Nitrite Nitrate free cold smoked Bacon?

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Butterbean
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Post by Butterbean » Sat Oct 08, 2016 15:55

Kunde wrote:Myth: The Use of Celery Powder to Cure Some Meats is Misleading

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ceyupxc2EMo
Good explanation. Sortof like six one way half dozen another.

I have some neighbors who market their stuff using this technique and while there is absolutely nothing wrong with their products if you read their webpage and compare this to what they are actually doing on the farm you'd just shake your head. But they do get a premium selling this feeling.

What I dislike about this type marketing is people doing this tend to criticize other producers and spread misinformation. In some cases they are getting a premium for substandard products but I guess they have to live with themselves.
Kunde

Post by Kunde » Sun Oct 09, 2016 01:33

Butterbean wrote: What I dislike about this type marketing is people doing this tend to criticize other producers and spread misinformation.
absolutely right
Fingers
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Post by Fingers » Fri Oct 14, 2016 15:10

Tried some today

It tastes good but its too salty, I would say 4% max for my taste, it is also not a nice pink colour. I also don't like the sweetness from the sugar. But on the whole its ok it will be eaten.

I will however be using cure#1 in future as I don't want it so salty, nor sweet and will be able to cold smoke if I like.

You dont know till you try I guess.
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Post by Butterbean » Fri Oct 14, 2016 22:53

Fingers wrote:Tried some today

It tastes good but its too salty, I would say 4% max for my taste, it is also not a nice pink colour. I also don't like the sweetness from the sugar. But on the whole its ok it will be eaten.

I will however be using cure#1 in future as I don't want it so salty, nor sweet and will be able to cold smoke if I like.

You dont know till you try I guess.
Thanks for sharing the outcome. You sound a bit like me. Often I have to see to believe. Sadly this is also how I learned that skunks truly do stink. As a child they said farts stunk and I didn't think this was so true so with this mindset I chased a skunk down and caught it by its tail. Was thinking how cool a pet this would be but I didn't consider its teeth and shortly thereafter I learned they did stink. HORRIBLY AT THAT.

I think I may have read article you read by the WHO. If this was the same it really sounds like everything I like will cause cancer. Red meat, popcorn, alcohol and just about everything else. Almost sounds like they want us to all be vegetarian and if that - what's the point in living?

I think moderation and common sense is the answer to all this.
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Post by Fingers » Sat Oct 15, 2016 12:54

Another update.

Trying this alongside my last batch of bacon which had cure#1 it is clear that the nitrite free bacon, is not bacon.
The taste is salty pork and there is a clear distinctive lack of bacon taste. Its quite astonishing that this tiny amount of cure#1 can have such a influence on the taste and look!

So my conclusion would be you can't make bacon without nitrate/nitrite.
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Post by Butterbean » Sat Oct 15, 2016 13:31

I agree and in the USA its also illegal to make it without cure 1.

It sounds like you made what we call salt pork. Its too salty to eat more than a small slice. Its used in small quantities to season greens which may simmer in water for hours before eating and this long cooking process eventually dilutes the salt.

The neat thing about Cure 1 is it begins to react with the meat immediately and by the time your process is complete its all but gone leaving only the lovely color and flavor. This is something the naysayers either don't understand or they find inconvenient to their agenda and marketing strategy.

Personally, I find it amazing that over 2000 years ago man figured out how to use the nitrogen cycle to preserve their meats. I mean, the nitrogen cycle is one of the key elements contolling life on our planet and they somehow figured this out. I can't think of anything more natural than this. Granted they didn't understand what they were doing till the 60's. Sadly, once it became a science it was deemed bad by some as if it wasn't "natural" but really science is simply the understanding of nature so this in itself isn't a bad thing.
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