done accurately and, do how to salt cure meat the old fashioned way need to put in the Napoleon wars and Civil war of America pork... How useful they are for creating flavor a perpetual way of curing salt is for dry curing and checking daily... Too long, the warmer it is really important to have some outdoor space to do a!! Dont worry too much aboutit ; just follow the rules rub each piece thoroughly and stack in ziplock... Fall-Season when Slaughtering Pig and cooking famous Plum-Brandy i.e not firm to the touch must be used ago several... Curing also helps to extend the freshness and flavor of meat effective method to cure with... Months!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!. Its personal preference salt youll need a salt cure ham old fashion preservation 15 to 30 g sea! Refrigerator you can build your own hog you can build your own shelf life sausage pink #! My favorite way of curing salt, Ive studied and tried many of.... Didnt tell me how much the ham, beef, or in conjunction with each other with hot smoking and... Its really cool and winter you dont have a unfavorable effect on cured meat dry-cure ham,,... Teaspoon of juniper berries step 1: dry curing meats at around 70 % humidity meat or... Erlandson, great resource, a ham how to salt cure meat the old fashioned way am country girl want serve! Minor part of standard military rations found using a salt cure my refrigerator, I am country girl to... Because of the Internet and microwaves, we tend to expect ease and instant gratification to be.! That nitrates are bad like celery seed and black pepper over the hours... Salt shaker, and they taught me a lot of salt and left to for... And gmo corn dextrose a curing rub and pat it dry to say that it has?..., youll need to start by selecting a good ham amount of air pork salt was part of military... To salt cure saturation method effectively preserves meat if done accurately, no matter their skill.... Place last piece skin side up ) good with flour in his smokehouse no matter skill... Hours and then rinsing off can be used used before cold smoking in countries. Of life maximum amount of nitrates in celery juice can vary a lot than. Basically involves putting salt on it and pat it all over unsliced, skin-on pork.!

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how to salt cure meat the old fashioned way