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The Best Curing Salt for Jerkies of 2024
Our Top Picks For Curing Salt for Jerkies
View all ContentsThe Best Curing Salt for Jerkies
Best Overall
Get this seasoning salt for enjoying meat whenever you want. It is best for preserving the texture and flavor of every kind of meat like fish, steak, sausage, poultry, etc. It contains 6.25% sodium nitrite which is known for wet-curing flesh without making it too salty. You can use one ounce for 25 pounds of meat or less than that as per your requirements. The package holds 2.5 pounds of Prague powder which you can apply for hundreds of pounds of flesh. Therefore, one salt package lasts for a long time. Apart from this, you can use this quick cure salt as seasoning and canning salt too.
Pros
- Great for tenderizing meat
- Two different sizing options
- Preserves the flavor of a variety of meat
Cons
- The packaging is prone to breaking during shipment
Best Space-Saver
If you are looking for a compact package that you can store or carry easily, then this one is perfect for you. It has the right combination of sodium nitrate, sodium bicarbonate, and propylene glycol, making it effective on all kinds of meat. No matter how juicy the flesh is, the salt can pull out moisture and retain its flavor for months. Unlike commercially cured ham, it doesn’t make the meat overly salty. This quick salt comes in a four-ounce jar which lets you preserve a hundred pounds of jerky.
Pros
- A compact container saves space and makes it easy to carry
- Antimicrobial components kill harmful bacteria to keep the meat safe
- Light sugar content to balance the saline taste
Cons
- May not be suited for those who make make large batches of jerky often
Most Versatile
This curing salt is more powerful than regular salt in preserving several pounds of meat with ease. It can wet-cure different types of fleshes like jerky, fish, ham, sausage, and even salami, thanks to its excellent formulation of sodium nitrite along with white salt. When you drape the meat in this saline solution, it gets dehydrated and free from harmful germs. Hence, the cured meat becomes safe to consume. Since it is a Prague powder #1, it has 6.25% sodium nitrite. Its small amount is sufficient enough to work on a huge quantity of meat.
Pros
- An extra-large bottle for curing large quantities of meat
- The unique formula is suitable for all recipes
- Lid offers 2 different pouring sizes
Cons
- Can add an unpleasant chemical taste
Best Flavor
This curing salt does more than preserving meat. It is a Prague powder #1 which is made of an ideal combination of regular salt and 6.25% sodium nitrate. It creates a saline condition that kills harmful germs while preventing their reproduction. Therefore, your meat becomes edible even after keeping it for weeks. Whether it is roast or steak, you can use it for all recipes. Since the proportion of sodium nitrite is too low, it has no health effects when used sparingly.
Pros
- Enhances the flavor as well as the appearance of the meat
- Maintains meat for longer while inhibiting bacterial growth
- Resealable package design
Cons
- Does not come in a solid container
- May not be suited for beginners
Best Size
If you are a meat connoisseur who frequently cooks hams and jerkies, you need a large amount of curing salt. This pack can serve your purpose as it offers you two pounds of instant cure powder that does not finish anytime soon. With the unique formula of Prague powder #1, it has an ideal mix of 6.25% sodium nitrite, sodium bicarbonate, and propylene glycol, which works together to wet cure ham, fish, salami, bacon, and more. Obviously, you have to cook the meat after curing but cooking or steaming it won’t turn the flesh gray. Moreover, it doesn’t contain gluten, so it is great for a gluten-free diet.
Pros
- Doesn’t contain any harmful ingredients
- Comes in a 2-pound container
- Suitable for all types of meats
- Two formulas for slow and quick curing
Cons
- Does not have any spices for adding seasoning flavor
- Expires faster than other options
A Buying Guide for Curing Salt for Jerkies
Meat lovers have a lot of options starting from sausages to bacon that they can enjoy every day in a preserved form. This helps combat the issue of meat going bad in a few short days. Even if you put it inside a refrigerator, you have to finish it within 3-4 days or maybe a week when kept carefully. Running to the grocery store daily to buy jerky is not a practical solution, and you don’t need to do that if you have curing salt at home. A little amount of salt will keep the jerky and other meats fresh and safe by sucking out their moisture. If you’re ready to venture into the amazing world of making jerky at home, let’s learn how you can find the best product.
Key Factors to Consider
Evaluate these factors to make a wise purchase.
Amount
See the size of the product or the amount of salt it holds so that you never fall short or have an excess of it. If you wet-cure meats rarely, choose a smaller size that contains four-ounce powder. However, the same will be too less if you host a family where everyone is a diehard fan of cured meats. In this case, choose a larger one having 2-2.5 pounds of curing salt.
Formula
Curing salt can be Prague powder #1 or Prague powder #2. Choose the first one for wet-curing meats which you wish to cook before eating. It has 6.25% sodium nitrite to keep your meat preserved by dehydrating it and killing germs.
Additional ingredients
Check the additional ingredients to suit individual needs. For instance, if you don’t want gluten in your meat, go for gluten-free salt. If you want extra flavor rather than a simple saline taste, check for spices and teas which add flavor to the cured flesh.
Color
The salt you are choosing is already of pink color but there are some products that are so light pink that it appears more like white. Make sure to check the color so that you can distinguish it from the ordinary salt. It should be dyed pink.
People Also Asked
Can I use tint salt for any recipe?
Tint salt can protect the bacon, steak, sausage, poultries, corned beef, and more types of meat from decaying. It's your choice whether you want to have them cooked or smoked. Some people also add spices while curing to make it flavorful.
Is curing salt always pink?
Maximum curing salt is pink in color. It isn't naturally that color. It is dyed so that you don't confuse it with regular salt. However, there is some quick salt which is white too, so make sure you check the label on the package.
How much curing salt should I keep at home?
This depends on how often you plan on making items that require curing salt. Having one to two pounds of a good brand is a great option. It will last for months. In case, you cook cured meat rarely like when guests visit, one pack will last for years. However, make sure you're keeping the salt away from moisture and looking at the expiration date.
What are the different types of curing salts?
Curing salt is available under different names in the market like Prague powder, tinted, quick cure, instant cure, and pink curing salt. There are two types of prague powders based on their contents. Prague powder #1 is great for preserving meat for a short period of time. It contains 6.25% sodium nitrite while the rest is regular salt. Prague powder #2 contains 6.25% sodium nitrite, and 4.75% sodium nitrate along with regular salt. Sodium nitrate is what makes it different from powder #1. It works for curing meat for a longer period of time.
Which is better: curing salt and regular salt?
Ordinary salt has too little preservative property as compared to tinted salt. Additionally, regular salt has iodine which transforms the taste of the meat. Therefore, treating the bacon or jerky with regular salt tastes too salty. Also, the salt pulls out oxygen from myoglobin when it is cooked. That's why cooked meat turns gray whereas cured meat looks pink after cooking because the oxygen is replaced by nitrite.
