Unfortunately, there is no standard for national additives and some manufacturers fail to provide usage information. If you are in doubt about how much curing salt (preservative/sodium nitrite) or another mix of condiments you purchased, use this calculator to find out the limit established for meat products. Select the type, choose the food additive and see the established limit. It is also possible to calculate the amount of meat used and, if you use a mix of additives and condiments, fill in the percentage of the additive that makes up the mix. If your mix has more than one additive, we recommend using the smallest amount calculated for the additives.
English 
Português do Brasil
Good afternoon, I'm making my first raw cured loin, but I have some questions. I'm in Europe and I could only find pure potassium nitrate. I used the calculator to check the quantity and I'll use 1% of the nitrate in the mixture (I'll only use nitrate and salt). The calculator says to use 30 grams of the mix (additive + salt). However, I see that the recipes usually say 2.4 grams per kilo. Could this be because it's a mix with nitrite and the lowest value is being considered, or is the calculator not giving the correct values? Can I use only nitrate, and what is the minimum time for consumption?
If you are using pure potassium nitrate, you must enter 100% of the additive in the calculator. The mix is a ready-made mixture of common salt + nitrate. The 2.4g per kg that you usually find in recipes is based on the use of the Instacure standard mix, which has more than 90% of common salt, a little nitrite and/or nitrate. That is why it returns these 2.4g. If you use pure nitrate, you must enter “I use a mix with 100% of the additive”.
Thanks for the answer, in this case I'm going to make a mix of salt and nitrate (1% nitrate 99% common salt), so should I consider the calculator's measurement?
Or does the mix correspond to something else? I will make the mix myself in this case with the nitrate that I have.
To clarify better, first I will prepare the mix (I intend to make 500 grams of ready-made curing salt with potassium nitrate, that is, I will use 5 grams of nitrate and 495 grams of salt, and from this mixture, I will take the measurements that I will use in the recipe, so I can consider the 30 grams of mixture for each kilo of meat, correct?
In the case of this mixture with only 1% of nitrate and 99% of common salt, you should use what you calculated, which is 30g per kg of meat. That is correct.
Hello, how do I calculate the carrageenan in a product where the total recipe is 398.7kg and my mix has 2.5% of carrageenan?
Select Thickener, after Carrageenan, then fill in “I use a mix with 2.5% of the additive” and “I will do 398.7 kilo(s) of meat”. You have to see what else is in this mix as there may be other additives.
Hello. I want to start with the meat stew and I bought a 0.9% curing salt, how much should I use per kilograms. I thank you in advance
16 g of curing salt per kg of meat.
Hello, ask me a question, I make beef jerky for sale, I add curing salt 1 and normal fine salt. But it doesn't smell like the others. Am I missing something to add???? Or am I making a mistake with the amount of curing salt, please help me!
Goodnight . I would like to replace the industrial No3, with a source of NO3, present in vegetables, such as beetroot. (dehydrated, higher concentration of NO3, than in natura). There is a study, and a table of recommended amounts and reduction time from NO3 to NO2. in meat products.
What is the minimum curing time for products containing sodium nitrate?
The ideal is to wait 15 days, but there is no prohibitive restriction on consumption. Many meatpacking sausages currently use nitrate and there is no minimum shelf life. Nitrate is present in many vegetables, and in high quantities, so it is a compound that is naturally part of our diet. As for nitrite, it is recommended to wait between 24 and 48 hours.
Hey! Using curing salt should I use regular salt?
Yes, because very little of the curing salt will be used, being insufficient to salt at the correct point. For 1 kg of meat you will use around 3g of curing salt, you will need to add at least 8g of common salt, depending on the product you are making.
Hello! All good? Congratulations on the website! Thank you for sharing the knowledge.
What percentage of citric acid should be used in 1kg of pork?
Thanks
Very little, use something around 0.3g per kg of meat.
Congratulations on the charcutaria website. Very good!!!!! 🙂
Could you tell me which regulation from the Ministry of Agriculture establishes a limit of 2.4g of nitrite/nitrate in cured meats, aiming to obtain a residual limit of less than 0.015g in 100g.
Thank you very much.
It is no longer the responsibility of MAPA, it is currently regulated by RDC 272 of March 14, 2019 of the Collegiate Board of the National Health Surveillance Agency. To understand this calculation, which is based on standardized curing salt, read the post Curing salt what it is and how much to use
Hi, I don't remember where to find the recipes where there is automatic calculation of the measurements, you enter the weight of the meat and then give the measurements of the other ingredients. you can help me?
Hello, I would like to make pork and mixed sausages for family consumption, do I need to use curing salt, and if so, how long can I freeze them? I don't really like preservatives, but if I want to avoid contamination in the food, I can even use 1 teaspoon of coffee, which I believe is the percentage of 2.5 grams for 1 kg of meat. Another question is can I add garlic, black pepper and pepperoni to taste if I'm going to make it? Thank you very much
Hi Valdete. For your own immediate consumption – or freezing after embedding – you can do without the curing salt. It will lose its characteristic reddish color, which is given by the action of the curing salt, but there is no risk. If you want the typical red color of sausages, use just a little bit of curing salt, a spoonful of coffee, as mentioned, will help with conservation and won't do any harm. But, as I said, 'for your own and immediate consumption, the use of curing salt is optional. Hope this helps.
Be careful with this “coffee spoon”, as it may represent more than the recommended minimum. It is correct to use a precision scale so as not to add more than the recommended limit.
Good afternoon!
I'm starting out and would like, if I can, to make smoked chicken. Do you have any recipes that you can recommend to me for the conservation and food safety of the product. I'm afraid of doing the calculation myself and forgetting something or overestimating due to the amount of bones in the whole chicken. Thank you very much in advance
Hi Sandro. For the safety and conservation of smoked meats, type 1 curing salt is recommended. The rest are seasonings and common salt at 2% on the total weight of the chicken, including the bones. You can season it dry or in brine/marinade, whichever you prefer.
What is the best way to package and where to store a piece of ham to last up to 3 months for sale?
How much curing salt do I need to make 1 kg of beef, in addition to salt, do I need any stabilizer?
Hello
I have a doubt. To produce an aged cured ham, which curing salt should I use, 1 or 2?
Curing salt 2
Thanks.
Good morning,
Can I use curing salt 2 to make pork sausage and if so, what proportion?
Hi Fábio, yes you can. The proportion is the same, if the curing salt is instacure standard, use between 2.4g and 3g per kg of sausage.
To make a mixed sausage.
What additives and what quantities should I use to make 10kg of sausage?
Hi Liene. In 10 kg of sausages use 25g of this curing salt and 25g of this antioxidant.
Can I use this calculator for ready-made tapioca dough?
Good afternoon !
To make sausage with 20 kg of pork plus 5 kg of bacon, how much sodium nitrate 250 can I add to this recipe?
Thanks
For 25kg of sausage, you have to add around 3.75g of pure additive (just the nitrite). If you are going to use a curing salt, you must evaluate the proportion of nitrite that is in the curing salt.
Good afternoon, I did a cup recipe in which I should add 2.5g per kg of curing salt 2.
But then I saw that the proportion of my curing salt is 12% of INS250 and 8 of INS251.
which seems to me to be twice the amount I put.
What problems can I have with this?
Thanks in advance.
Hi Márcio. Double the recommended minimum amount was added, but as there is a large safety margin, there is no problem using this amount. You can continue with the process.
Good morning! I bought a salami kit, how much dextrose and sodium erythorbate do I need to use per kilo of meat? Thanks.
Renato
Hi Renato, it depends on the recipe and the products you purchased. Is this erythorbate pure or is it in a mix with other ingredients? Are you going to ferment with starter culture?
Hello, do you know if it is normal for dark red smoke to come out when mixing curing salt 1 and antioxidant with water? in this quantity 80g of cure and 24g of antioxidant
Which antioxidant? Ascorbic acid?
antioxidant 5nsl. sugar, antioxidant sodium erythobate, and acidulant citric acid
I mix the 2 ingredients in a pot, as soon as I add a little water, the reaction starts, “wine-colored smoke” I increase the water and the reaction stops.
Goodnight! Do you have an estimate of when Curing Salt 1 will be available in stock?
At the end of next week.
Hello ! Is there any problem with using expired curing salt 1? Is there a loss of properties? Mine expired a month ago...
Nelson, read this post Can I use expired curing salt?
Dear… I'm going to smoke mixed sausage (50% beef and 50% pork). Should I add the curing salt in advance?
Hi Verner, you should use the curing salt together with the seasonings, mix, stuff and I recommend leaving it in the fridge for a few hours before smoking.
Sorry!
I want to know how to make a sausage or other type of sausage
Hi, good afternoon. My name is Michele, I would like some help. I want to make homemade sausage. What curing salt and brand do you recommend?
Hi Michele, use type 1 curing salt. It could be this: https://charcutaria.org/produto/sal-de-cura-1-cura-rapida-linguicas-e-salsichas-b001/
how should i use hungarian po 3
GOOD AFTERNOON. WHAT IS THE BEST SEASONING FOR SAUSAGE? CONAMIX OR HOMEMADE WITH CURING SALT?
Hi George. If you want a customized seasoning, to your taste, then it's best to mix it yourself. If you want something easier, but with a more standardized flavor, then a ready-made seasoning is the best option.
Hello, nearby I find some Hungarian III powder as a curing salt. I can't find his composition anywhere. It only states that it contains nitrite and nitrate. It seems to be equivalent to Curing Salt 2. Can you tell me how much of this Hungarian powder III I should use per kg of meat?
I bought salts 1 and 2 from you, I'm waiting for them to arrive. I was scared to use this Hungarian powder.
Hug.
Hi Fabio, Hungarian powder is a name used in the past to designate curing salt. Because it has nitrite + nirtate, it is type 2 curing salt, but without knowing the composition it is very difficult to safely calculate the amount to be used. If you can find the manufacturer maybe they will let you know.