CookingTool Review

Bacon Curing Calculator

Provided byLocal Food Heroeslocalfoodheroes.com

This bacon cure calculator lets you set meat weight, cure style variables, and nitrite concentration assumptions. It ...

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About this tool

What Bacon Curing Calculator does

The Bacon Cure Calculator on Local Food Heroes helps users determine precise ingredient amounts for dry-curing bacon using established safety ratios. By inputting the weight of boneless meat and selecting regulatory standards, the calculator outputs the required quantities of salt, sugar, and curing salt (pink salt/prague powder #1) to achieve a safe, cured product. The tool accounts for nitrite concentration in the curing salt and offers options aligned with US or EU commercial standards, including a note about recent EU regulation changes that affect the maximum permitted sodium nitrite levels. The result provides the minimum and suggested amounts of curing salt, as well as the total salt and sugar needed, allowing users to customize their cure while adhering to regulatory limits.

Step by step

How to use the Local Food Heroes Bacon Curing Calculator

  1. 1

    Enter the total weight of boneless meat in grams

  2. 2

    Select whether you are curing to US or EU regulations (or set a custom nitrite level if choosing 'Neither')

  3. 3

    Indicate if the meat skin is on or off

  4. 4

    Input the nitrite percentage in your curing salt (typical values are 6.25% for Cure #1 or 0.6% for European standards)

  5. 5

    Review the calculated outputs for salt, sugar, and curing salt amounts

Is it right for you

Best for

Home cooks and small-scale producers who want to dry-cure bacon using equilibrium methods and need to comply with specific regional regulatory standards for nitrite levels.

Limitations

  • Results depend on the accuracy of the nitrite percentage entered for the curing salt
  • The calculator does not account for variations in meat thickness or density
  • Recent EU regulation changes require users to manually adjust for a maximum of 120mg/kg sodium nitrite if full compliance is needed
Questions

Bacon Curing Calculator FAQ

Can I use this calculator for wet brining instead of dry curing?
The calculator determines salt, sugar, and curing salt amounts based on the total weight of boneless meat and selected regulatory standards, providing outputs for salt, sugar, and curing salt quantities.
What is the difference between the US and EU curing options?
The US and EU options apply different regulatory limits for the maximum permitted nitrite concentration in the final bacon product, with the EU rules having recently changed to a maximum of 120mg/kg sodium nitrite.
How do I know how much curing salt to use if I have a different brand of pink salt?
You need to input the percentage of nitrite in your specific curing salt; typical values are 6.25% for Cure #1 and 0.6% for European curing salts, and the calculator will adjust the required amount accordingly.
What does a negative figure for salt mean in the results?
A negative figure means that the cure mix you have selected contains more salt than the amount wanted in the final bacon, so you may need to adjust your ingredients or reduce the cure quantity.
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