Page 1 of 1

How much Cure#2 in wedlinydomowe Chorizo?

Posted: Thu Mar 10, 2011 23:52
by daveduvet
Hi there
I am new to sausage making and have just embarked on various recipes from the site, one being the Spanish Chorizo. I have noticed twice the amount of Cure#2 is used in this compared to the other recipes on the site. Does anybody know if this is correct or could it be a typo? If it is correct, why the need for twice the amount?
Many thanks

Posted: Fri Mar 11, 2011 02:01
by Chuckwagon
Hi Dave,
Welcome aboard! The amounts of nitrate/nitrite vary from country to country. For an explanation please visit this topic:

http://wedlinydomowe.pl/en/viewtopic.php?t=4794

Best Wishes,
Chuckwagon

Posted: Fri Mar 11, 2011 16:04
by daveduvet
Many thanks for the reply. So my cure #2 is from the UK, have i added too much to the Chorizo if i have added 5g per Kilo?

Posted: Fri Mar 11, 2011 18:35
by Siara
daveduvet, instead us take assumptions, could you please check on the packing of cure #2 you used, the % of nitrate/nitrite. We will be able to assist you then, than the most correct way.

Posted: Fri Mar 11, 2011 23:56
by daveduvet
It doesn't say the percentage, on the packet it says 'As a general rule use 2g per kilo but this is a guide and ALWAYS FOLLOW RECIPE EXACTLY'
So from this I followed the recipe. Have I done the wrong thing?

Posted: Mon Mar 14, 2011 09:44
by daveduvet
This is the recpie I have used. Can you tell me what strength of cure #2 it callas for?
http://www.wedlinydomowe.com/sausage-recipes/chorizo

Posted: Tue Mar 15, 2011 10:33
by Chuckwagon
Hi Dave,
Because England is one of those nations that use a number of differing amounts of nitrates and nitrites in their cures, it is impossible for us to advise you how much to use without knowing the specific "strength" of your specific cure. In the USA our "Prague Powder" is stronger but uniform in every state. In Poland, the product "peklisol" is much weaker in comparison but remains uniform throughout the country. Hence, Polish people use more of the specific cure than we do here in America. In England, I`ve heard of at least 3 different "strengths" being used and your countrymen still in fact, use potassium nitrite (saltpeter) in many cases. We haven`t been allowed to use that product for more than 36 years.

Please allow me to refer you to a fellow-countryman of yours - a true expert in the area of calculating and mixing sodium nitrates, sodium nitrites, and even potassium nitrates and nitrites. His name is Phil Young and his handle is "Wheels" on the forum Sausagemaking.org where he is a moderator. He may ask you where you purchased your supply of Cure #2 simply to determine the exact amount of sodium nitrate placed into the cure. In order not to publicly divulge his email address without his permission, I will send it to you by Personal Message on this forum.

I hope this will help with your question. Be sure to give Phil my best regards.

Best Wishes,
Chuckwagon

Posted: Tue Mar 15, 2011 11:42
by Troski
Daveduvet; Phil has a blog with a cure calculator. Chorizo is listed here.
http://www.localfoodheroes.co.uk/weblog ... =my_weblog
Hope this helps. Trosky

Posted: Wed Mar 16, 2011 22:39
by daveduvet
Many thanks for your help with this. i appreciate it!

Posted: Sun Apr 10, 2011 00:34
by Seminole
Daveduvet,

Spanish chorizo is a dry sausage so it requires more time. The USA FDA permits 156 ppm of sodium nitrite in regular sausages, but it allows up to 625 ppm of sodium nitrite in dry products. Even if you double up the regular dose, there will be no cure left inside the sausage after a month. Cure reacts with meat and it dissipates fast. By adding more Cure #2 nitrite/nitrate to dry products you are assured of a steady supply of nitrite and much stronger color. It also prevents pathogenic bacteria from growing, which is important at the beginning of the process. As the time goes by, the sausage dries out (looses moisture) and becomes more stable.
So if you add 2.5 g Cure #2 to 1 kg of meat, or whether you add 5.0 g, it does not matter much, as long as you make a dry sausage.