# Curing salt



## woodsy (Oct 13, 2008)

For beef jerky
Is curing salt a special order item or do some grocery chains sell it ?
I've made jerky without it before w/o any problems but kept it refrigerated mostly.
Is curing salt the only type of salt that guarantees a safe product or is this
really not essential for a safe product?


----------



## suitcase_sally (Mar 20, 2006)

Most larger grocery stores carry Morton's Tender Quick. It's with the regular table salt, kosher salt and canning salt.

http://www.mortonsalt.com/faqs/meat_curing_faq.html

I suppose you could just use plain salt


----------



## woodsy (Oct 13, 2008)

Thanks for that link Sally !

If I can't find any local I can get it online through Mortons.

The link says this about using reg salt but doesn't mention anything about safety issues.


> 5) Can I use table salt or canning salt in place of curing salt?
> 
> 
> No, table salt or canning salt cannot be used in place of curing salt. If used, you will get salted meat but the color and flavor of the meat will not be properly developed.


EDIT:
Found some locally at the true value farmers union store, Mortons tenderquick.
Further research on the subject of curing salt on the net brought this study up
in case anyone else is interested in the safety stats of curing salt vs other salt.

Here is a preview:


> What Research Findings Exist on the Safety of Jerky?
> There have been several scientific studies of meat dehydrating and lab tests on jerky samples by the following professionals: Judy Harrison, Cooperative Extension Service, University of Georgia; Mark Harrison, the Center for Food Safety and Quality Enhancement, Department of Food Science and Technology, University of Georgia; Richard A. Holley, Food Research Institute, Agriculture Canada, in Ontario; and William Keene of the Oregon Health Division. In studies, the meat dehydrated included slices of beef from the round, loin, or flank; corned beef slices; and ground beef formed in jerky presses. Keene examined homemade venison jerky which infected 11 people with E. coli O157:H7.
> 
> In a related work, factors affecting the heat resistance of E. coli O157:H7 was the subject of an April 1998 piece by J. Kauer et al., Letters of Applied Bacteriology, Vol. 26, No. 4, page 325.
> ...


----------



## Maplecrest Farm (Sep 13, 2010)

Another fact to remmber, is that most table salt is "iodized" with iodine added... canning salt is "uniodized".... and curing salt has a preservative/bacteriostatic agent


----------

