Cure 1 or 2

[ursula]

Hello all,
Just a question that's been bugging me:
In the olden days, people would hang their meat in the smoking room, attic etc and just let it get more and more smoked.
If cure number 1 were used, at what point would it no longer protect the meat from the botulism risk?
Or should cure number 2 have been used in those circumstances?
Is there a cut off point in time which determines when you should decide to use cure 2 instead?
Also, after smoking I like to hang my meat a few days. Are there any temperature parameters that I should be observing?
Any ideas?
Thanks
Ursula

[Chuckwagon]

Hi Ursula, hope all is going well in your neck of the woods.
I just posted some material that may answer some of the questions you may have.
http://wedlinydomowe.pl/en/viewtopic.php?p=12595#12595
If this doesn't help, we'll find some more answers for you.

Best Wishes,
Chuckwagon

[Baconologist]

Cure#2 is used when curing and hanging beyond a couple weeks.
A temperature of at least 40 degrees F is required for bacteria to reduce the nitrate to nitrite.

[ssorllih]

It is here that I will add a question. Will solid pieces of meat such as bacon I should think that and bacterial contamination would be on the surface unless the interior had been penetrated. Certain bacteria are present in the meat and others are introduced. I understand that the curing salts will diffuse into the meat and reduce the available water and drying in the smoke house will also reduce the AW. So my question is: do we ever annihilate the bacteria or do we succeed only in inactivating them.

[ursula]

Baconologist,
Thank you! That makes it all really clear. I think I should have been using Cure 2 for my last loins as they have been smoking/hanging a couple of weeks now. Will get them in the vac bags today.
And great question Ross.
Thanks again
Ursula