Fundamentals of Curing

Hoosier Hill Farm Prague Powder No. 1 is also referred to as Tinted Cure, Insta Cure, or Pink Curing Salt. It is an essential food preservative used for curing meats that require a wet curing process. Prague Powder #1 is used for short-term curing like sausage, corned beef, country ham, bacon, and a variety of fish. It can also be used when making jerky or smoking meats. The powder contains a mixture of salt and sodium nitrate that helps prevent the growth of harmful bacteria and food poisoning while maintaining your meat’s flavor and appearance. 

Each container of Prague Powder holds enough to cure 100 pounds of meat.

For maximum shelf life, store in a cool, dry place. We do not recommend refrigerating or freezing curing salt.

Hoosier Hill Farm Prague Powder No. 2 is also known as tinted curing salt. It is an essential ingredient used for specialty cured meat products. It is used in long, dry curing methods that do not use a marinade or brine and require an aging period of over 30 days. This includes a variety of meats like dried salamis, pepperonis, country ham, pancetta, coppa, and prosciutto. Prague Powder No. 2 is made from a combination of table salt, sodium nitrite, and sodium nitrate. It prevents bacteria growth and food poisoning while maintaining your meat’s flavor and appearance.

For maximum shelf life, store in a cool, dry place. We do not recommend refrigeration or freezing Prague Powder or other curing salts. 

To cure any meat or fish safely within food safety guidelines, it’s important to use the proper amount of Prague Powder. We recommend using a kitchen scale to weigh both your meat and your curing salt for the most accurate ratio.

Use 1 ounce (equivalent to 6 teaspoons, or 2 tablespoons) of Prague Powder for 25 pounds of meat, or 1 level teaspoon of cure for 5 pounds of meat. Mix curing salt with cold water to dissolve, then add to your other ingredients.

Choose your meat! We recommend curing smaller cuts of meat such as hams or bacon. If necessary, trim off any excess fat, tendons, or meat.

Follow our instructions for how much Prague Powder #2 to use alongside regular salt based on the weight of your meat.

Mix up your spices along with your Prague Powder #2. Then rub onto your meat.

Place meat into a plastic food storage bag. Tightly seal and place in the refrigerator. The amount of time spent curing the meat will depend on the thickness and amount of bone and fat. For thicker cuts of meat, you may want to lengthen the time you cure.

Remove from the refrigerator and rinse off all the salt/spice mix under cold water. Remove as much of the salt/spice mix as possible and allow to briefly air-dry over an elevated rack.

Cook your meat and taste!

Choose your meat!

Follow our instructions for how much Prague Powder #1 to use based on the weight of your meat.

Choose your brine recipe and bring ingredients to a boil. Then allow the brine to cool completely.

To prepare the brine, use a large non-corrosive bowl. Submerge the meat and soak over a period of time.

Like dry curing, the process takes place in the refrigerator and the cured meat needs to be cooked when finished.

Label the date and time the meat should be removed from your refrigerator.

Cure meat at a temperature between 36 degrees – 40 degrees F.

In the case that the meat is too salty, soak or boil it in water to remove the excess salt.

Cured meat is still raw meat, so always remember to cook your meat and poultry after curing. Cured meat will turn pink or reddish when cooked. Be sure not to mix those up!

First-time curers might want to go with a more forgiving piece of meat, like pork belly or pork butt.

Prague Powder is pink because it is purposely dyed for cooks to prevent confusion between curing salt and regular salt.

Do not use metal trays when curing. The metal reacts with the salt and sodium nitrite.