You must read this before curing meats: We encourage experimenting on all recipes that don’t have preservatives added. Our curing recipes use Prague Powder #1 which contains small amounts of the preservative sodium nitrite. If you do it wrong you can make someone sick. So you should not experiment with the ratios of PP#1 or the quantity of liquids in a recipe. Our recipes are carefully calculated to be safe and were created with the help of food scientists. Please do them exactly as published and please read this page thoroughly before curing any meats so you know how to cure meats safely.
Some recipes you can scale up or down by multiplying the ingredients. Some, like ham, you cannot, you must use a special curing calculator we have created to tell you how much PP#1, liquid, and how long it will take. There is nothing like it anywhere.
You should not try to combine our curing recipes with others. This may shock you, but there is a lot of misinformation on the internet. Although we love answering reader questions, we cannot comment on curing recipes from other websites or books, or variations you want to try. Nor can we do the math for you if you need to use the calculator. If you are unsure what to do, then don’t do it. If you fail to follow our directions, please don’t ask how to fix your meat. Remember, when in doubt, throw it out. Sorry to be so pedantic, but we long ago decided it was a bad business practice to make our readers sick.
Hey there, bacon lovers! If you’ve ever dreamed of curing your own bacon at home and getting that perfect smoky, salty goodness, you’ve prolly stumbled upon the magic ingredient: Prague Powder. But here’s the million-dollar question—how much Prague Powder do ya need for bacon? Don’t worry, I’ve got ya covered! After plenty of trial and error in my own kitchen, I’m spillin’ all the beans (or should I say bacon strips?) on the exact amounts, why it matters, and how to make your homemade bacon taste like a freakin’ masterpiece.
Right off the bat, let’s get to the good stuff: for dry curing bacon, the golden rule is 1 level teaspoon of Prague Powder #1 per 5 pounds of pork belly. If you’re a precision nerd like me, you can go with 0.25% of the meat’s weight using a gram scale. Wet curing? Use 1 teaspoon per gallon of brine. Simple, right? But stick with me, ‘cause there’s a whole lotta more to unpack about using this pink curing salt safely and makin’ your bacon the talk of the town.
What the Heck Is Prague Powder Anyway?
Alright let’s break it down real quick. Prague Powder often called pink curing salt, ain’t your regular table salt. It’s a mix of salt and a lil’ bit of sodium nitrite. Now, don’t get scared off by the “nitrite” part—it’s what gives bacon that gorgeous pink color instead of a sad, gray mess. More importantly, it stops nasty bacteria like botulism from crashin’ your bacon party. That’s a big deal when you’re curing meat at home, ‘cause safety ain’t somethin’ to mess with.
There’s two types you might hear about: Prague Powder #1 for short-term cures like bacon, and #2 for longer stuff like salami. For our bacon adventures, we’re stickin’ with #1. It’s got just the right amount of nitrite to keep things safe and tasty without overdoin’ it. So, when I say “Prague Powder” from here on out, just know I’m talkin’ ‘bout #1, alright?
Why Measurin’ Prague Powder Is Super-Duper Important
I can’t stress this enough—gettin’ the amount of Prague Powder right is a big freakin’ deal. Too much, and your bacon will taste like a salt lick and might even make ya feel sick. Too little, and you’re riskin’ some serious health issues ‘cause the meat won’t cure properly and bacteria could sneak in. Plus, the wrong amount messes with the flavor and texture, and after all that work, you don’t want a batch of weird-tastin’ bacon, do ya?
I remember my first go at curing bacon—thought I could just eyeball the pink stuff. Big mistake! Ended up with a batch so salty I could barely choke it down. Lesson learned measure it out every dang time. Grab yourself a good kitchen scale (digital ones are cheap these days), and weigh both your meat and the curing salt. Trust me it’s worth the extra minute to avoid a disaster.
How Much Prague Powder for Bacon? Let’s Get Specific!
Let’s dive into the nitty-gritty of quantities so you’ve got no guesswork. Here’s the breakdown for curing bacon at home, whether you’re doin’ it dry or wet:
- Dry Curing (Salt Box Method): Use 1 teaspoon of Prague Powder #1 for every 5 pounds of pork belly. This is the quick-and-easy rule for most home cooks. Got a 10-pound slab? That’s 2 teaspoons. Easy peasy.
- Dry Curing (Equilibrium Method): For the control freaks (no shame, I’m one too), use 0.25% of the meat’s weight in Prague Powder. So, if you’ve got a 2-pound piece of belly, that’s 2,000 grams, and 0.25% of that is 5 grams of curing salt. You’ll need a gram scale for this, but it’s the most precise way to go.
- Wet Curing (Brine Method): If you’re soakin’ your bacon in a brine, mix 1 teaspoon of Prague Powder per gallon (or 4 liters) of water. Makin’ a 3-gallon brine? That’s 3 teaspoons. Make sure it’s mixed well into the liquid before addin’ your meat.
Here’s a lil’ table to keep things crystal clear:
| Method | Amount of Prague Powder | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Dry Cure (Basic) | 1 tsp per 5 lbs of pork belly | Good for quick, no-fuss curing |
| Dry Cure (Equilibrium) | 0.25% of meat weight (e.g., 5g for 2kg) | Super precise, needs a gram scale |
| Wet Cure (Brine) | 1 tsp per gallon of water | Mix well into brine before adding meat |
Got it? Now, don’t just dump it on and hope for the best. Weigh your meat calculate your amount, and double-check your math. I’ve had a batch go wrong ‘cause I misread my own scribbly notes—don’t be me!
Dry vs. Wet Curing: Which Way to Go?
Now that ya know how much Prague Powder to use, let’s chat about the two main ways to cure bacon. Both work awesome, but they got their own vibes. I’ve tried ‘em both, and here’s the lowdown:
Dry Curing
This is my go-to, ‘cause it’s less messy and I feel like I’ve got more control. You mix the Prague Powder with other stuff like salt and sugar, rub it all over the pork belly, and let it sit in the fridge for about a week. Flip it daily if ya can, to make sure it cures even. Here’s the basic steps:
- Weigh your pork belly and figure out the Prague Powder (1 tsp per 5 lbs or 0.25% weight).
- Mix the curing salt with regular salt (about 2% of meat weight) and sugar (1% or so, if ya like a touch of sweet).
- Rub that mix all over the belly—don’t miss no spots!
- Pop it in a big zip-top bag or a tight container, and fridge it for 7-14 days dependin’ on thickness. I usually go 1 day per ¼ inch of meat, plus a couple extra days just to be safe.
- After curin’, rinse it off, pat it dry, and let it chill uncovered in the fridge overnight to form a “pellicle” (that’s a fancy word for a sticky layer that helps smoke stick).
Dry curing gives a bolder, more concentrated flavor, and I swear it’s easier to slice after smokin’.
Wet Curing
Wet curing means soakin’ the pork belly in a brine with Prague Powder mixed in. It’s great if you want a juicier end result or you’re workin’ with a big batch. Here’s how I do it:
- Make a brine with 1 teaspoon Prague Powder per gallon of water, plus salt, sugar, and any spices ya fancy.
- Submerge the pork belly in the brine—make sure it’s fully covered. Use a heavy plate or somethin’ to weigh it down if needed.
- Let it sit in the fridge for 7-14 days, same as dry curing, flippin’ it now and then.
- Rinse, dry, and let it form that pellicle overnight before smokin’.
Wet curing can be a lil’ trickier to manage ‘cause of the liquid, but dang, it keeps the meat tender. Pick whichever feels right for you—I switch between ‘em dependin’ on my mood!
Safety Tips: Don’t Mess Around with Prague Powder
I ain’t gonna sugarcoat it—Prague Powder is powerful stuff, and ya gotta handle it with care. It’s not table salt, and you don’t wanna sprinkle it on your fries by mistake. Here’s some tips to keep things safe and sound:
- Measure Like a Boss: Always use a digital scale for accuracy. Eyeballin’ it ain’t no way to play this game. A tiny bit too much can ruin the batch, and too little is risky.
- Store It Right: Keep Prague Powder in a cool, dry spot, away from your regular salt. I stick mine in a labeled jar on a high shelf so no one mixes it up. Moisture can wreck it, so keep it dry as a bone.
- Dedicated Tools: Use a special spoon or scoop just for Prague Powder—don’t let it touch stuff you use for regular cookin’. Cross-contamination is a no-no.
- Don’t Overdo It: If your bacon comes out crazy salty or has a weird bitter taste, ya might’ve used too much. Don’t eat it if it tastes off—better safe than sorry. Start over and measure careful next time.
I’ve learned this the hard way after a batch went south ‘cause I got sloppy with measurin’. Take your time, double-check, and you’ll be golden.
How to Know If Ya Used Too Much or Too Little
Sometimes, even with all the care in the world, things don’t go quite right. Here’s how to tell if your Prague Powder amount was off:
- Too Much Prague Powder: Your bacon will taste like it’s been dunked in the ocean—way too salty, even after rinsin’. It might smell super strong, almost like deli ham, or have a funky bitter aftertaste. If that happens, it’s prob’ly best to toss it and try again.
- Too Little Prague Powder: This is harder to spot ‘til it’s too late. The bacon might not have that nice pink color, lookin’ more grayish. Worse, it might not be safe to eat ‘cause bacteria wasn’t kept in check. If it don’t look or smell right, don’t risk it.
When in doubt, trust your gut (and your nose). I’ve had to chuck a batch before ‘cause somethin’ felt off, and I ain’t never regretted playin’ it safe.
Pimpin’ Your Bacon: Flavor Ideas That Rock
Alright, now that we’ve got the boring safety stuff outta the way, let’s talk about makin’ your bacon taste amazin’. The right amount of Prague Powder keeps it safe, but the fun part is playin’ with flavors. Here’s some ideas I’ve messed around with in my kitchen:
- Sweet Vibes: Add a bit of brown sugar, honey, or even molasses to your curing mix. It balances the salt and gives a caramel-y note that’s just divine. I usually go with a tablespoon or two per 5 pounds.
- Spicy Kick: Toss in some crushed red pepper flakes or a dash of cayenne. I did this once for a buddy who loves heat, and he couldn’t stop ravin’ about it.
- Smoky Magic: If you’ve got a smoker, use fruit woods like apple or cherry for a mellow, sweet smoke. I’ve tried hickory too, but it can overpower if ya ain’t careful.
- Fancy Pants: Experiment with garlic powder, black pepper, or even a splash of bourbon in the mix. I ain’t kiddin’—bourbon bacon is next-level stuff!
The beauty of curin’ your own bacon is you get to make it yours. Start with the basics, then tweak it ‘til it’s perfect for your taste buds.
Step-by-Step: My Go-To Bacon Curing Recipe
Wanna see how I put it all together? Here’s my fave way to cure bacon, step by step. This is for a dry cure, ‘cause that’s what I love most, but you can adapt it for wet if ya prefer.
- Grab Your Gear: Get a 3-5 pound slab of pork belly (look for high-quality stuff—organic or heritage breeds got better flavor). You’ll need a gram scale, Prague Powder #1, kosher salt, sugar, and any extra spices.
- Weigh and Calculate: Weigh your belly. Let’s say it’s 4 pounds—that’s 1,814 grams. At 0.25%, you need about 4.5 grams of Prague Powder. Add 2% salt (about 36 grams) and 1% sugar (18 grams or so).
- Mix the Cure: Combine the Prague Powder, salt, and sugar in a bowl. I sometimes toss in a spoonful of black pepper for a lil’ zing.
- Rub It Down: Pat the belly dry with paper towels, then rub the cure mix all over, front and back. Don’t skimp—get into every nook.
- Bag It Up: Slide it into a big zip-top bag, squeeze out most of the air, and pop it in the fridge. Flip it every day for 7-10 days. You’ll see liquid form—that’s normal, just massage it around.
- Rinse and Rest: After curin’, take it out, rinse off the cure under cold water, and pat it super dry. Set it on a rack in the fridge, uncovered, for 24 hours to form that pellicle.
- Smoke Time: If you’ve got a smoker, go for 3 hours at 200°F with apple wood ‘til it hits 150°F internal temp. No smoker? You can skip straight to slicin’ and cookin’, though smoke adds magic.
- Slice and Store: Chill it a bit to make slicin’ easier (I pop mine in the freezer for an hour), then cut it as thick or thin as ya like. Store in the fridge in an airtight container for a week, or freeze portions for later.
Cook it up in a skillet, and watch your family lose their minds over how good it is. I’ve had friends beg me for more after tryin’ this recipe—it’s that darn good.
Tools You’ll Wanna Have Handy
Curing bacon don’t require a ton of fancy gear, but a few things make life easier. Here’s what I keep in my kitchen for this:
- Digital Scale: For measurin’ Prague Powder and meat weight. Don’t cheap out—accuracy matters.
- Zip-Top Bags or Containers: Big ones for curin’. I like bags ‘cause they’re less messy to flip.
- Smoker (Optional): If you wanna add that smoky goodness. I use a pellet grill, but any smoker works.
- Good Knife or Slicer: For cuttin’ the finished bacon. I got a cheap slicer off the internet, and it’s a game-changer for even strips.
- Thermometer: To check internal temp if you’re smokin’. Gotta hit 150°F to be safe.
You don’t need much, but these lil’ helpers save a lotta headache.
Common Mistakes to Dodge
I’ve screwed up enough times to know where folks go wrong. Here’s some pitfalls to watch out for:
- Skippin’ the Scale: Don’t guess the amount of Prague Powder. I did once, and it was a salty disaster.
- Not Flippin’ the Meat: If ya forget to turn it daily durin’ curin’, you might get uneven results. Set a reminder on your phone or somethin’.
- Rushin’ It: Don’t cut the curin’ time short. If the meat’s thick, give it the full time—better safe than sorry.
- Bad Storage: After curin’ and smokin’, keep it wrapped tight in the fridge or freezer. I left a batch out too long once, and it went off quick.
Learn from my oopsies, and you’ll be fine!
Why Make Your Own Bacon? It’s Worth It, I Swear!
If you’re sittin’ there thinkin’, “Why bother when I can just buy bacon at the store?” lemme tell ya why. First, you control everythin’—the quality of the pork, the level of salt, the smoke flavor, even the thickness of the slices. Store-bought stuff can’t touch that. Second, it’s a heck of a lot cheaper in the long run, especially if ya buy pork belly in bulk. And third, there’s somethin’ so satisfyin’ about servin’ up bacon you made with your own two hands. I’ve had folks tell me mine’s the best they ever tasted, and that feels pretty darn awesome.
Wrappin’ It Up: Get Curin’ Already!
So, there ya have it—everythin’ you need to know about how much Prague Powder to use for bacon. Stick with 1 teaspoon per 5 pounds or 0.25% of the meat’s weight for dry curing, and 1 teaspoon per gallon for a brine, and you’re on your way to bacon heaven. Measure careful, follow safety tips, and don’t be afraid to play with flavors to make it your own.
I’m tellin’ ya, once you try curin’ your own bacon, you ain’t gonna wanna go back to the store-bought junk. Grab some pork belly, get that Prague Powder, and let’s make some magic happen in the kitchen. Drop a comment below if ya got questions or wanna share how your batch turned out—I’m all ears! Now, go get smokin’ (or curin’), my friend!
Why I recommend wet cures
I prefer wet cures because submerging the meat in liquid makes it easier to control the amount of salt in the meat. The salt concentration for wet curing is higher than the typical 4 to 6% brine used to moisten chicken, turkey, and pork before cooking. Nature seeks equilibrium, so it tries to make the salt concentration inside the meat the same as outside. So the trick is to create a cure that has the right amount of nitrite and liquid so that the nitrite will penetrate all the way to the center of the meat, preserve the meat, and fight off bacteria without allowing it to suck in too much salt or too much nitrite.
Wet curing prevents “hot spots” where there is more cure in one spot than in other spots, a problem in dry curing. Also, wet curing won’t make thin areas or meat saltier than thick areas of meat, a problem with dry curing. When submerged in a wet cure, the salt concentration is the same all around the surface and the laws of equilibrium keep the meat the same salinity throughout if you keep it in the cure long enough. In a wet cure, the humidity is easier to control than in a dry cure, it is always 100%. Wet cures also hide the meat from oxygen, inhibiting most bacteria and preventing rancidity. So making the process anaerobic protects you from all the bad guys except bot, and the nitrite knocks bot out. Another problem with dry cures is that you need to put it on a rack or hang it in the fridge so air can flow around it.
Another benefit of wet cures is that you can leave the meat in the cure a bit longer than the prescribed time. The meat and the water will reach equilibrium and if you followed our recommendations for safe curing (like using distilled or boiled water), a rule of thumb is you can leave it in the cure for up to 25% longer than recommended.
In practice you may be able to go longer but we do not recommend it. The longer it is in the cure the greater the risk of contamination.
And yes, I know my endorsement of wet cures seems to contradict my love of dry brining other meats like steak, chicken, and pork. But with those meats, you are applying only plain salt, not curing salt, you are applying it a short time before cooking, and you are using salt in smaller quantities just to amplify the flavor. This is a vastly different chemical process.
All this said, there is one important argument in favor of dry curing. It encourages the growth of some bacteria and molds that, if you know exactly what you’re doing, can produce interesting flavors and complexity, especially in hams. That’s one reason why prosciutto is so expensive. In this picture you see an expert at Prosiuittificio Ghirardi Onesto in Parma, Italy. He uses a thin sharp bone and sticks it in every single ham that is aging in their temperature-controlled cellar, and then sniffs the bone to make sure everything is proceeding according to plan.
Nitrites, botulism, and safety
The idea that nitrites or nitrates were carcinogenic was the result of a flawed experiment in the 1970s and, although it has been debunked, the bad reputation won’t go away. In 2003 the World Health Organization flat out said it: “No association was found with oral, oesophageal, gastric, or testicular cancer.” Research shows that about 95% of the nitrites we consume come from the natural compounds in vegetables such as lettuce, spinach, celery, radishes, and carrots, and even some drinking water. There is even some in saliva. Click this link for more on the subject.
In moderate amounts the nitrite is processed by your gut and the bacteria in there. There is is converted to nitric oxide which is important to your body (not to be confused with nitrous oxide, aka laughing gas). Eating too much nitrite in a sitting can lead to methemoglobinemia which can lead to headaches, shortness of breath, nausea, rapid heart rate, fatigue and lethargy, confusion or stupor, and loss of consciousness. This condition occurs when nitrite in the blood deactivates hemoglobin, the molecule that carries oxygen to muscles. It can also happen if you eat too much spinach, Popeye.
The AmazingRibs.com science advisor Prof. Greg Blonder explains that “Children and pets are much more sensitive to nitrites, and infants even more so. They lack certain enzymes and their digestive tracts harbor bacteria that convert nitrate in veggies into nitrite. This is why commercial baby food is designed to be low nitrite/nitrate, and why some parents who make their own natural baby food from spinach can actually harm a young child because spinach is high in nitrite.” For this reason you must store curing salts where children cannot get into them.
Clostridium botulinum is a curious and dangerous beast. It is the single most deadly food pathogen, far more deadly than pathogenic strains of E-coli or salmonella. Bot doesn’t grow well in the presence of air, so it forms tough shell-like spores and hibernates until conditions are right. The spores are commonly found in the environment all around you.
But they are not a problem unless conditions allow the spores to germinate and produce deadly botulinum toxin. Clostridium botulinum prefers anaerobic (oxygen free) conditions. So submerging meat in water for days is rolling out the welcome mat. And cooking the meat when it comes out is no guarantee of safety because the spores don’t start croaking til the temp hits 250°F or so. So boiling water won’t kill them since it never gets above 212°F, and most meats, because they are mostly water, can’t go much above 212°F.
As scary as all this sounds, the good news is that the Clostridium botulinum that emerge from spores are much more sensitive and they die at about 175°F and the toxins they produce are inactivated at about 160°F. You might ask, why not dry cure in air rather than in water? Because there is very little oxygen deep in the center of a slab of meat, so Clostridium botulinum spores can already hide and grow there. So it just doesn’t matter.
It is widely believed that USDA has set the limit of 200 ppm for cured meats, but this is a myth. USDA has established regulatory limits for the addition of sodium nitrite at 120 ppm (0.012%) in wet cured bacon, 200 ppm (0.02%) for dry cured bacon, 156 ppm (0.0156%) for products such as frankfurters or cured sausages, 200 ppm (0.02%) in wet cured or injected products such as ham or pastrami, and up to 625 ppm (0.0625%) of sodium nitrite in dry-cured meat products such as country hams.
These are levels at the end of the cure. Dry cured meats may sit for months at room temperature exposed to microbes in the air and oxygen. Plus they are often consumed raw, like prosciutto, as opposed to cooked for bacon. Because nitrites decrease during curing, the residual levels, after a few days or weeks, are often 10x lower than at the end of the curing process. Our recipes target 125 ppm at the end of the process.
USDA also requires 550 ppm (0.055%) of sodium ascorbate or sodium erythorbate to be added in commercial bacon production. This increases nitric oxide formation and, as we explain in our article on the smoke ring, NO is what gives cured meats their pink color when it combines with the protein myoglobin. It also greatly reduces or prevents the formation of nitrosamines. Our recipes do not require these extra additives, so it is considered safe, even desirable, to use the 200 ppm as a maximum target. Prof. Blonder, has written about the subject of nitrite toxicity in detail here. I have written about nitrites and nitrates and the cancer scare of the 1970s here.
People often ask if they can cure meats without nitrites and just increase the salt. Salt inhibits bot’s growth, but won’t kill it. Neither will vinegar. You should not attempt to cure meat at home without a curing salt.
There are some “natural” or “no nitrite” cured meats on the market, but if you look closely at the label, they often have some sort of extract of celery in them because it contains nitrate which can convert to nitrite. There are recipes for “curing” that don’t use nitrites, so technically they are not really cures, and they cannot kill bot so they must never be submerged in wet cures. I consider them risky.
That’s why you must resist the temptation to improvise in a few key areas. But if you stick to my recipes, you can make absolutely mind-blowing pastrami, bacon, and more. I’ll discuss below where you can improvise.
Prague Powder Curing Salt | WTF – Ep. 101
FAQ
How much prague powder per pound of bacon?
To cure within food safely guidelines, it is important to use the proper amount of Prague Powder #1 and follow recipes from reputable sources. Using too much or too little Pink Curing Salt can negatively affect food quality and safety. As a general rule, use 1 tsp Prague Powder #1 per every pound of meat.
How much prague powder 1 to use?
For Prague Powder #1, as a guideline, use 1 tsp for each 5 lb of meat. However, we are not experts in the curing of delicious meats.
Can you use too much prague powder?
Too much or too little Pink Curing Salt can adversely affect health, taste, and food quality. Overall it is recommended that you use one ounce of Prague Powder #1 to twenty-five pounds of meat or fish.
How much prague powder 2 per pound of meat?
For sausage making Prague Powder #2 is used at a rate of 4oz to 100lbs of meat and is best incorporated into the mix by dissolving in a small amount of ice cold water and adding at the same time as the rest of the seasoning ingredients. For making smaller amounts of the sausage use one level teaspoon to 5lbs of meat.